In the book The Marx Bros. Scrapbook by Richard J. Anobile, multiple people associated with the Marx brothers were asked who they thought was the funniest Marx brother and they answered Zeppo. One person said that Zeppo in person was like Groucho on the screen. He said that people would crowd around Zeppo at parties.
To be perfectly accurate, the studio was in Astoria, which is in the borough of Queens. Technically, like Brooklyn, this is Long Island. But in reality, like Brooklyn, Queens is proud to be its own - though, as a Brooklynite, I admit to some presuming.
According to Harpo's Autobiography, "Harpo Speaks," the monologist/comedian who gave the brothers their nicknames was Art Fisher. While dealing a game of poker, he gave out the nicknames. "A hole card for 'Harpo, a card for 'Chicko." Groucho got his nickname because he carried his dough in a Grouch-bag. Page 206 in E-book. Many stage names at the time ended in "O." It was inspired by the popularity of the comic strip "Knocko the Monk."
My favorite Marx Bros film is the one that wasn't originally written specifically for them, "Room Service". And my favorite scene was the breakfast scene, during which not a word was spoken. If you watch closely, just as Groucho is preparing to sit down, he gooses the waiter from behind. That's what causes him to jump and holler out "Ooh!"
Great conversation. I agree with much of it. You did not mention however in the Horse Feathers rowboat scene “ was that you or the duck?” “ “Cuz if it was you I’m gonna finish this ride with the duck.” And sure enough in the final frame, the duck is in the boat with Groucho.
All vaudevillians carried grouch bags. They were sacks that hung from a strap around the neck. It was the only practical way to protect one's valuables in the theater with costume changes, etc. Groucho got his name from his dour personality. Chico said it was for the grouch bag in an interview, but he was trying to be kind. The names were inspired by a comic strip, sometimes called Knocko the Monk. All of the anthropomorphic monkeys in the strip had names ending in O. Of the Marxes, only Groucho's name actually appeared in the comic strip. The origin of Zeppo's name is ambiguous. Most likely it was a slightly malicious joke by his older brothers. Herbie bore a slight resemblance to a man in a freak act known as Zip the Pinhead. Zip was an African-American who suffered from microcephaly. Coincidentally Zip's brow and nose were shaped like Herbert's. Herbie became Zippo, which was mitigated to Zeppo.
I am in my seventies and I absolutely love the Marx Brothers, they were so funny but l thought that l was nuts. What wonderful and talented people they were,such talented musicians way before their time.❤
HORSE FEATHERS screenwriter Arthur Sheekman (who was married to TITANIC'S Gloria Stewart, BTW) makes an appearance as a sportswear at the typewriter in the broadcast booth scene.
For "Lydia", also this, from "Philadelphia Story", where Virginia Weidler and Katharine Hepburn are doing some intense leg-pulling to Jimmy Stewart and Ruth Hussey: ua-cam.com/video/d15JOd75uG8/v-deo.html
i heard Chico on youtube from a interview from the 50's it looked like and he said that Groucho had what was called a grouch bag that was tied around his neck.
I believe that the rainy door then the sunny door joke referred to the fact that this was the last film that they would be making in NYC and that they were heading west (from right to left onscreen) to Hollywood after that. "The Cocoanuts" and "Animal Crackers" were both made at Paramount's Astoria Studios in Queens, NY. I thought that I saw this referenced once in a Marx Bros documentary, but I'm not certain.
Hey...I just happened to run up on ur site by chance and have always been a Marx Brothers fan as a kid growing up...I have the oppourtunity to life in what has been Spanish Harlem, however I recall reading that The Marx Brothers originally lived in Spanish Harlem on 114th street and 2nd Avenue in NYC, (The small buildings no longer exist and were replaced by what's now known as the NYC Jefferson Housing projects)...as a side thought Burt Lancaster and his sidekick Nick Cravat where from 111th stree and 2nd Avenue....I was able to take a couple of pictures of where the Marx brothers performed back in the day before they boarded it up in Coney Island one of the last theater buildings whose remnars still exist on Stillwell in Coney Island....My favorite scene will always be the closet scene where everyone piles into a closet (Ordering Dinner and Crowded Cabin Scenes)....Thank you for adding to what I believe to be a hilarious and extremely talanted family.
There's a fun and fictionalized biopic of Ruby and Kalmer starring Fred Astaire and Red Skelton, called "Three Little Words". Tons of fun to watch and some cool musical numbers included. Astaire and Skelton make an unexpectedly fun team.
My favorite Marx trivia .... According to Harpo, near the end of Chico's musical feature in 'Casablanca' , after bouncing up and down to the music, Chico stands up and farts, loudly enough to be concerned as to whether or not it was picked up by the recording equipment. It was not, so no reshooting was needed, and the fart footage made it into the final film. Great fun to know what was going through Chico's mind as you watch him flap the seat of his pants, and look behind him for what ? Visual evidence ??
