Displaying items by tag: Marx Brothers

MONKEY BUSINESS

US, 1931, 77 minutes, Black-and-white.

Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Zappo Marx, Rockliffe Fellowes, Harry Woods, Thelma Todd, Ruth Hall, Tom Kennedy.

Directed by Norman Z. McLeod.

Monkey Business is the third of the Marx Bros comedies at Paramount in the early 1930s. It was the first written for the screen and filmed in Hollywood (the earlier two at Paramount Studios in New York)

The setting is a transatlantic liner, the brothers stowing away in barrels, heard singing, exposed, then chases all around the ship throughout the film, tantalising the captain, usurping his authority, tormenting his assistant. The film gives the opportunity for the Marx Bros to establish their screen personas, developing them from their theatre performances, Groucho and his moustache, eyebrows, stooped walk, wisecracks, cigar, twisting the plot to his own advantage. Chico does some comedy but, finally, shows his versatility at the piano. Harpo, in the early films, chasing the women (almost, indeed, harassment), not talking, but finally getting the opportunity to attend of the film to play the harp. The Zeppo is the straight man, involved romantically with the daughter of a gangster on the ship.

There is a lot of comedy with the gangsters, Chico and Harpo hired as hitmen, Groucho twisting loyalties, and the femme fatale, wife of the gangster, Thelma Todd, who wants more out of life and has some innuendo sequences and lines with Groucho.

The film is well remembered but, audiences coming to this film in the light of the later films at MGM, it looks like a promo for their careers and is more than a bit silly!

DUCK SOUP

US, 1933, 69 minutes, Black-and-white.

Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Zeppo Marx, Margaret Dumont, Louis Calhern.

Directed by Leo McCarey.

A very early Marx Brothers film, many critics considering at their best. However, they were then to sign a contract with MGM and star in a series of very popular entertainments, A Night at the Operator, A Day at the Races, Go West, The Big Store.

The Marx Brothers were celebrated for their onstage comedy, a range of routines, Groucho, moustache and glasses, sloping walk, eyebrow raising, quips. And, Harpo, not speaking, mugging away, playing the harp when possible. Chico had his Italian accent and verbal mixups as well as his piano playing. Zeppo was the straight man and moved from films to business.

And, in seven films, the leading lady was the celebrated Margaret Dumont, tall, haughty, aristocratic, the butt of Groucho Marx’s jokes, but her continued devotion to his characters.

The screenplay, written by songwriters Harry Ruby and BertKalmar (as well as some songs here) takes up the popular theme of a European kingdom (think a 1930s style Prisoner of Zenda situation). The sets are quite something, re-creating the atmosphere of a European Castle and its interiors. And there is the pomp and circumstance of royalty, ambassadors, courts and judgements, political proceedings.

But, this is only a context for the comedy routines and performances with the Marx Brothers fulfilling all the above descriptions. They had already made Coconuts, Monkey Business, Animal Crackers so they had made the transition from stage to screen. In comparison with his other roles, Groucho is his usual self but a touch more subdued, on the edge of going full throttle. Harpo and Chico actually play two of the most inept spies and undercover agents you could find, Harpo finding a moment to play the strings on a grand piano.

Louis Calhern plays the insidious ambassador, terribly serious, the butt of a lot of the jokes, but going along with the proceedings.

Definitely for Marx Brothers fans but also a reminder of their early days.