There's a story that George S. Kaufman attended one of his plays the Marx Brothers were in. In the middle of the performance he suddenly stood up and said, "I think I heard one of my lines!" Someone once asked Groucho what the title "Duck Soup" meant. He replied, "Take two turkeys, one goose, four cabbages, but no duck, and mix them together. After one taste, you'll duck soup for the rest of your life." This movie is an exercise in absurdity, an assault on logic. That's what the Marx Brothers were best at. Although I like A Night at the Opera, it had the brothers saving the day with their antics. The Marx Brothers aren't supposed to be heroes who make everything all right in the end. In Duck Soup, they turn everything into nonsensical chaos. You're right about Margaret Dumont. There are people who claim she never understood what was going on in her movies and plays with the Marx Brothers. Nonsense. She was an excellent straight woman who played her characters as pompous and innocent at the same time. I'm looking forward to The General. It's a favorite of mine.
Absolutely concur; the Marxes at their best were agents of chaos: anti-authoritarian, anti-organization, anti-structure, anti-tradition. Their best movies (IMO) were done during the Paramount years and were framed against large, serious societal institutions: Duck Soup (war), Horse Feathers (education), Animal Crackers (high society), Monkey Business (gangsters). Their first film with MGM, A Night at the Opera (opera, obv), came the closest to this comedic anarchy. But MGM's rigorous need for firm plotting and romantic throughlines turned the Marxes into benevolent clowns whose purpose was to save the day for the hero and heroine. Much of the anarchy was ... if not gone, then rendered toothless.
Jeff Lichtman I sometimes thought they got the idea of Buggs Bunny from Groucho Marks. Both were wisecracking punsters who could do ANYTHING and get away with it and suffer no real consequences whatsoever.
@@FishmorphEverything you said is truth, well reasoned, however, impossible to prove as fact. Hear is fact. The bros were dissatisfied with the Paramount experience, especially Zeppo, who left the act at that time to found the successful Marx Talent Agency. Chico met Irving Thalberg who convinced the boys to give MGM the chance to polish or tweak the movies to more public acclaim and financial success. The Thalberg formula started with more sympathy for Harpo, who would be abused in introductory scenes, so that the audience would approve of his antics against the clearly defined bad guy. Also the love interests were promoted because many viewers only wanted that and nothing more from movies. Sadly,..... Irving Thalberg died during filming of ' Races' , and Groucho lauded him as the major reason for their film success. I still very much respect your illumination of those who prefer the Paramount films. Now I can argue either perspective with equal confidence! 😜
@@DaveDunning-st1hh No question, Irv Thalberg had a stronger idea of plot than they did, and I have heard that the brothers weren’t happy at Paramount. All this, as you say, is true. Except for the two done under Thalberg, I prefer the Paramount films. Most of those were born of stage plays and Vaudeville where the best ad-libs were kept and preserved for the film. They still did selected scenes in front of a live audience for Opera and Races, and it shows, but I feel they lose a little something at MGM with the added structure. “A Night in Casablanca” has some of my favorite bits in it, but is overall quite uneven.
"This movie literally has no plot." Some later Marx Brothers movies tried to add more plot, but that just meant fewer jokes. More jokes and no plot is fine with me if the jokes are this good.
The picture didn't make any sense so Duck Soup became their Swan Song Leonard Chico Marx went to work on getting the Marx Brothers work he meant a gentleman by the name of Irving thalberg immediately they were called to go to metro-goldwyn-mayer to do a movie called A Night at the Opera they went to see Irving thalberg they try to get his attention by doing obnoxious things like taking a toy car and what a puffer cigar smoke put smoke under the door and holler fire fire and if that didn't work they wind up being stripped naked in front of the fireplace in Irving thalberg office
My favourite movie of the Marx brothers is a night in Casablanca…. Omg the phone call scene… Salt Lake City …. Still makes me p myself laughing.. love these guys … I was raised watching them …. Abbott and Costello… the three stooges and laurel and hardy …. That’s where I get my sense of humour from lol …
@@Kanieht.LCasablanca was made only to pay off Chico's gambling debt. Groucho had had quite enough of his brother's unprofessalism, and had to be talked into the project. This later movie is my personal favorite for several reasons..... The scene where Sig Ruman is trying to pack his bags...... The dust flying off of Harpo as Ruman strikes him...... Harpo's sword fight with Kurt..... But mostly the end of Chico's musical feature, he had his own orchestra featured, so he could draw two paychecks, as actor and bandleader, but knowing , according to Harpo, that Chico farted loudly as he stood up at the end of his musical number, the concern clearly on his face as he worried if the sound recording had picked up the noise, and thus the whole number would have to be performed again. Alas, the fart was not recorded, so that was the take that made it into the film. So watch it again, friend, knowing what must be going thru Chico's mind as he reaches around behind himself to flap his pantleg. Enjoy !!!!
I'll never forget the first time I saw "Duck Soup," especially as it was the first time I saw any Marx Brothers movie. It was in a packed theater on the college campus, the smell of weed drifting around. When Groucho made his first appearance, on the front page of the newspaper announcing Rufus T Firefly, the theater EXPLODED with laughter and applause. I was hooked for life.
You'll notice the actors pause slightly right after Groucho makes a joke. This is to give the movie audience time to laugh so they dont miss the next line. It's really noticeable in Animal Crackers.
Oh yes, agreed. They had the timing down to an eyelash. You probably know this, Lethgar, but for anyone else: their early films (The Cocoanuts, Animal Crackers) were full-fledged stage plays prior to being filmed, and the cast knew how to play everything. Later on, they would take cuttings of their proposed screenplay on the road to play before an audience to make sure everything worked. This sometimes led to conflict with film directors, who wanted everything speeded up; but the cast knew they couldn't cut the pauses down without the audience losing the next joke setup. It also often meant that the Marxes were sick of their own script before it ever got on film, and would deviate from any gag they thought wasn't funny any more.
What is the more remarkable is that the Marx Brothers never planned to be a comedy act: they were musicians and dancers as a family stage act, but once they cracked a joke the audience loved it. Over time, comedy content of their shows gradually increased and they eventually became known as comedians, but you can still see them - especially Harpo and Chico - showing their skills in their movies. Harpo did not have any lines, which led to people suspecting that he was mute, but it was not the case. When writing the script for a show, somehow no lines were written for him, but he turned up nonetheless and did his part purely on the fly; the audience found his pure physical comedy to be even funnier, so he stayed silent since.
The Marx brothers are timeless. I'm hoping you will react to more of them and hope it will inspire others to do it, they deserve a new generation of fans, so few of our generation paying attention to the classics. :( I CAN'T wait for the reaction to The General, it will blow your mind, Buster Keaton was a genius. Great reaction, Mia. Thank you again!
You sound like my kind of woman. At age 66, I still remember watching those old movies with my dad and laughing at the guys. I still pop in a DVD now and again and it takes me back to my childhood. I also loved Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, WC Fields, and Charlie Chaplin. You're right, classic comedy is timeless.
@@Mycroftsbrother Thank you! So many great movies and people nowadays ignoring so much quality. Sadly, i have just 1 friend willing to watch the old/classic movies with me but i'm trying to share the love for them with my Goddaughter.
I love how you can take movies on their own level. Duck Soup is a film of it time. 1933 was a year when democracies were falling all over Europe. The madness of Freedonia reflects the instability of many countries of that time. Also, the Marx brother came out of the laptick, frretyle Vaudeville tradition where anything goe, as long as it gets a laugh.
These guys were something else. That mirror scene is incredible. It starts out with absurd humor but then dips into surrealism. I will always consider that scene to be one of the greatest in movie history,.
Mia, you are the second person I've seen reacting on YT that has found the idea asking for, or giving, a lock of hair somewhat disgusting. Back when this film was made, and for centuries before, a lock of hair was a desired possession of love and remembrance. Soldiers would carry a lock of hair of their sweetheart or wife to war to remind them awaited them back home. Hair was cut from the deceased to be shared with loved ones in lockets or amulets.To ask someone for a lock of their hair meant that you held that person in the highest esteem. I don't know a parent that hasn't saved a lock of hair from their child's first haircut.
I like the way that three quarters of the way through this satire you said I'm starting to think this is a satire. The Marx Brothers ARE satire, that's all they do. They mock the rich, they mock governments and politicians, they mock society. It seems random but the entire movie was carefully scripted. No one escapes their scathing wit. The depression era crowds, and beyond, absolutely loved seeing those more fortunate or powerful made fun of. You mentioned The Three Stooges. They came later but did the exact same comedy, roasting the rich and powerful.
By the time the Marxes made Duck Soup, they'd been in show business around 20 years. Their characters were based on stock vaudeville characters, and they always played those characters in all their films. That's why they have it down pat. They could step into those characters instantly.
Love your videos Mia. Stay true to the older movies. So many reactors are watching the same circuit of films. It makes your channel so unique and very enjoyable!
@@MoviesWithMia I'd also love to see you react to James Cagney. He's arguably a top 3 actor of the 20th century and no one reacts to him. My fav film of his is "the roaring 20's". It has really nice musical numbers and a great prohibition theme with gangster stuff, and a love story and the music takes it to a level I think you would love. Captures the era. Humphrey Bogart is in it as well.