California reference - In blues music it's often used as a reference to the Land of Plenty due to abundant work - Robert Johnson Sweet Home Chicago - (I'm going to the land of California - Sweet home Chicago) Hope that helps!
groucho himself on the record an evening with groucho said that harpo was called harpo because he played the harp. chico was what they called a chicken chaser back in the day zeppo got his name because the zeppelin came over. gummo was named because he wore gumshoes and grpucho didnt know why he was called groucho. (wnik wink)
why they looked at the camera so often: unlike other comedians from the time, their movies were plays first (that ran for a couple of years) and they were used to generate a response from the audience. they would usually complain about how sad and lonely felt to do the films. and they would go constantly to the film theater to see the response of the audience and even suggested re-editing based on reactions.
There are no outtakes here. Everybody knows that an outtake is a piece of film where an actor has deliberately or undeliberately spoiled a take so that it can't be included in the finished film. What we have here instead are a couple of scene fragments that were removed from the original release print, probably twenty years after the fact to meet the strict TV standards of the 1950s. The rest of this 42-minute yawn is not worth anyone's time, especially a diehard Marx Brothers fan.
Night in Casablanca was not the last, after that came The Big Store and Love Happy, love happy being the only Marx movie not worth watching 🤮 The cover-up concerning the death of Thelma Todd was the result of her having given a 'BJ' to some producer in her car in her garage, both had been drinking, she bit him, he shoved her away and stormed out, leaving her to pass out and die of CO poisoning. The producer's reputation had to be protected........ Hence the cover-up and all subsequent absurd speculation.
Why can’t you like all their movies go west and at the circus don’t be snobs that your better than us telling us not like a movie there the Marx brothers their great movie critics not fans
Please enjoy this letter from Groucho to Warner Brothers after the studio protested using "Casablanca" in the title of the Marx movie: glintoflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Groucho_Marx_Letters_to_Warner_Brothers.pdf
Great Video. FYI. Their last movie wasn't the one you said, A Night In Casablanca (1946), but, Love Happy (1949) with A Very Young Marilyn Monroe.
"Love Happy" cast included the Hungarian femme fatale Ilona Massey and a young Raymond Burr.
@@pgh45rpms Thank You for your comment & the information
In the book The Marx Bros. Scrapbook by Richard J. Anobile, multiple people associated with the Marx brothers were asked who they thought was the funniest Marx brother and they answered Zeppo. One person said that Zeppo in person was like Groucho on the screen. He said that people would crowd around Zeppo at parties.
An extra thumbs up for the Uncle Floyd shirt.
This sounds great
To be perfectly accurate, the studio was in Astoria, which is in the borough of Queens. Technically, like Brooklyn, this is Long Island. But in reality, like Brooklyn, Queens is proud to be its own - though, as a Brooklynite, I admit to some presuming.
According to Harpo's Autobiography, "Harpo Speaks," the monologist/comedian who gave the brothers their nicknames was Art Fisher. While dealing a game of poker, he gave out the nicknames. "A hole card for 'Harpo, a card for 'Chicko." Groucho got his nickname because he carried his dough in a Grouch-bag. Page 206 in E-book. Many stage names at the time ended in "O." It was inspired by the popularity of the comic strip "Knocko the Monk."
"Lydia the Tattooed Lady" is also briefly sung in "The Philadelphia Story" and "The Fisher King."
and the walking dead.
My favorite Marx Bros film is the one that wasn't originally written specifically for them, "Room Service". And my favorite scene was the breakfast scene, during which not a word was spoken. If you watch closely, just as Groucho is preparing to sit down, he gooses the waiter from behind. That's what causes him to jump and holler out "Ooh!"
Groucho always breaks the 4th wall lol
Great conversation. I agree with much of it. You did not mention however in the Horse Feathers rowboat scene “ was that you or the duck?” “ “Cuz if it was you I’m gonna finish this ride with the duck.” And sure enough in the final frame, the duck is in the boat with Groucho.
It was a canoe, not a rowboat . Much more romantic
Zeppo was named after an early cartoon character. Groucho was named that because he always carried what was called a 'grouch bag'.
All vaudevillians carried grouch bags. They were sacks that hung from a strap around the neck. It was the only practical way to protect one's valuables in the theater with costume changes, etc. Groucho got his name from his dour personality. Chico said it was for the grouch bag in an interview, but he was trying to be kind. The names were inspired by a comic strip, sometimes called Knocko the Monk. All of the anthropomorphic monkeys in the strip had names ending in O. Of the Marxes, only Groucho's name actually appeared in the comic strip.
The origin of Zeppo's name is ambiguous. Most likely it was a slightly malicious joke by his older brothers. Herbie bore a slight resemblance to a man in a freak act known as Zip the Pinhead. Zip was an African-American who suffered from microcephaly. Coincidentally Zip's brow and nose were shaped like Herbert's. Herbie became Zippo, which was mitigated to Zeppo.
I am in my seventies and I absolutely love the Marx Brothers, they were so funny but l thought that l was nuts.
What wonderful and talented people they were,such talented musicians way before their time.❤
HORSE FEATHERS screenwriter Arthur Sheekman (who was married to TITANIC'S Gloria Stewart, BTW) makes an appearance as a sportswear at the typewriter in the broadcast booth scene.
I liked all the Marx Brothers movies. they were in it, and it makes it worth watching.
