The Marx Brothers

Discussion in 'Movies' started by Tom Locke, Sep 10, 2015.

  1. Tom Locke

    Tom Locke Veteran Member
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    I have been a fan of the Marx Brothers ever since I first saw one of their films when I was about sixteen or seventeen. I have a decent, if rather grainy, collection of their movies and even now, I am quite happy to settle down with a glass or two of something and watch one.

    In fact, the older I became, the more I appreciated them, because I understood more of the references and nuances. To me, they were subversive, challenging and just plain funny. They were more performance artists than actors.

    Something I like is that they spawned imitators, imitation being a fine form of flattery. From Bugs Bunny to M*A*S*H, we have Groucho Marx wannabes and that is a tribute that any serious artist would crave.
     
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  2. Krissttina Isobe

    Krissttina Isobe Veteran Member
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    :oops:Ahh the Marx Brothers when thought of brings a smile! They have been entertaining since vaudeville and at TCM I see their movies every once in a while. They have brought countless hours of laughter to the screen. Whenever I can I watch the old classic movies of the Marx Brothers. I enjoy their humor for they weren't rough like the 3 Stooges. The Marx Brothers, Chico, Harpo & Groucho I know of but don't know of Zeppo. I guess they might be one of the first to employ the disabled for Harpo didn't speak a word on screen.
     
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  3. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    I loved the Marx Brothers. Their comedy was on a level above that of the other comedians of the time; or, more appropriately on multiple levels because they could still hold the lower tiers, but there was more to them.
     
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  4. Ike Willis

    Ike Willis Supreme Member
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    My favorites were Laurel and Hardy and The 3 stooges. The Little Rascals rank right up there too.
     
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  5. Tom Locke

    Tom Locke Veteran Member
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    I am also a massive fan of Buster Keaton. The man was a genius. The "house falling down" scene in Steamboat Bill Jr is magnificent, made even better by the look of mild bemusement on his face when it crashes down.
     
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  6. Sheldon Scott

    Sheldon Scott Supreme Member
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    I've always liked the Marx brothers movies and Groucho Marx' tv show You Bet Your Life, too.
     
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  7. Hannah Davis

    Hannah Davis Veteran Member
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    To be honest I was never a huge fan of the Marx Brother's. Oh they were talented no doubt about that, but I guess their brand of comedy was something that didn't resonate with me. My father was a huge fan of their's though, he liked to watch their movies and he also liked Groucho's show You Bet You Life. He use to get the biggest bang out of the wheel the contestants would spin saying that it was rigged because of what it would stop on.
     
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  8. Tom Locke

    Tom Locke Veteran Member
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    Picking a favourite Marx Brothers' film, hmm, difficult. I'm tempted to go for Duck Soup. (The duck logo has its reasons, too long to explain here.) I do like that one, though - it's a magnificent send-up of the absurdity of totalitarian regimes, in the mode of Chaplin's Great Dictator and some of Woody Allen's better efforts.
     
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  9. Joe Riley

    Joe Riley Supreme Member
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    I like Groucho!:D
    [​IMG]
     
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  10. Brittany Houser

    Brittany Houser Veteran Member
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    I love the Marx Brothers! I remember when I was a teenager, laughing uproariously over their movies. Although they were technically before my time, their movies played a lot when I was a kid. W.C.Fields was a favorite as well! I loved the play-off between Fields and Mae West.
     
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  11. Joe Riley

    Joe Riley Supreme Member
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    Groucho's real name was Julius Henry Marx. His Brother, Gummo, is the "forgotten" Marx Brother.
    [​IMG]
    Gummo Marx
     
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  12. Tom Locke

    Tom Locke Veteran Member
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    Julius Henry Marx (as above) - Groucho
    Leonard Marx - Chico
    Adolph (later Arthur) Marx - Harpo
    Herbert Manfred Marx - Zeppo
    Milton Marx - Gummo

    Zeppo appeared in the first five films, but moved into engineering and made a fortune. He also operated a theatrical agency with Gummo.

    Chico was originally Chicko, but a typesetting error turned him into Chico.
     
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  13. Pat Baker

    Pat Baker Supreme Member
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    I have also enjoyed The Marx Brothers movies on tv when growing I was growing up. I don't care for the Three Stooges, they are too physical.
     
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  14. Brittany Houser

    Brittany Houser Veteran Member
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    Oh Pat! Do you mean to say that you don't enjoy the insane slapstick of the Stooges? :D What about Laurel and Hardy? I always fancied myself as having an intellectual, dry sense of humor, but I am reduced to fits of giggles over the old forms of slapstick! Ernie Kovacs was another favorite lunatic of yore. :D
     
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  15. Joe Riley

    Joe Riley Supreme Member
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