It's fascinating to see how the tastes in humor have changed. This movie has the same sort of witty dialogue like the "Thin Man" series of films. Very quick and snappy line delivery in movies of the 30's/40's.
And I see a TON of similarities to skit-comedy TV shows like SNL, and especially in the early SNL years where skits fizzled on-stage with no good ending, so the performers just stopped, or wandered off, or Lorne Michaels would 'fade to black'.
Back in the day. A lock of hair was a serious gift. Sometimes she would braid it into a bracelet. Margaret was Groucho's go to girl. The mirror scene has been copied so many times. All were musicians. There was another brother as well Gummo. Zeppo was given Gummo's part when his older brother left. They perfected there style with their vaudeville act beginning in 1900s. Harpo originally talked in the act but for some reason his characters weren't given any lines and perfected his pantomime with ad lib. Seems to have worked out. Really glad you enjoyed!
It's worthwhile to watch the Marx Brothers films in release order. Their first movie was _The Cocoanuts_ (1929). It is adapted from their Broadway musical, with a book by George S. Kaufman and songs by Irving Berlin. There were five Marx brothers in the vaudeville act, though only four at a time: Leonard (Chico), Arthur (Harpo), Julius (Groucho), and Milton (Gummo) When Gummo left the act in 1918, after being drafted for the war, he was replaced in the act by Herbert (Zeppo). Gummo was never in any of the films. Chico was pronounced Chicko. He got that nickname because he chased the ladies.
Their first motion picture was a silent movie called humorous that picture is lost the only thing that remains is a photograph of the entire cast Groucho Marx inform me when we found it animal crackers and gave it a g rating he once stated that if anybody can find that silent movie he'll give them $1,000🤣🤣
Chico was not the only one that chased the chicks he was also the one that pulled the Marx Brothers together and he was a gambler in the family according to Groucho Marx Chico used to work for a paper company called Carver Hill and Company Frenchy inform Leonard and if you don't come home without your salary I'm going to kill you they had a close relationship the next day Leonard came home without his salary and we opened up the box and we saw paper it was toilet paper it was the first time we ever saw toilet paper in our house we sometimes use the morning world or the Herald Tribune an evening with Gaucho at Carnegie Hall
Possibly my favourite Marx Brothers movie is: “A Night In Casablanca” (1946). Very funny and highly worthwhile checking out! It’s a (loosely) ‘spoof’ on the 1942 Bogart classic “Casablanca”.
Mine is a Day at the Races & Coconuts, I also like Room Service. I think Duck Soup is overrated because the 60s hippy crowd saw it as a sorta rallying cry to be against the norms.
The Marx Bros was a vaudeville act for the 25 years before they got into the movies. Duck Soup was a more biting satire in it's original form but was edited down as the movie started production. Duxk Soup was the last film brother Zeppo appeared in. Duck Soup did turn a profit for Paramount but due to it's high cost, didn't produce a healthy profit. Two other Marx films worth exploring is a Day At The Races and A Night At The Opera and they should be seen in that order. Margaret Dumont played a variety of roles with other comedians but she shined best with the Marx Bros. Watch her face and how she animates as Groucho goes off the deep end. You can see how good she was as a straight woman.
The MOX Brothers was hardly never avoid a lot but like everything else Chico came to the rescue somebody or someone left some scenery and costumes in the theater and didn't want it anymore they got together to put in their first Broadway comedy called I say she is Uncle Al Sheen was the one that gave the Marx Brothers their parts all except author harpoon who didn't have a script in front of him so he have to ad lib
I recommend reading “Harpo Speak” because first of all, it’s a fantastic autobiography, and second because Harpo explains a lot of this stuff. Also, Groucho has written several books and they’re all a good read. But Harpo’s is my favorite.
"A Day At The Races" is probably my favorite, although I love "Night At The Opera" and "Duck Soup" as well. Never saw "Room Service", and I haven't seen "Horsefeathers" since the 80s, I should re-watch it.
While not required, most film festivals show both DAY AT RACES and NIGHT AT OPERA by default. ROOM SERVICE features Lucille Ball as the semi-supporting actress, with younger dancer Ann Miller nearby. It also features Charles MacBride as the hotel manager... he and Franklin Pangborn will collect a dozen of these roles in the '30s, '40s and '50s, always as straight-men in the pre-FAWLTY TOWERS decades of hotel, uh, 'management'.
I’ve seen all the Marx Bros movies over and over (in fact, I have the DVD box set of all their movies) and I’ve only just realised/acknowledged that the brilliant Edgar Kennedy (at 10:03) is in “Duck Soup”. He was a great character comedy actor and participated in many of the Laurel & Hardy (my favourites) shorts.
If I'm not mistaken, the director of "Duck Soup," Leo McCarey, also worked with L&H, so it was no coincidence that Edgar Kennedy was used. Or that Groucho & Harpo did that basically silent "mirror routine", that seemed very much in that same style.
Hysterical stuff. A couple of the lines sounded like Abbott and Costello stuff. The mirror routine was redone with Harpo Marx on a I Love Lucy episode. Looking forward to what's next.
Buster Keaton! I'm weirdly happy you're giving him a look before bringing on Chaplin - I love them both, and they are sort of the yin and yang of each other. They have a very short scene together in "Lime Light", when Keaton was not doing too well professionally or personally, and Chaplin displayed real class in giving him a moment with him. The story goes that Keaton was in NYC, doing theater, and ran into Fatty Arbuckle, then a great, grand name in films (his fall from grace was awful). Arbuckle gave him a camera to look at. Keaton took it home, disassembled it, put it back together, was intrigued, and thus a career was born.
Chaplin was my introduction to this era. I started with the movie Chaplin, and had to read his autobiography, and then had to watch his movies. The first one of his I saw was City Lights, and loved it. I’ve now seen all of his films, from the 1915 films to A King in New York. And Buster Keaton was also so good in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
@@Mycroftsbrother Absolutely - my bad for leaving him out! Here's a lovely little tribute to Lloyd by Bill Irwin, from my usual resource, TCM: ruclips.net/video/UnDYpVKNxhE/видео.html
Mia, there is a very cool book about the history and scripting of "Duck Soup", called "Hail, Hail Euphoria". It was one of my first Kindle purchases, and I find myself going back to it when I feel like just smiling.
10:55 About the "pioneers of variety shows": I once saw an interview with Alice Cooper and how his friendship with Groucho Marx started. Alice asked him to come to one of his shows and after it Groucho was delighted afterwards because what he saw there reminded him so much of vaudeville (or variety, I don't remember)!
The Marxes got their start on the Vaudeville circuit, traveling around the country and honing their comedy - and their stage personas - in front of live audiences. It's the same system of comedians, novelty acts, musicians and burlesque players that flourished for about 40-50 years and gave rise to Bob Hope, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Jack Benny, Abbott and Costello, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Fatty Arbuckle, Fanny Brice, and Will Rogers; as well as actors James Cagney, Don Ameche, Billy Barty, Walter Brennan, Joe E. Brown, and Ethel and John Barrymore; and musical acts like the Andrews Sisters and Count Basie. The Three Stooges were a late Vaudeville act, starting in 1928. By the time the Marxes were first put on film, they had already done their first Broadway show (The Cocoanuts, by George S Kaufman, music by Irving Berlin).
@@bluebird3281 I listed some of the Vaudeville players that I knew, then looked up a list of names. You can tell I only got through the As and Bs in that list - and it's still a damn impressive representation of Golden Age Hollywood.
You HAVE to see CHICO play the piano, he does so in some of their movies, he is an accomplished pianist, and Harpo also plays the harp in some of the films, also an accomplished harpist, that is why his character is called '"HARPO"
A Night At The Opera - selected in 1993 for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
When I watch this kind of movie with friends they complain that they can't understand the dialog. Thank you for reminding me I am not crazy, and that these are in fact good movies, with good dialog, intelligibly presented and my friends are a bit dim, but they're okay.
I don't know about this specific story, but the Marx Brothers used to do their movies, pre-filming, on stage to a live audience so they could basically rehearse and figure out the best comic timing.
The Harpo Marx autobiography "Harpo speaks!" is a real eye-opener. Not just the family's journey from impoverished variety artists to the silver screen, but everything else. The Algonquin Round Table, working the comedy circuit, the first gig in a brothel, the lot. It is a riot of anecdotes. He even had his own gags played right back on him by both Stalin's right-hand man and the king of England.
Irving Thalberg, who directed several Marx Brothers films, once left the four brothers alone in his office. They had some potatoes delivered and when Thalberg came back all four were naked sitting around his fireplace roasting potatoes. Moral of the story: never leave the Marx Brothers alone in your office.
With you all the way, Mia! Have always loved silent movies, B & W comedy, Laurel & Hardy, Marx Bros, Chaplin, Lloyd, Keaton. So many great moments captured on film. Thanks for reacting to this one. A classic!! 👏🏻
You were right about these guys being the creators of variety shows. The Bros were in vaudeville, which had touring singers, comedy, dancing, juggling, acrobatics, illusion, etc. People went from vaudeville, to radio, to movies, to television. (btw Groucho had an AWESOME game show in the 50s called You Bet Your Life. It was basically created for Groucho to be funny under the guise of giving away money & prizes lol)
Margaret Dumont is absolutely an indispensable part of the Marx Brothers formula. Who else could have played the "straight woman" opposite Groucho with such aplomb and without constantly cracking up in hysterical laughter?