For "Lydia", also this, from "Philadelphia Story", where Virginia Weidler and Katharine Hepburn are doing some intense leg-pulling to Jimmy Stewart and Ruth Hussey: ua-cam.com/video/d15JOd75uG8/v-deo.html
i heard Chico on youtube from a interview from the 50's it looked like and he said that Groucho had what was called a grouch bag that was tied around his neck.
8:48 being James since '66 I've always loved being called Jim. Jimmy? only mom did.
Jimbo was one I hated and simply wouldn't let stick.
I believe that the rainy door then the sunny door joke referred to the fact that this was the last film that they would be making in NYC and that they were heading west (from right to left onscreen) to Hollywood after that. "The Cocoanuts" and "Animal Crackers" were both made at Paramount's Astoria Studios in Queens, NY. I thought that I saw this referenced once in a Marx Bros documentary, but I'm not certain.
The question at the start should've been in "which famous Marx appears on the Sgt. Peppers album cover"?
Hey...I just happened to run up on ur site by chance and have always been a Marx Brothers fan as a kid growing up...I have the oppourtunity to life in what has been Spanish Harlem, however I recall reading that The Marx Brothers originally lived in Spanish Harlem on 114th street and 2nd Avenue in NYC, (The small buildings no longer exist and were replaced by what's now known as the NYC Jefferson Housing projects)...as a side thought Burt Lancaster and his sidekick Nick Cravat where from 111th stree and 2nd Avenue....I was able to take a couple of pictures of where the Marx brothers performed back in the day before they boarded it up in Coney Island one of the last theater buildings whose remnars still exist on Stillwell in Coney Island....My favorite scene will always be the closet scene where everyone piles into a closet (Ordering Dinner and Crowded Cabin Scenes)....Thank you for adding to what I believe to be a hilarious and extremely talanted family.
loved that last bit (groucho the humanist, but still ending it with a quip)
There's a fun and fictionalized biopic of Ruby and Kalmer starring Fred Astaire and Red Skelton, called "Three Little Words". Tons of fun to watch and some cool musical numbers included. Astaire and Skelton make an unexpectedly fun team.
My favorite Marx trivia .... According to Harpo, near the end of Chico's musical feature in 'Casablanca' , after bouncing up and down to the music, Chico stands up and farts, loudly enough to be concerned as to whether or not it was picked up by the recording equipment. It was not, so no reshooting was needed, and the fart footage made it into the final film. Great fun to know what was going through Chico's mind as you watch him flap the seat of his pants, and look behind him for what ? Visual evidence ??
California reference - In blues music it's often used as a reference to the Land of Plenty due to abundant work - Robert Johnson Sweet Home Chicago - (I'm going to the land of California - Sweet home Chicago) Hope that helps!
Groucho wore a hairpiece when YOU BET YOUR LIFE went on television
Where are the "outtakes"?
groucho himself on the record an evening with groucho said that harpo was called harpo because he played the harp. chico was what they called a chicken chaser back in the day zeppo got his name because the zeppelin came over. gummo was named because he wore gumshoes and grpucho didnt know why he was called groucho. (wnik wink)
Arthur Sheekman
why they looked at the camera so often: unlike other comedians from the time, their movies were plays first (that ran for a couple of years) and they were used to generate a response from the audience. they would usually complain about how sad and lonely felt to do the films. and they would go constantly to the film theater to see the response of the audience and even suggested re-editing based on reactions.
Never mind the 1930s most of Marx bros films would have nearly ALL there jokes removed now ,can't afford to affend any " snowflakes".
so true
grouch-bag
US A hidden pocket or a (draw-string) purse carried in a concealed place, for keeping one's money safe; also, money
You seem to know a lot about these fellas. I won't to discuss MUCH more.
How can a Marx Brothers fan not be familiar with the latter movies. Don’t call someone not a real fan if NATO is their favorite.
There are no outtakes here. Everybody knows that an outtake is a piece of film where an actor has deliberately or undeliberately spoiled a take so that it can't be included in the finished film. What we have here instead are a couple of scene fragments that were removed from the original release print, probably twenty years after the fact to meet the strict TV standards of the 1950s. The rest of this 42-minute yawn is not worth anyone's time, especially a diehard Marx Brothers fan.
Harpo was the most talented of all of them
Night in Casablanca was not the last, after that came The Big Store and Love Happy, love happy being the only Marx movie not worth watching 🤮
The cover-up concerning the death of Thelma Todd was the result of her having given a 'BJ' to some producer in her car in her garage, both had been drinking, she bit him, he shoved her away and stormed out, leaving her to pass out and die of CO poisoning. The producer's reputation had to be protected........ Hence the cover-up and all subsequent absurd speculation.
Why can’t you like all their movies go west and at the circus don’t be snobs that your better than us telling us not like a movie there the Marx brothers their great movie critics not fans
What a ripoff. No outakes at all.
efin gatekeepers....
Please enjoy this letter from Groucho to Warner Brothers after the studio protested using "Casablanca" in the title of the Marx movie: glintoflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Groucho_Marx_Letters_to_Warner_Brothers.pdf