I have always loved the Marx Brothers. From my first exposure to Groucho during his various TV appearances, to my first viewing of Duck Soup many years ago, my admiration and appreciation of their genius has grown over the years.
No modern comedy can touch Duck Soup.
No modern comedy can touch Horse Feathers.
No modern comedy group can touch the interplay between Harpo, Zeppo, Chico and Groucho. It is a testament to their long lasting appeal that the caricature of Groucho is still used today in comedy, and that many of their standard routines have been adapted by modern 'comedy' writers.
They were not perfect. As a group off stage, they had their fights. Jealousies, financial messes, family obligations, and professional disagreements were part of their relationships. On screen, they were magic. On screen they were comedic geniuses the world will never see the like of again. As a foursome, they played off each others' strength and established characteristics. The quiet one, the smart one, the quick thinking (impulsive?) one, and the fighter. Their witty dialogues and physical comedy played on all the classic elements of comedy.
But that may not be why I love them.
They did and said things in their films that everyone wanted to do and say. Groucho, the mouthpiece, had the best lines, but Harpo, the child, captured the innocent reactions. Zeppo and Chico had their respective roles, too. The Marx Brothers may never have won the respect of their peers as they should have, but these films certainly show the modern generation why they are comedy legends. The Silver Screen Edition gives us Horse Feathers, Monkey Business, Animal Crackers, their first film, The Cocoanuts, and Duck Soup. The sixth disc includes a rare Today Show interview with Harpo, a Groucho Today Show appearance, and William Marx's appearance on the Today Show, as well.
The interviews are priceless, and worth the time spent watching them. The movies are an exercise in laughter. Captain Spaulding and his antics cracks me up every time in Animal Crackers. Horse Feathers is, well, you get the point. Classic comedy never goes out of style. No matter how sophisticated we become, we can laugh.
A friend of mine, Ernesto Colon, told me that he always regarded the Marx Brothers as 'documentaries'. As much as he is wrong, he is right. The Marx Brothers films document a golden age of comedy that will never, never come again. But, the Marx Brothers also represent a time when comedy was, at its best, inventive and collaborative.
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