Giving someone, almost always a family member or a beloved, a lock of your hair was to give them something physical as a token of love. In Victorian times, the locks were kept in lockets or pins worn by the person, in more modern times, they might be placed in a book or bible.
They seem to do this so smoothly because they would take their act into the theater and test the jokes out to see if they're good or not. If they didn't get a laugh they would tweak the joke if it still didn't get a laugh they would drop it and try something else
The Marx brothers were a family singing group when they were kids. They traveled around putting on shows. The dad got sick and had to go home. Left to their own devices, they started cutting up on stage. After a while, they were doing a lot more cutting up than singing. And that's how they became a comedy group.
So glad you liked Duck Soup! the Marxes had spent years on the Vaudeville stage together and their act was VERY well rehearsed. I love Margaret Dumont too. apparently she and Groucho had a romantic involvement that ran for years.
Great reaction as usual! There was a lot of social commentary going on here, especially on the themes of patriotism and war. World War I was a stupid war fought for stupid reasons, and this movie was the Marx Brothers' response to the whole sordid nonsense. They bring their vaudevillian slapstick to war because why the hell not? It's sure to work as well as anything else!
And then M*A*S*H paid a lot of tribute to the Marx brothers in a show about another stupid war started for stupid reasons (the Korean war) to protest another stupid war started for stupid reasons (Viet Nam). There seems to be a certain theme to wars...🤔
Groucho certainly wasn't the first Fourth Wall breaker, what with plays back through history doing it, but he definitely elevated it very early in film history.
I fell off from watching reactions for a while cause of school and stuff BUT I SAW MARX BROTHERS AND I RETURN!! I have grown up on these movies. I love the Marx Brothers and their movies are always so chaotic and fun. I am glad you enjoyed it though! Do you think you will seeing any more Marx Brothers movies? One of my favorites is Night at the Opera and then also Monkey Business. Though overall I just love everyone of their movies so much.
I can TOTALLY see the Marx Brothers influence on a lot of the classic Looney Tunes shorts (specifically the ones from the late 30’s to early 50’s), and I mean that in a good way.
The Marx Brothers are the greatest comedy team in movie history. Best not to analyze their antics using the real world. Better to just go with the flow. They are brilliant and their timing impeccable.
"There ought to be a statue erected, or a Congressional Medal awarded, or a national holiday proclaimed, to honor that great woman, Margaret Dumont, the dame who takes the raps from the Marx Brothers ... a lady of epic ability to take it ... her fortitude is nothing human. It's godlike." - Cecilia Ager (1937) "I was told they needed an actress with dignity and poise, to lend legitimate dramatic balance to their comedy. After three weeks as Groucho's leading lady, I nearly had a nervous breakdown, He pushed me about, pulled chairs from under me, broiled steaks in the fireplace of my apartment, put frogs in my bath, and made my life miserable on the stage and off. But I don't regret a minute of it. I just love those boys." - Margaret Dumont "You know, the curious thing about Margaret, in all the years we played together she never seemed to vary. She was always the austere, dignified dowager that we presented in the pictures. She was the same off the stage as she was on. That was part of her charm. She actually didn't understand any of the jokes. I'm serious - she really didn't understand the jokes. Very seldom. I know there was a joke in Duck Soup which was at the finish of the picture. It was a kind of a war and we were in a small cottage - Margaret and myself. She said to me, 'What are you doing, Rufus?' I said, 'I'm fighting for your honor, which is more than you ever did.' And later she asked me what did I mean by that." - Groucho Marx (1965)
The word play is brilliant, on top of their physical comedy and musical talents. When I was in German as a teen, everyone loved the Three Stooges and Laurel and Hardy. But they didn't know the Marx Brothers. Not surprising since word play is such a big part of their performance. Just doesn't translate. Harpo later recreated the mirror scene brilliantly with Lucille Ball in I Love Lucy.
Duck Soup would be regarded as a literary satire before a political one. In skewers all the tropes of a bad popular novel. The love triangle, the threat of war, the new king, etc etc.
You've gotta love a movie that was banned by Mussolini because he took it as a personal insult! But I love the Marxes, they'd started together as child performers and by this time worked seamlessly together. So many classic vaudeville routines, and I think this is the only one of theirs that doesn't have a romantic plot or musical interlude, so this is distilled Marxes.
This was Zeppo's last movie. He later became a theater agent and, perhaps surprisingly, owned a company that made machine parts for the US Army during WWII.
Groucho loved Margaret and, as a result, was the female lead in most of their other films. She was brilliant. Genius timing. She once said, "Scriptwriters build up to a laugh but they don't allow any pause for it. That's where I come in. I ad lib-it doesn't matter what I say-just to kill a few seconds so you can enjoy the gag. I have to sense when the big laughs will come and fill in, or the audience will drown out the next gag with its own laughter... I'm not a stooge, I'm a straight lady. There's an art to playing straight. You must build up your man, but never top him, never steal the laughs from him. When Groucho hosted 'The Hollywood Palace' in 1965, he had her come on and they performed some skits. Unfortunately, she died of a heart attack very shortly after that.
What a treat to watch a younger person appreciate a classic comedy that I’ve cherished my entire life. In the film Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), Woody Allen plays a clinically depressed man who survives a suicide attempt. Desperate and shaken, he inadvertently hides in a revival theatre-which happens to be showing Duck Soup! The film’s humor and innocence has a profound, life-affirming affect on him, and he resolves to re-embrace survival and happiness. What a wonderful love letter to the Marx Brothers! I’m going to recommend a few Golden Age comedy classics that are among the funniest movies ever made. Cheers! *Sherlock Jr. (1924) Buster Keaton *Safety Last (1924) Harold Lloyd *The Kid Brother (1927) Harold Lloyd *City Lights (1931) Chaplin *Modern Times (1936) Chaplin *The Great Dictator (1940) Chaplin *Sons of the Desert (1933) Laurel & Hardy *It’s a Gift (1934) W.C. Fields *Twentieth Century (1934) Hawks *To Be Or Not To Be (1942) Lubitsch *The Palm Beach Story (1942) Sturges *Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) *Dr. Strangelove (1964) Kubrick *A Hard Day’s Night (1964) Richard Lester
A lock of hair would indeed have been an old fashioned request. Before photography was common, folks often kept a lock of their loved ones' hair in a locket or a small frame as a remembrance of them. Also, in case you didn't know, While Ethel was a ladies name back then, Ethyl was a type of premium gasoline...think like the 93 octane stuff at modern pumps. Harpo's torch was what blow torches looked like back then and instead of running off pressurized gas like propane they ran off of gasoline that you pressurized by a little air pump built into the tank.
I believe that Groucho's uniform changes at the end was a comment on the cyclical nature of war. How you can take a soldier from one war and drop him into another one and the situations, slogans, speeches and outcomes would largely be the same. I'm certain that he found the constancy of war ripe for satire.
I would love to see you react to The Women (1939). A whole list of female stars of the era are in it. Norma Shearer, Marjorie Main, Rosalind Russell, Joan Crawford, Paulette Goddard....
I'm so happy to see more reactions to films from this era. Definitely watch more Marx Brothers and also check out Preston Sturges, films he wrote in the 30s and then directed in the 40s. Also, another great filmmaking team to look for is Powell/Pressburger.
Also, it may look like there's a lot of improv here, like you said, the director yelled action and they all did whatever, but even in the most chaotic scenes, they were pretty meticulous in their work. Since their start in vaudeville, they would change their act after every show, keeping the things that got the most laughs and changing the rest until they ended up with the best of the best. Their movies could be seen as a comedian's special, the final product after months on the road polishing the material.
Criminally overlooked in modern times. Harpo alone made me laugh my ass off as a child. as time has gone on and i understood the verbal jokes and the chaotic good behind their movies, Duck Soup remains one of the funniest movies i've ever seen
Thanks for the backstory at the beginng. One other thing I heard was that George S. Kauffman, a writer for many of their movies, was standing at the back of the theater for one of their premiers. He said I think I actually heard one of my lines in there. Even tho Night At The Opera is thir most highly regarded film, Duck Soup is still my favorite.
I heard that in all of the Marx Bros. movies that Margaret Dumont was in, she never really understood them. FYI - Giving someone you love a lock of your hair was a gesture of affection in those days. Nothing creepy about it. When my dad was overseas in the military, my mom sent him a lock of her hair.
There was a tv series made in the UK and shown in 1980 called Hollywood, narrated by James Mason, which tells the story of the silent era over 13 episodes. It's a total gem of a series because a number of silent era stars, directors, cameramen etc were still alive at the time and there are extensive interviews with the likes of Gloria Swanson, Lillian Gish, Allan Dwan, King Vidor, William Wyler, Hal Roach, Frank Capra, Douglas Fairbanks Jnr and so on. Some of them gave their last interviews for this series and died shortly after it aired. I think all of it is on RUclips so it would be worth tracking it down if you're interested in the silent era and classic movies. Sadly very unlikely to get a DVD release because of all the rights clearances that would be necessary. I don't think it has ever been repeated in the UK.
