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Post by Nalkarj on Jan 28, 2021 19:38:15 GMT
So, in my ranking it’d be Harpo, Groucho, Chico, Zeppo, and then Karl at the bitter, class-struggling end…
OK, seriously?
Other than the positioning of the first two, my rankings are pretty conventional, for better or worse:
Horse Feathers (1932)
Duck Soup (1933)
Animal Crackers (1930)
A Night at the Opera (1935)
Monkey Business (1931)
A Day at the Races (1937)
The Cocoanuts (1929)
Room Service (1938)
At the Circus (1939)
A Night in Casablanca (1946)
Go West (1940)
The Big Store (1941)
I haven’t seen Love Happy (1949). As you can tell, my heart is really with the Paramounts; as everyone says, the first two MGMs are fine (and Opera a classic), but the Marxes have lost some of their trademark anarchy to the necessity of Hollywood’s boy-meets-girl plot.
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Post by mikef6 on Feb 9, 2021 4:57:34 GMT
So if Groucho had ever met and had a friendship with one of the Beatles, then a book about it could be titled "Marx and Lennon."
Yes, when they moved to MGM, Head of Production Irving Thalberg saddled them with a romantic couple to help out on the assumption that they would be more accessible. But what it did was soften them. Even though Thalberg died before completing their second movie with him, they were now stuck with the formula that had diminishing results as time went on. However, each film has moments of absolute brilliance so I would not be without any of them.
I have never seen "Love Happy" either. The impression I have from reading is that Harpo is the focus, Chico is supporting, and Groucho has a brief cameo toward the end. Not really a "Marx Brothers Movie" by my understanding.
Horse Feathers (1932)
Duck Soup (1933)
A Night at the Opera (1935)
Monkey Business (1931)
Animal Crackers (1930)
The Cocoanuts (1929)
A Day at the Races (1937)
At the Circus (1939)
The Big Store (1941)
A Night in Casablanca (1946)
Go West (1940)
Room Service (1938)
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Post by Nalkarj on Feb 9, 2021 19:02:20 GMT
So if Groucho had ever met and had a friendship with one of the Beatles, then a book about it could be titled "Marx and Lennon." 
(Can’t resist some Firesign Theatre.  ) Oh, agreed completely. As one review site put it, “AT THE CIRCUS contains about 20 minutes of great comedy, which is about 10 minutes more than their next film (GO WEST), and about 19 minutes more than the one after that (THE BIG STORE)”—but great Marxist comedy is nothing to sneeze at, whether it’s 20 mins. or 1 min.Excellent ranking—and delighted to see another swordfish fan!  My high placement of Room Service is in part because it’s the first one I ever saw, but also because I do think it works as a comedy, even if not a great Marx Bros. comedy.
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Post by mikef6 on Feb 9, 2021 19:23:29 GMT
So if Groucho had ever met and had a friendship with one of the Beatles, then a book about it could be titled "Marx and Lennon."
(Can’t resist some Firesign Theatre. ) Oh, agreed completely. As one review site put it, “AT THE CIRCUS contains about 20 minutes of great comedy, which is about 10 minutes more than their next film (GO WEST), and about 19 minutes more than the one after that (THE BIG STORE)”—but great Marxist comedy is nothing to sneeze at, whether it’s 20 mins. or 1 min.Excellent ranking—and delighted to see another swordfish fan! My high placement of Room Service is in part because it’s the first one I ever saw, but also because I do think it works as a comedy, even if not a great Marx Bros. comedy. As I’m sure you know, Room Service was the only Marx Brothers movie not written especially for the trio. It was adopted from a door slamming Broadway farce that had closed the previous year after running 61 weeks. Many parts of the play don’t fit the Bros' characters. Harpo is a man without a character but some of his surreal pantomime episodes are worked into the movie and are its highlights. Groucho manages the lines well enough, but Chico can’t get all of them out in his faux Italian accent. Further, while Groucho is a usually a pomposity puncturer and minor con man who would like to marry the rich widow, Gordon Miller is an actual criminal, committing outright fraud several times. I am always glad to sit down with the Marx Brothers – but it will probably be many more years before popping this into my player again. Thanks again. Always glad to see a Marxist thread. (OK. OK. Enough with the Marx jokes  )
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Post by Ass_E9 on Feb 10, 2021 18:35:12 GMT
 "I should be offended at not being included, but it don't mean nothing...or is that anything?"
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Post by lostinlimbo on Feb 11, 2021 22:46:16 GMT
Monkey Business
Duck Soup
Animal Crackers
A Night in Casablanca
Horse Feathers
Go West
Room Service
At the Circus
The Big Store
Night at the Opera
The Coconuts
Love Happy
Yet to see ‘A Day at the Races’.
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Post by Rey Kahuka on Feb 13, 2021 16:46:38 GMT
Richard above all others.
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My high placement of Room Service is in part because it’s the first one I ever saw, but also because I do think it works as a comedy, even if not a great Marx Bros. comedy.
)
