obviously i know harpo didn't stay in character off-camera but i still always slightly double-take that he was the one who was a roundtable regular at the algonquin (apparently its spitefulness always slightly saddened him)
― mark s, Tuesday, 30 August 2016 19:36 (eight years ago) link
Duck Soup was most unappreciated bcz it was a box-office flop and led to Paramount dropping the Marxes.
Groucho praised it in his dotage, repeatedly, saying "it turned out to be a satire on war" and that he attributed this to Leo McCarey.
― The Hon. J. Piedmont Mumblethunder (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 30 August 2016 19:38 (eight years ago) link
Voted Dumont but if pressed on actual brothers I would go for the Harpster.
One of my father's lamest dad jokes was to say "As the great Harpo Marx once said..." and then remain silent.
― plenty offish (Ye Mad Puffin), Tuesday, 30 August 2016 19:42 (eight years ago) link
Harp would be #1 in any act that didn't contain Groucho.
I think the most likely truth re Dumont is that she didn't like/get SOME of the jokes, but Groucho spun this into a taller tale.
― The Hon. J. Piedmont Mumblethunder (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 30 August 2016 19:49 (eight years ago) link
Harpo was on the stage for almost 20 years before their first film, i seem to recall his theatrical wig being described as red.
― The Hon. J. Piedmont Mumblethunder (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 30 August 2016 20:01 (eight years ago) link
stealing this dad joek thx
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 30 August 2016 20:22 (eight years ago) link
Yeah, that's a good one. Voted Chico, btw.
― aaaaaaaauuuuuuuuu (melting robot) (WilliamC), Tuesday, 30 August 2016 20:25 (eight years ago) link
really you should have one of those horns with a rubber bulb under your coat and go "wah-waaaaah" to complete the effect
― mh 😏, Tuesday, 30 August 2016 20:45 (eight years ago) link
Chico's piano bit in "Animal Crackers" is one of favourite things ever.
"I can't think of the finish"."That's strange, I can't think of anything else".
― Aw naw, no' Annoni oan an' aw noo (Tom D.), Tuesday, 30 August 2016 20:48 (eight years ago) link
If only Harpo had been in Silent Movie.
― Planking Full Stop (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 30 August 2016 20:50 (eight years ago) link
What's that story about Groucho telling Richard Pryor not to be like Jerry Lewis on the Mike Douglas show again?
― Planking Full Stop (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 30 August 2016 20:51 (eight years ago) link
that's the story, but it was after a Merv Griffin show that the conversation occurred, i believe at a party at Bobby Darin's house circa 1966. (in the Nesteroff book)
i'm nor surprised that Groucho didn't like Lewis's crudity, he has a streak of prudishness that comes through in the '60s and '70s ("I took off my clothes in front of the mirror and saved myself the cost of a ticket to Hair")
― The Hon. J. Piedmont Mumblethunder (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 30 August 2016 20:58 (eight years ago) link
Ah, I flipped a coin that had Mike's face on one side and Merv on the other.
― Planking Full Stop (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 30 August 2016 20:59 (eight years ago) link
musta been in yr pocket with a 35-cent subway token
― The Hon. J. Piedmont Mumblethunder (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 30 August 2016 21:00 (eight years ago) link
Correct, complete with the Y-shaped hole in it
― Planking Full Stop (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 30 August 2016 21:08 (eight years ago) link
For a time in vaudeville all the brothers performed using ethnic accents. Leonard, the oldest, developed the Italian accent he used as Chico Marx to convince some roving bullies that he was Italian, not Jewish. Arthur, the next oldest, donned a curly red wig and became "Patsy Brannigan", a stereotypical Irish character. His discomfort speaking on stage led to his uncle Al Shean's suggestion that he stop speaking altogether and play the role in mime. Julius Marx's character from "Fun In Hi Skule" was an ethnic German, so Julius played him with a German accent.
― Aw naw, no' Annoni oan an' aw noo (Tom D.), Tuesday, 30 August 2016 21:18 (eight years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZyhosgpS48
― AdamVania (Adam Bruneau), Tuesday, 30 August 2016 23:41 (eight years ago) link
i have tried doing that sweeping key thing, it is tough if you are not a piano player! the keys are heavy and there's a whole proper form to it. yet Chico's just playing this thing like a stick of button.
― AdamVania (Adam Bruneau), Tuesday, 30 August 2016 23:42 (eight years ago) link
butter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkCiRSDPIzk I like his playing in 'Night at the Opera' better.
― two crickets sassing each other (dowd), Tuesday, 30 August 2016 23:46 (eight years ago) link
http://www.animated-gifs.eu/category_leisure/leisure-cinema-marx-brothers/0018.gif
― AdamVania (Adam Bruneau), Tuesday, 30 August 2016 23:56 (eight years ago) link
https://media.giphy.com/media/jLaez64RHqIBq/giphy.gif
the chico marx piano-technique explainer pages never explain how he plays the piano with an apple
― mark s, Wednesday, 31 August 2016 13:13 (eight years ago) link
somebody hadda go there
http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2016/08/31/what_the_marx_brothers_duck_soup_can_teach_us_about_trump.html
― The Hon. J. Piedmont Mumblethunder (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 1 September 2016 18:24 (eight years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Sunday, 11 September 2016 00:01 (eight years ago) link
The Marx Bros were an ensemble. It defeats the purpose to elevate one as the "best". Obviously, Groucho's shtick was more separable as a solo act than the others' characters were, but that speaks more to the nature of his chosen character than to its superiority over the rest.
― a little too mature to be cute (Aimless), Sunday, 11 September 2016 04:17 (eight years ago) link
Apparently Gummo was the naturally funny one, just didn't come over on stage.
― Mark G, Sunday, 11 September 2016 09:00 (eight years ago) link
I thought Zeppo was the funny one?
― Bottlerockey (Tom D.), Sunday, 11 September 2016 10:29 (eight years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Monday, 12 September 2016 00:01 (eight years ago) link