The best ones, in my opinion, are "Duck Soup," "Monkey Business" and "Animal Crackers." "A Night at the Opera" is more plot-driven (their first one after moving to MGM, and the first one without Zeppo), but still great.
Hey, you mentioned "The Kid From Spain" in your intro! That's an Eddie Cantor film. Eddie Cantor was a huge name in entertainment back in the 1920's - 1950's. Some people may know him as a character in "Boardwalk Empire", but he was a real guy. He starred in and wrote hit Broadway stage productions and movies. He also wrote and often sang his own songs. The music you hear at the beginning of Warner Brothers cartoons from that time, "Looney Tunes" and "Merrie Melodies" is a piece called "Merrily We Go Along". Eddie Cantor wrote it. I hope you can get to one of his films at some point. Although they are not in the same league as the Marx Brothers, they are still very interesting and entertaining, often with crazy musical numbers and wacky plots. Happy to see you react to the Marx Brothers. They were a gift to the world, with their crazy, clear-eyed lunacy. Looking forward to "The General"!!!
Love this kind of smart, verbal humor. Marx Brothers definitely punched up in most of their humor. Thanks for making newbies aware of their wonderful films.l
The Three Stooges and the Marx Brothers definitely have some similarities in their humor and they broke into films around the same time. However, the Marx Brothers did come first, both in vaudeville and on film. I'd say the biggest difference in their comedy is that the Three Stooges mostly specialized in slapstick humor, while the Marx Brothers did more of a combination of different styles (both slapstick and verbal). But yeah, nobody could deliver a punchline like Groucho! And you mentioned how much Margaret Dumont helps Groucho's comedy. Groucho definitely knew that and that's why she was in most of their movies. Groucho once said she was practically the 5th Marx Brother. Oh, and sidenote: Groucho asking for a lock of Margaret Dumont's hair was not that weird of a request. Just a bit old-fashioned. Not sure when it started exactly but, it used to be a fairly common romantic idea from the Victorian era backwards to give or ask your lover for a lock of hair (usually tied with a small ribbon) to keep as a memento in a locket or something. The Jane Austen book, "Sense and Sensibility" actually has multiple characters do this. It's just meant as a personal token of affection and a symbol that you're carrying a part of them with you even when you're separated.
There is no comparison between the Three Stooges and the Marx Brothers except the fact that they were both comedy teams. The Marx Brothers were more "high brow' the Stooges were "low brow' and their characters were completely different! No comparison at all!
I'm glad that you really enjoyed "Duck Soup". it's one of my favorite Marx Bros movies next to "Animal Crackers". They really influenced so many comedic artists and became comedy legends.
They used to have small venue stage shows while they were developing their film routines to see how audiences reacted. If you lived in Los Angeles in the 1930's you could go to see them perform live at a local theater.
Margaret Dumont was the perfect Straight Woman for Groucho's antics. She works so well on screen with him, and appeared in so many of their films, she really is part of the Marx Family. Also, Buster Keaton was a crazy brilliant comedic stunt master. You should be able to see how he really influenced Jackie Chan's career.
Mia, my favorite song from a Marx Bros. movie is Lydia the Tattoo Lady. The song was written by the songwriters who wrote the songs from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Groucho performed this song while doing a interview on the Duck Cavett Show in 1969 when Grouch was in his late 70’s. There is a RUclips video of the performance and it is fantastic. If you have the time you should watch the entire episode(54 min).
The brothers had a vaudeville/live stage background. In 'Coconuts' a script reference was made to Waukegan (Illinois, a nod to a town were they once played.
Great reaction video, thank you! Duck Soup is pure, concentrated Marx Brothers, short & sharp, and with virtually no distractions from their comedy. However, it was a flop on release, and their future films tended to feature more photogenic young actors in romantic subplots, and more musical numbers to make the films more appealing (and to be fair, it worked!) Duck Soup got a second life in the 1960s, when it became a staple on US college campuses, who showed it as a satiric commentary on the US government and the Vietnam war, and it's been a big cult movie ever since. Definitely please check out more Marx Brothers - A NIght At The Opera and A Day At The Races are great fun, and were massive hits after Duck Soup. I'm a big fan, and like many I'm sure, when I was young I loved Harpo, then as I grew older I preferred Chico, then I started to like Groucho more, but now I'm in my late 50s, I'm back to loving Harpo again - it's the circle of life! (And "Harpo Speaks!" is one the the all-time great showbiz autobiographies.) PS the Duck Soup mirror sequence is the funniest thing ever put on film, I'm prepared to die on this hill :-)
The Marx Brothers often put their movies together by first performing in front of live theatre audiences. They would remove and add material, tweaking jokes, depending upon how the audience reacted. By the time they set up in front of the cameras, they had a relatively finished product, save for any changes necessary for the different medium. If you've not seen it yet, I highly recommend A Night At The Opera. Some of the greatest wordplay appears as Groucho and Chico discuss contract negotiations, and the ship's stateroom scene is comedy gold.
Harpo combined the techniques of a clown and a mime. If you do silent movies, see "Speedy" with Harold Lloyd (and a great big cameo by Babe Ruth), and "Nosferatu", the first vampire movie.
Nosferatu - Eine Symphonie des Grauens is not the first vampire movie. It is first adaptation of Dracula though. One of best as well. Real interesting to note how camera work and cinematography took a hit when sound was added to movies.
The Mirror Scene, is imho, the greatest ever piece of physical comedy in cinema. Never fails to crack me up. It never fails to crack up the mirror too!
Margaret Dumont once said the secret of her success working with Groucho over several films was that she truly didn't get his or his brothers' jokes, which made her funny to audiences, too.
The brothers spent years in vaudeville learning humor and timing.. The mirror skit was extensively rehearsed. Lucy and Harpo once did it in I Love Lucy. I love the one with 🎶 "Hurray For Captain Spaulding." 🎶 The Big Store has a roller skate chase that will have you rolling on the floor. Harpo didn't talk in the movies,however, he and Chico were icredible musicians. When he wrote his autobiography it was called Harpo Speaks.
My favorite exchange between Groucho and Margaret was on a talk show. Groucho took a funny potshot at his old friend. Groucho: You have 22 children! Why do you have so many children? That’s a big responsibility and a big burden. Woman: Well, because I love children, and I think that’s our purpose here on earth, and I love my husband. Groucho: I love my cigar too, but I take it out of my mouth once in a while.
The Marx Brothers were helped out on stage by their famous uncle Al Sheen of the vaudeville team Gallagher and Sheen. He was their mother's brother. Their mother was a stage mother.
There's a story that George S. Kaufman attended one of his plays the Marx Brothers were in. In the middle of the performance he suddenly stood up and said, "I think I heard one of my lines!"
Someone once asked Groucho what the title "Duck Soup" meant. He replied, "Take two turkeys, one goose, four cabbages, but no duck, and mix them together. After one taste, you'll duck soup for the rest of your life."
This movie is an exercise in absurdity, an assault on logic. That's what the Marx Brothers were best at. Although I like A Night at the Opera, it had the brothers saving the day with their antics. The Marx Brothers aren't supposed to be heroes who make everything all right in the end. In Duck Soup, they turn everything into nonsensical chaos.
You're right about Margaret Dumont. There are people who claim she never understood what was going on in her movies and plays with the Marx Brothers. Nonsense. She was an excellent straight woman who played her characters as pompous and innocent at the same time.
I'm looking forward to The General. It's a favorite of mine.
Absolutely concur; the Marxes at their best were agents of chaos: anti-authoritarian, anti-organization, anti-structure, anti-tradition. Their best movies (IMO) were done during the Paramount years and were framed against large, serious societal institutions: Duck Soup (war), Horse Feathers (education), Animal Crackers (high society), Monkey Business (gangsters). Their first film with MGM, A Night at the Opera (opera, obv), came the closest to this comedic anarchy. But MGM's rigorous need for firm plotting and romantic throughlines turned the Marxes into benevolent clowns whose purpose was to save the day for the hero and heroine. Much of the anarchy was ... if not gone, then rendered toothless.
And absolutely Margaret Dumont is a world-class comedic treasure. Their movies weren't the same without her.
Jeff Lichtman I sometimes thought they got the idea of Buggs Bunny from Groucho Marks. Both were wisecracking punsters who could do ANYTHING and get away with it and suffer no real consequences whatsoever.
@@FishmorphEverything you said is truth, well reasoned, however, impossible to prove as fact.
Hear is fact. The bros were dissatisfied with the Paramount experience, especially Zeppo, who left the act at that time to found the successful Marx Talent Agency.
Chico met Irving Thalberg who convinced the boys to give MGM the chance to polish or tweak the movies to more public acclaim and financial success. The Thalberg formula started with more sympathy for Harpo, who would be abused in introductory scenes, so that the audience would approve of his antics against the clearly defined bad guy.
Also the love interests were promoted because many viewers only wanted that and nothing more from movies.
Sadly,.....
Irving Thalberg died during filming of ' Races' , and Groucho lauded him as the major reason for their film success. I still very much respect your illumination of those who prefer the Paramount films.
Now I can argue either perspective with equal confidence! 😜
@@DaveDunning-st1hh No question, Irv Thalberg had a stronger idea of plot than they did, and I have heard that the brothers weren’t happy at Paramount. All this, as you say, is true. Except for the two done under Thalberg, I prefer the Paramount films. Most of those were born of stage plays and Vaudeville where the best ad-libs were kept and preserved for the film. They still did selected scenes in front of a live audience for Opera and Races, and it shows, but I feel they lose a little something at MGM with the added structure. “A Night in Casablanca” has some of my favorite bits in it, but is overall quite uneven.
"This movie literally has no plot." Some later Marx Brothers movies tried to add more plot, but that just meant fewer jokes. More jokes and no plot is fine with me if the jokes are this good.
Producer Herman Mankiewicz said, "If Groucho and Chico stand against a wall and crack jokes for an hour and forty minutes, that's enough for me."
The picture didn't make any sense so Duck Soup became their Swan Song Leonard Chico Marx went to work on getting the Marx Brothers work he meant a gentleman by the name of Irving thalberg immediately they were called to go to metro-goldwyn-mayer to do a movie called A Night at the Opera they went to see Irving thalberg they try to get his attention by doing obnoxious things like taking a toy car and what a puffer cigar smoke put smoke under the door and holler fire fire and if that didn't work they wind up being stripped naked in front of the fireplace in Irving thalberg office
My favourite movie of the Marx brothers is a night in Casablanca…. Omg the phone call scene… Salt Lake City …. Still makes me p myself laughing.. love these guys … I was raised watching them …. Abbott and Costello… the three stooges and laurel and hardy …. That’s where I get my sense of humour from lol …
@@skyeslaton3435it’s witty
@@Kanieht.LCasablanca was made only to pay off Chico's gambling debt. Groucho had had quite enough of his brother's unprofessalism, and had to be talked into the project. This later movie is my personal favorite for several reasons..... The scene where Sig Ruman is trying to pack his bags...... The dust flying off of Harpo as Ruman strikes him...... Harpo's sword fight with Kurt..... But mostly the end of Chico's musical feature, he had his own orchestra featured, so he could draw two paychecks, as actor and bandleader, but knowing , according to Harpo, that Chico farted loudly as he stood up at the end of his musical number, the concern clearly on his face as he worried if the sound recording had picked up the noise, and thus the whole number would have to be performed again. Alas, the fart was not recorded, so that was the take that made it into the film. So watch it again, friend, knowing what must be going thru Chico's mind as he reaches around behind himself to flap his pantleg. Enjoy !!!!
Edgar Kennedy, who plays the harried lemonade vendor, was a star in his own right and a master of the “slow burn.”
I'll never forget the first time I saw "Duck Soup," especially as it was the first time I saw any Marx Brothers movie. It was in a packed theater on the college campus, the smell of weed drifting around. When Groucho made his first appearance, on the front page of the newspaper announcing Rufus T Firefly, the theater EXPLODED with laughter and applause. I was hooked for life.
You'll notice the actors pause slightly right after Groucho makes a joke. This is to give the movie audience time to laugh so they dont miss the next line. It's really noticeable in Animal Crackers.
Oh yes, agreed. They had the timing down to an eyelash. You probably know this, Lethgar, but for anyone else: their early films (The Cocoanuts, Animal Crackers) were full-fledged stage plays prior to being filmed, and the cast knew how to play everything. Later on, they would take cuttings of their proposed screenplay on the road to play before an audience to make sure everything worked.
This sometimes led to conflict with film directors, who wanted everything speeded up; but the cast knew they couldn't cut the pauses down without the audience losing the next joke setup. It also often meant that the Marxes were sick of their own script before it ever got on film, and would deviate from any gag they thought wasn't funny any more.
What is the more remarkable is that the Marx Brothers never planned to be a comedy act: they were musicians and dancers as a family stage act, but once they cracked a joke the audience loved it. Over time, comedy content of their shows gradually increased and they eventually became known as comedians, but you can still see them - especially Harpo and Chico - showing their skills in their movies. Harpo did not have any lines, which led to people suspecting that he was mute, but it was not the case. When writing the script for a show, somehow no lines were written for him, but he turned up nonetheless and did his part purely on the fly; the audience found his pure physical comedy to be even funnier, so he stayed silent since.
The Marx brothers are timeless. I'm hoping you will react to more of them and hope it will inspire others to do it, they deserve a new generation of fans, so few of our generation paying attention to the classics. :( I CAN'T wait for the reaction to The General, it will blow your mind, Buster Keaton was a genius.
Great reaction, Mia. Thank you again!
Horse Feathers, Night at the Opera, and Day at the Races are some of their other masterful highlights. And 2 of them even have Margaret Dumont.
I have always loved animal crackers, one of their earlier films and the first one I saw.
You sound like my kind of woman. At age 66, I still remember watching those old movies with my dad and laughing at the guys. I still pop in a DVD now and again and it takes me back to my childhood. I also loved Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, WC Fields, and Charlie Chaplin. You're right, classic comedy is timeless.
@@Mycroftsbrother Thank you! So many great movies and people nowadays ignoring so much quality. Sadly, i have just 1 friend willing to watch the old/classic movies with me but i'm trying to share the love for them with my Goddaughter.
We don't get comedies like the marx brothers, chaplin's and keaton's anymore
I love how you can take movies on their own level. Duck Soup is a film of it time. 1933 was a year when democracies were falling all over Europe. The madness of Freedonia reflects the instability of many countries of that time. Also, the Marx brother came out of the laptick, frretyle Vaudeville tradition where anything goe, as long as it gets a laugh.
This was only 15 years 393875115873 the end of World War One. The world politics were very unstable.
I THINK you meant "SlapStick" NOT "LapTick" and "freeStyle" Vaudeville
These guys were something else. That mirror scene is incredible. It starts out with absurd humor but then dips into surrealism. I will always consider that scene to be one of the greatest in movie history,.
Mia, you are the second person I've seen reacting on YT that has found the idea asking for, or giving, a lock of hair somewhat disgusting. Back when this film was made, and for centuries before, a lock of hair was a desired possession of love and remembrance. Soldiers would carry a lock of hair of their sweetheart or wife to war to remind them awaited them back home. Hair was cut from the deceased to be shared with loved ones in lockets or amulets.To ask someone for a lock of their hair meant that you held that person in the highest esteem. I don't know a parent that hasn't saved a lock of hair from their child's first haircut.
When he asked for a lock of her hair she responded a lock of my hair? He said I’m letting you off I was going to ask for the whole wig😂😂😂😂😂
Historically, the lock of a woman's hair as a love token didn't come from her head. Odd, but true.
@@gwenfluker3436 Yep.
This is true. I plan to keep a lock of my daughters first haircut.
I like the way that three quarters of the way through this satire you said I'm starting to think this is a satire. The Marx Brothers ARE satire, that's all they do. They mock the rich, they mock governments and politicians, they mock society. It seems random but the entire movie was carefully scripted. No one escapes their scathing wit. The depression era crowds, and beyond, absolutely loved seeing those more fortunate or powerful made fun of. You mentioned The Three Stooges. They came later but did the exact same comedy, roasting the rich and powerful.
There was an episode of I Love Lucy where Lucille Ball and Harpo Marx recreated the mirror scene. It was just as hilarious as the original.
When I saw the lemonade cart scene for the first time I literally ended up having a side stitch from laughing.
"I'll Teach You to Kick Me!" ..... " That's OK I Already Know How!"
By the time the Marxes made Duck Soup, they'd been in show business around 20 years. Their characters were based on stock vaudeville characters, and they always played those characters in all their films. That's why they have it down pat. They could step into those characters instantly.
Love your videos Mia. Stay true to the older movies. So many reactors are watching the same circuit of films. It makes your channel so unique and very enjoyable!
Thank you so much 😊 and thanks for watching 😁
@@MoviesWithMia I'd also love to see you react to James Cagney. He's arguably a top 3 actor of the 20th century and no one reacts to him. My fav film of his is "the roaring 20's". It has really nice musical numbers and a great prohibition theme with gangster stuff, and a love story and the music takes it to a level I think you would love. Captures the era. Humphrey Bogart is in it as well.
It's fascinating to see how the tastes in humor have changed. This movie has the same sort of witty dialogue like the "Thin Man" series of films. Very quick and snappy line delivery in movies of the 30's/40's.
And I see a TON of similarities to skit-comedy TV shows like SNL, and especially in the early SNL years where skits fizzled on-stage with no good ending, so the performers just stopped, or wandered off, or Lorne Michaels would 'fade to black'.
Back in the day. A lock of hair was a serious gift. Sometimes she would braid it into a bracelet. Margaret was Groucho's go to girl. The mirror scene has been copied so many times. All were musicians. There was another brother as well Gummo. Zeppo was given Gummo's part when his older brother left. They perfected there style with their vaudeville act beginning in 1900s. Harpo originally talked in the act but for some reason his characters weren't given any lines and perfected his pantomime with ad lib. Seems to have worked out. Really glad you enjoyed!
This is true. She's literally in every film they made. She's so queen and slays it every time.
It's worthwhile to watch the Marx Brothers films in release order. Their first movie was _The Cocoanuts_ (1929). It is adapted from their Broadway musical, with a book by George S. Kaufman and songs by Irving Berlin.
There were five Marx brothers in the vaudeville act, though only four at a time: Leonard (Chico), Arthur (Harpo), Julius (Groucho), and Milton (Gummo) When Gummo left the act in 1918, after being drafted for the war, he was replaced in the act by Herbert (Zeppo). Gummo was never in any of the films.
Chico was pronounced Chicko. He got that nickname because he chased the ladies.
Go and never darken my towels again
@@MagetaTheLionHeart well said.
Their first motion picture was a silent movie called humorous that picture is lost the only thing that remains is a photograph of the entire cast Groucho Marx inform me when we found it animal crackers and gave it a g rating he once stated that if anybody can find that silent movie he'll give them $1,000🤣🤣
Chico was not the only one that chased the chicks he was also the one that pulled the Marx Brothers together and he was a gambler in the family according to Groucho Marx Chico used to work for a paper company called Carver Hill and Company Frenchy inform Leonard and if you don't come home without your salary I'm going to kill you they had a close relationship the next day Leonard came home without his salary and we opened up the box and we saw paper it was toilet paper it was the first time we ever saw toilet paper in our house we sometimes use the morning world or the Herald Tribune an evening with Gaucho at Carnegie Hall
@@davidmorris6443 That movie was called "Humor Risk".
Possibly my favourite Marx Brothers movie is: “A Night In Casablanca” (1946). Very funny and highly worthwhile checking out! It’s a (loosely) ‘spoof’ on the 1942 Bogart classic “Casablanca”.
Is that the one where Groucho looks at a camel chewing it's cud and says "Do you have another stick of gum for me?".
@@richardb6260
Hmmm 🤔 I don’t remember that scene.
Mine is a Day at the Races & Coconuts, I also like Room Service. I think Duck Soup is overrated because the 60s hippy crowd saw it as a sorta rallying cry to be against the norms.
Mine is A night at the opera. The finale is the Brothers at their peak.
@@jamesscanlan6240 Night At The Opera didn't make me laugh as much as their others, but yes, that ending and most of spectacle is brilliant
The Marx Bros was a vaudeville act for the 25 years before they got into the movies.
Duck Soup was a more biting satire in it's original form but was edited down as
the movie started production. Duxk Soup was the last film brother Zeppo appeared
in.
Duck Soup did turn a profit for Paramount but due to it's high cost, didn't produce a
healthy profit.
Two other Marx films worth exploring is a Day At The Races and A Night At The Opera
and they should be seen in that order.
Margaret Dumont played a variety of roles with other comedians but she shined best
with the Marx Bros. Watch her face and how she animates as Groucho goes off the
deep end. You can see how good she was as a straight woman.
The MOX Brothers was hardly never avoid a lot but like everything else Chico came to the rescue somebody or someone left some scenery and costumes in the theater and didn't want it anymore they got together to put in their first Broadway comedy called I say she is Uncle Al Sheen was the one that gave the Marx Brothers their parts all except author harpoon who didn't have a script in front of him so he have to ad lib
I recommend reading “Harpo Speak” because first of all, it’s a fantastic autobiography, and second because Harpo explains a lot of this stuff. Also, Groucho has written several books and they’re all a good read. But Harpo’s is my favorite.
Harpo Speaks is one of my favorite books also. Wonderful recommendation!
That is one of my favourite books too! Harpo is probably my favourite Marx brother
The problem with doing nothing is you never know when you've finished.
Grouchy Marx. 🙂
“Horsefeathers” 1932, “A Night At The Opera” 1935, and a “Day At The Races” 1936. “Room Service” 1938 is not too bad either.
"A Day At The Races" is probably my favorite, although I love "Night At The Opera" and "Duck Soup" as well. Never saw "Room Service", and I haven't seen "Horsefeathers" since the 80s, I should re-watch it.
While not required, most film festivals show both DAY AT RACES and NIGHT AT OPERA by default. ROOM SERVICE features Lucille Ball as the semi-supporting actress, with younger dancer Ann Miller nearby. It also features Charles MacBride as the hotel manager... he and Franklin Pangborn will collect a dozen of these roles in the '30s, '40s and '50s, always as straight-men in the pre-FAWLTY TOWERS decades of hotel, uh, 'management'.
I’ve seen all the Marx Bros movies over and over (in fact, I have the DVD box set of all their movies) and I’ve only just realised/acknowledged that the brilliant Edgar Kennedy (at 10:03) is in “Duck Soup”. He was a great character comedy actor and participated in many of the Laurel & Hardy (my favourites) shorts.
I have a DVD set of their films as well.
Edgar Kennedy the Master of the Slow Burn!
If I'm not mistaken, the director of "Duck Soup," Leo McCarey, also worked with L&H, so it was no coincidence that Edgar Kennedy was used. Or that Groucho & Harpo did that basically silent "mirror routine", that seemed very much in that same style.
Fun fact, Homer Simspon's "D'oh!" is an adaptation of Edgar Kennedy's "d'ooohhhh."
Hysterical stuff. A couple of the lines sounded like Abbott and Costello stuff. The mirror routine was redone with Harpo Marx on a I Love Lucy episode. Looking forward to what's next.
Most people don't remember that Lucille Ball was in the cast of the Marx Brothers movie "Room Service"
Buster Keaton! I'm weirdly happy you're giving him a look before bringing on Chaplin - I love them both, and they are sort of the yin and yang of each other. They have a very short scene together in "Lime Light", when Keaton was not doing too well professionally or personally, and Chaplin displayed real class in giving him a moment with him. The story goes that Keaton was in NYC, doing theater, and ran into Fatty Arbuckle, then a great, grand name in films (his fall from grace was awful). Arbuckle gave him a camera to look at. Keaton took it home, disassembled it, put it back together, was intrigued, and thus a career was born.
Chaplin was my introduction to this era. I started with the movie Chaplin, and had to read his autobiography, and then had to watch his movies. The first one of his I saw was City Lights, and loved it. I’ve now seen all of his films, from the 1915 films to A King in New York. And Buster Keaton was also so good in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
You have to include Harold Lloyd when you speak of Chaplin and Keaton.
@@Mycroftsbrother Absolutely - my bad for leaving him out!
Here's a lovely little tribute to Lloyd by Bill Irwin, from my usual resource, TCM: ruclips.net/video/UnDYpVKNxhE/видео.html
Mia, there is a very cool book about the history and scripting of "Duck Soup", called "Hail, Hail Euphoria". It was one of my first Kindle purchases, and I find myself going back to it when I feel like just smiling.
10:55 About the "pioneers of variety shows": I once saw an interview with Alice Cooper and how his friendship with Groucho Marx started. Alice asked him to come to one of his shows and after it Groucho was delighted afterwards because what he saw there reminded him so much of vaudeville (or variety, I don't remember)!
The Marxes got their start on the Vaudeville circuit, traveling around the country and honing their comedy - and their stage personas - in front of live audiences. It's the same system of comedians, novelty acts, musicians and burlesque players that flourished for about 40-50 years and gave rise to Bob Hope, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Jack Benny, Abbott and Costello, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Fatty Arbuckle, Fanny Brice, and Will Rogers; as well as actors James Cagney, Don Ameche, Billy Barty, Walter Brennan, Joe E. Brown, and Ethel and John Barrymore; and musical acts like the Andrews Sisters and Count Basie. The Three Stooges were a late Vaudeville act, starting in 1928.
By the time the Marxes were first put on film, they had already done their first Broadway show (The Cocoanuts, by George S Kaufman, music by Irving Berlin).
Also, Forest Tucker and Larry Storch. Storch is still alive (99yrs)
@@bluebird3281 I listed some of the Vaudeville players that I knew, then looked up a list of names. You can tell I only got through the As and Bs in that list - and it's still a damn impressive representation of Golden Age Hollywood.
@@Fishmorph It is amazing what they lived through starting out vaudeville.
Mia, just so happy to see someone dedicate their channel to classic films, not just watch 1 or 2
You HAVE to see CHICO play the piano, he does so in some of their movies, he is an accomplished pianist, and Harpo also plays the harp in some of the films, also an accomplished harpist, that is why his character is called '"HARPO"
A Night At The Opera - selected in 1993 for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
When I watch this kind of movie with friends they complain that they can't understand the dialog. Thank you for reminding me I am not crazy, and that these are in fact good movies, with good dialog, intelligibly presented and my friends are a bit dim, but they're okay.
I don't know about this specific story, but the Marx Brothers used to do their movies, pre-filming, on stage to a live audience so they could basically rehearse and figure out the best comic timing.
The Harpo Marx autobiography "Harpo speaks!" is a real eye-opener. Not just the family's journey from impoverished variety artists to the silver screen, but everything else. The Algonquin Round Table, working the comedy circuit, the first gig in a brothel, the lot. It is a riot of anecdotes.
He even had his own gags played right back on him by both Stalin's right-hand man and the king of England.
I have the book. It's great.
Irving Thalberg, who directed several Marx Brothers films, once left the four brothers alone in his office. They had some potatoes delivered and when Thalberg came back all four were naked sitting around his fireplace roasting potatoes.
Moral of the story: never leave the Marx Brothers alone in your office.
With you all the way, Mia! Have always loved silent movies, B & W comedy, Laurel & Hardy, Marx Bros, Chaplin, Lloyd, Keaton. So many great moments captured on film. Thanks for reacting to this one. A classic!! 👏🏻
You were right about these guys being the creators of variety shows. The Bros were in vaudeville, which had touring singers, comedy, dancing, juggling, acrobatics, illusion, etc. People went from vaudeville, to radio, to movies, to television. (btw Groucho had an AWESOME game show in the 50s called You Bet Your Life. It was basically created for Groucho to be funny under the guise of giving away money & prizes lol)
Margaret Dumont is absolutely an indispensable part of the Marx Brothers formula. Who else could have played the "straight woman" opposite Groucho with such aplomb and without constantly cracking up in hysterical laughter?
Giving someone, almost always a family member or a beloved, a lock of your hair was to give them something physical as a token of love. In Victorian times, the locks were kept in lockets or pins worn by the person, in more modern times, they might be placed in a book or bible.
They seem to do this so smoothly because they would take their act into the theater and test the jokes out to see if they're good or not. If they didn't get a laugh they would tweak the joke if it still didn't get a laugh they would drop it and try something else
The Marx brothers were a family singing group when they were kids. They traveled around putting on shows. The dad got sick and had to go home. Left to their own devices, they started cutting up on stage. After a while, they were doing a lot more cutting up than singing. And that's how they became a comedy group.
5:44 That is what is called "breaking the fourth wall" ... MB were absolute, surrealist comedians. Brilliant
So glad you liked Duck Soup! the Marxes had spent years on the Vaudeville stage together and their act was VERY well rehearsed. I love Margaret Dumont too. apparently she and Groucho had a romantic involvement that ran for years.
Great reaction as usual! There was a lot of social commentary going on here, especially on the themes of patriotism and war. World War I was a stupid war fought for stupid reasons, and this movie was the Marx Brothers' response to the whole sordid nonsense. They bring their vaudevillian slapstick to war because why the hell not? It's sure to work as well as anything else!
And then M*A*S*H paid a lot of tribute to the Marx brothers in a show about another stupid war started for stupid reasons (the Korean war) to protest another stupid war started for stupid reasons (Viet Nam). There seems to be a certain theme to wars...🤔
One of Grouchos most well known songs is a little ditty called "Hello, I must be going "
that mirror technique was used on I love Lucy when Harpo was a guest star
Groucho certainly wasn't the first Fourth Wall breaker, what with plays back through history doing it, but he definitely elevated it very early in film history.
I fell off from watching reactions for a while cause of school and stuff BUT I SAW MARX BROTHERS AND I RETURN!! I have grown up on these movies. I love the Marx Brothers and their movies are always so chaotic and fun. I am glad you enjoyed it though! Do you think you will seeing any more Marx Brothers movies? One of my favorites is Night at the Opera and then also Monkey Business. Though overall I just love everyone of their movies so much.
I can TOTALLY see the Marx Brothers influence on a lot of the classic Looney Tunes shorts (specifically the ones from the late 30’s to early 50’s), and I mean that in a good way.
The Marx Brothers are the greatest comedy team in movie history. Best not to analyze their antics using the real world. Better to just go with the flow. They are brilliant and their timing impeccable.
"There ought to be a statue erected, or a Congressional Medal awarded, or a national holiday proclaimed, to honor that great woman, Margaret Dumont, the dame who takes the raps from the Marx Brothers ... a lady of epic ability to take it ... her fortitude is nothing human. It's godlike."
- Cecilia Ager (1937)
"I was told they needed an actress with dignity and poise, to lend legitimate dramatic balance to their comedy. After three weeks as Groucho's leading lady, I nearly had a nervous breakdown, He pushed me about, pulled chairs from under me, broiled steaks in the fireplace of my apartment, put frogs in my bath, and made my life miserable on the stage and off. But I don't regret a minute of it. I just love those boys."
- Margaret Dumont
"You know, the curious thing about Margaret, in all the years we played together she never seemed to vary. She was always the austere, dignified dowager that we presented in the pictures. She was the same off the stage as she was on. That was part of her charm. She actually didn't understand any of the jokes. I'm serious - she really didn't understand the jokes. Very seldom. I know there was a joke in Duck Soup which was at the finish of the picture. It was a kind of a war and we were in a small cottage - Margaret and myself. She said to me, 'What are you doing, Rufus?' I said, 'I'm fighting for your honor, which is more than you ever did.' And later she asked me what did I mean by that."
- Groucho Marx (1965)
Say, Who You Callin' a Dame?
The word play is brilliant, on top of their physical comedy and musical talents. When I was in German as a teen, everyone loved the Three Stooges and Laurel and Hardy. But they didn't know the Marx Brothers. Not surprising since word play is such a big part of their performance. Just doesn't translate.
Harpo later recreated the mirror scene brilliantly with Lucille Ball in I Love Lucy.
Duck Soup would be regarded as a literary satire before a political one. In skewers all the tropes of a bad popular novel. The love triangle, the threat of war, the new king, etc etc.
Groucho said Margret D. was the best straight man a comady actor could want.
You've gotta love a movie that was banned by Mussolini because he took it as a personal insult! But I love the Marxes, they'd started together as child performers and by this time worked seamlessly together. So many classic vaudeville routines, and I think this is the only one of theirs that doesn't have a romantic plot or musical interlude, so this is distilled Marxes.
This was Zeppo's last movie. He later became a theater agent and, perhaps surprisingly, owned a company that made machine parts for the US Army during WWII.
Where's Spiderman ? Kidding !! Love your channel. Keep up the good work !
I have to also recommend The Marx Brothers At the Circus. It includes one of the seminal Groucho songs, "Lydia, the Tattooed Lady."
Groucho loved Margaret and, as a result, was the female lead in most of their other films. She was brilliant. Genius timing. She once said, "Scriptwriters build up to a laugh but they don't allow any pause for it. That's where I come in. I ad lib-it doesn't matter what I say-just to kill a few seconds so you can enjoy the gag. I have to sense when the big laughs will come and fill in, or the audience will drown out the next gag with its own laughter... I'm not a stooge, I'm a straight lady. There's an art to playing straight. You must build up your man, but never top him, never steal the laughs from him.
When Groucho hosted 'The Hollywood Palace' in 1965, he had her come on and they performed some skits. Unfortunately, she died of a heart attack very shortly after that.
What a treat to watch a younger person appreciate a classic comedy that I’ve cherished my entire life.
In the film Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), Woody Allen plays a clinically depressed man who survives a suicide attempt. Desperate and shaken, he inadvertently hides in a revival theatre-which happens to be showing Duck Soup! The film’s humor and innocence has a profound, life-affirming affect on him, and he resolves to re-embrace survival and happiness.
What a wonderful love letter to the Marx Brothers!
I’m going to recommend a few Golden Age comedy classics that are among the funniest movies ever made. Cheers!
*Sherlock Jr. (1924) Buster Keaton
*Safety Last (1924) Harold Lloyd
*The Kid Brother (1927) Harold Lloyd
*City Lights (1931) Chaplin
*Modern Times (1936) Chaplin
*The Great Dictator (1940) Chaplin
*Sons of the Desert (1933) Laurel & Hardy
*It’s a Gift (1934) W.C. Fields
*Twentieth Century (1934) Hawks
*To Be Or Not To Be (1942) Lubitsch
*The Palm Beach Story (1942) Sturges
*Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
*Dr. Strangelove (1964) Kubrick
*A Hard Day’s Night (1964) Richard Lester
A lock of hair would indeed have been an old fashioned request. Before photography was common, folks often kept a lock of their loved ones' hair in a locket or a small frame as a remembrance of them. Also, in case you didn't know, While Ethel was a ladies name back then, Ethyl was a type of premium gasoline...think like the 93 octane stuff at modern pumps. Harpo's torch was what blow torches looked like back then and instead of running off pressurized gas like propane they ran off of gasoline that you pressurized by a little air pump built into the tank.
I believe that Groucho's uniform changes at the end was a comment on the cyclical nature of war. How you can take a soldier from one war and drop him into another one and the situations, slogans, speeches and outcomes would largely be the same. I'm certain that he found the constancy of war ripe for satire.
I just think it was another sight gag, much like you would see in Airplane! or the Police Squad! series of films.
I would love to see you react to The Women (1939). A whole list of female stars of the era are in it. Norma Shearer, Marjorie Main, Rosalind Russell, Joan Crawford, Paulette Goddard....
I'm so happy to see more reactions to films from this era. Definitely watch more Marx Brothers and also check out Preston Sturges, films he wrote in the 30s and then directed in the 40s. Also, another great filmmaking team to look for is Powell/Pressburger.
The Marx Brothers are the best!! 👏👏 Each brother brings something unique to the act. Harpo never spoke a word on screen, but I always liked him best.
Also, it may look like there's a lot of improv here, like you said, the director yelled action and they all did whatever, but even in the most chaotic scenes, they were pretty meticulous in their work. Since their start in vaudeville, they would change their act after every show, keeping the things that got the most laughs and changing the rest until they ended up with the best of the best. Their movies could be seen as a comedian's special, the final product after months on the road polishing the material.
Criminally overlooked in modern times. Harpo alone made me laugh my ass off as a child. as time has gone on and i understood the verbal jokes and the chaotic good behind their movies, Duck Soup remains one of the funniest movies i've ever seen
Also, Groucho Marx arguably deserves credit for pioneering on screen sarcasm
Thanks for the backstory at the beginng. One other thing I heard was that George S. Kauffman, a writer for many of their movies, was standing at the back of the theater for one of their premiers. He said I think I actually heard one of my lines in there. Even tho Night At The Opera is thir most highly regarded film, Duck Soup is still my favorite.
I heard that in all of the Marx Bros. movies that Margaret Dumont was in, she never really understood them.
FYI - Giving someone you love a lock of your hair was a gesture of affection in those days. Nothing creepy about it. When my dad was overseas in the military, my mom sent him a lock of her hair.
There was a tv series made in the UK and shown in 1980 called Hollywood, narrated by James Mason, which tells the story of the silent era over 13 episodes. It's a total gem of a series because a number of silent era stars, directors, cameramen etc were still alive at the time and there are extensive interviews with the likes of Gloria Swanson, Lillian Gish, Allan Dwan, King Vidor, William Wyler, Hal Roach, Frank Capra, Douglas Fairbanks Jnr and so on. Some of them gave their last interviews for this series and died shortly after it aired. I think all of it is on RUclips so it would be worth tracking it down if you're interested in the silent era and classic movies. Sadly very unlikely to get a DVD release because of all the rights clearances that would be necessary. I don't think it has ever been repeated in the UK.
Yes, recommended.
The best ones, in my opinion, are "Duck Soup," "Monkey Business" and "Animal Crackers." "A Night at the Opera" is more plot-driven (their first one after moving to MGM, and the first one without Zeppo), but still great.
Hey, you mentioned "The Kid From Spain" in your intro! That's an Eddie Cantor film.
Eddie Cantor was a huge name in entertainment back in the 1920's - 1950's. Some people may know him as a character in "Boardwalk Empire", but he was a real guy. He starred in and wrote hit Broadway stage productions and movies. He also wrote and often sang his own songs. The music you hear at the beginning of Warner Brothers cartoons from that time, "Looney Tunes" and "Merrie Melodies" is a piece called "Merrily We Go Along". Eddie Cantor wrote it. I hope you can get to one of his films at some point. Although they are not in the same league as the Marx Brothers, they are still very interesting and entertaining, often with crazy musical numbers and wacky plots.
Happy to see you react to the Marx Brothers. They were a gift to the world, with their crazy, clear-eyed lunacy.
Looking forward to "The General"!!!
I'm glad to read that. Sometimes I feel like the only Eddie Cantor fan.
@@Oppeldeldoc1 Nope, you are not alone.
You should try Animal Crackers 1930 another marx brothers film
Yes!👍❤
Yes! That is far and away my very favorite Marx Bros movie.
@@brettv5967 Mine too!
Marx Brothers were a successful vaudeville act from childhood. Amazed you cannot understand the zany comedy unfolding before you.
Love this kind of smart, verbal humor. Marx Brothers definitely punched up in most of their humor. Thanks for making newbies aware of their wonderful films.l
they were the type of people Sid Caesar had his writers study
The Three Stooges and the Marx Brothers definitely have some similarities in their humor and they broke into films around the same time. However, the Marx Brothers did come first, both in vaudeville and on film. I'd say the biggest difference in their comedy is that the Three Stooges mostly specialized in slapstick humor, while the Marx Brothers did more of a combination of different styles (both slapstick and verbal). But yeah, nobody could deliver a punchline like Groucho! And you mentioned how much Margaret Dumont helps Groucho's comedy. Groucho definitely knew that and that's why she was in most of their movies. Groucho once said she was practically the 5th Marx Brother.
Oh, and sidenote: Groucho asking for a lock of Margaret Dumont's hair was not that weird of a request. Just a bit old-fashioned. Not sure when it started exactly but, it used to be a fairly common romantic idea from the Victorian era backwards to give or ask your lover for a lock of hair (usually tied with a small ribbon) to keep as a memento in a locket or something. The Jane Austen book, "Sense and Sensibility" actually has multiple characters do this. It's just meant as a personal token of affection and a symbol that you're carrying a part of them with you even when you're separated.
There is no comparison between the Three Stooges and the Marx Brothers except the fact that they were both comedy teams. The Marx Brothers were more "high brow' the Stooges were "low brow' and their characters were completely different! No comparison at all!
I'm glad that you really enjoyed "Duck Soup". it's one of my favorite Marx Bros movies next to "Animal Crackers". They really influenced so many comedic artists and became comedy legends.
I watched an interview with Marge=ret Dumont, where she said. "I never new what they were doing. I just said my lines and stood back watching."
"And remember, we're fighting for this woman's honor, which is more than she ever did."
Every one of their movies I love ) Marylyn Monroe has her first movie with Groucho Marx.
They used to have small venue stage shows while they were developing their film routines to see how audiences reacted. If you lived in Los Angeles in the 1930's you could go to see them perform live at a local theater.
I turn to Mia when I want an intelligent, open-minded reaction to an old movie.
Margaret Dumont was the perfect Straight Woman for Groucho's antics. She works so well on screen with him, and appeared in so many of their films, she really is part of the Marx Family.
Also, Buster Keaton was a crazy brilliant comedic stunt master. You should be able to see how he really influenced Jackie Chan's career.
That's a blow torch being used as a cigar lighter and flashlight ... it's what plumbers used to use before propane torches.
Mia, my favorite song from a Marx Bros. movie is Lydia the Tattoo Lady. The song was written by the songwriters who wrote the songs from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Groucho performed this song while doing a interview on the Duck Cavett Show in 1969 when Grouch was in his late 70’s. There is a RUclips video of the performance and it is fantastic. If you have the time you should watch the entire episode(54 min).
The brothers had a vaudeville/live stage background. In 'Coconuts' a script reference was made to Waukegan (Illinois, a nod to a town were they once played.
Great reaction video, thank you! Duck Soup is pure, concentrated Marx Brothers, short & sharp, and with virtually no distractions from their comedy. However, it was a flop on release, and their future films tended to feature more photogenic young actors in romantic subplots, and more musical numbers to make the films more appealing (and to be fair, it worked!) Duck Soup got a second life in the 1960s, when it became a staple on US college campuses, who showed it as a satiric commentary on the US government and the Vietnam war, and it's been a big cult movie ever since.
Definitely please check out more Marx Brothers - A NIght At The Opera and A Day At The Races are great fun, and were massive hits after Duck Soup. I'm a big fan, and like many I'm sure, when I was young I loved Harpo, then as I grew older I preferred Chico, then I started to like Groucho more, but now I'm in my late 50s, I'm back to loving Harpo again - it's the circle of life! (And "Harpo Speaks!" is one the the all-time great showbiz autobiographies.)
PS the Duck Soup mirror sequence is the funniest thing ever put on film, I'm prepared to die on this hill :-)
The Marx Brothers often put their movies together by first performing in front of live theatre audiences. They would remove and add material, tweaking jokes, depending upon how the audience reacted. By the time they set up in front of the cameras, they had a relatively finished product, save for any changes necessary for the different medium. If you've not seen it yet, I highly recommend A Night At The Opera. Some of the greatest wordplay appears as Groucho and Chico discuss contract negotiations, and the ship's stateroom scene is comedy gold.
Harpo combined the techniques of a clown and a mime.
If you do silent movies, see "Speedy" with Harold Lloyd (and a great big cameo by Babe Ruth), and "Nosferatu", the first vampire movie.
Nosferatu - Eine Symphonie des Grauens is not the first vampire movie. It is first adaptation of Dracula though. One of best as well. Real interesting to note how camera work and cinematography took a hit when sound was added to movies.
The Mirror Scene, is imho, the greatest ever piece of physical comedy in cinema.
Never fails to crack me up. It never fails to crack up the mirror too!
I’m a longtime Marx Brothers fan, and it’s great to see someone looking at it with fresh eyes.
Margaret Dumont once said the secret of her success working with Groucho over several films was that she truly didn't get his or his brothers' jokes, which made her funny to audiences, too.
The brothers spent years in vaudeville learning humor and timing.. The mirror skit was extensively rehearsed. Lucy and Harpo once did it in I Love Lucy.
I love the one with 🎶
"Hurray For Captain Spaulding." 🎶
The Big Store has a roller skate chase that will have you rolling on the floor.
Harpo didn't talk in the movies,however, he and Chico were icredible musicians. When he wrote his autobiography it was called Harpo Speaks.
My favorite exchange between Groucho and Margaret was on a talk show. Groucho took a funny potshot at his old friend.
Groucho: You have 22 children! Why do you have so many children? That’s a big responsibility and a big burden.
Woman: Well, because I love children, and I think that’s our purpose here on earth, and I love my husband.
Groucho: I love my cigar too, but I take it out of my mouth once in a while.
I love the ducks swimming in a pot of boiling water
The Marc brothers r delightfully crazy and fun and unique Margaret fuming was just amazing
The Marx Brothers were helped out on stage by their famous uncle Al Sheen of the vaudeville team Gallagher and Sheen. He was their mother's brother. Their mother was a stage mother.
"We're fighting for this woman's honour, which is more than she's ever done"