Oddly enough I think I saw my first Marx Brothers movie in school. I have no idea why but we got to see Duck Soup in my grammar school auditorium. It was 1973 and I was a callow lad of 14. The brothers' work was experiencing somewhat of a revival at the time, though alas, Harpo and Chico had passed on during the previous decade. I became hooked. This was in the pre-Netflix, pre-DVD, pre-VHS days but the movies were often on regular old television.
I'm not exactly sure how I found out about it but Why a Duck was the first Marx related book I ever bought. It would have been at Kroch's & Brentano's at 29 S. Wabash in downtown Chicago.
The price of this coffee table book was $8.50.
Since that day I've accumulated a nice shelf's worth of books by or about Groucho, Chico, Harpo, Zeppo (and Gummo.) I can quote lines from the movies and I raise my prominent eyebrows subconsciously in a Grouchoesque manner. (I'm doing it now.)
Books about the brothers and their movies in general.
Scripts
Books about Groucho
Books by Groucho
I read Memoirs of a Mangy Lover a few months ago. Much of the humor holds up but his attitude toward women does not.
Chico was too busy gambling and running from gamblers to have written a book.
Harpo was universally thought of as the nicest of the brothers. I should read this one again.
Books by Marx children.
The Doctor is in. Can we call you Hugo?
ReplyDeleteNice collection of Marx books.
Not that I saw them when originally aired but. always enjoy "You Bet Your Life".
Hugo right ahead. I'm too young to have seen the originals too but they were and still remain funny. Imagine, it ran on radio and then TV from 1947 to 1961. Not The Simpsons but pretty darn successful.
DeleteThose Groucho Marx mysteries look interesting... It's funny, I know I read Ron Goulart when I was younger, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was I read.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many times Abe Hirschfeld drew Groucho. There are nine of them just in this post... and goodness knows how many NINA's :-D
Goulart has written/edited books about comic strips. Maybe that's what you remember.
DeleteThe jackets list the illustrator as Hal Just. So I guess they're in the style of Hirschfeld.
Delete...And I called him "Abe" instead of "Al"... I hang my head in shame.
DeleteBig fan of the Night at the Opera
ReplyDeleteHow do you sleep with such big buttons on your pajamas.
DeleteI was close. It's really "Can you sleep on your stomach with such big buttons on your pajamas."
Delete"If I get any closer, I'll be behind you."
ReplyDelete:)
DeleteNice book collection but they are all marxed. OK OK I have the first two I think, my older brother had both when they were first printed, I think my copies are later editions, unless I was able to pilfer his copies. I recall around the same time about mid 1970s the same publisher produced a W.C.Fields book or two in the same style. I might have that as well, or my brother did. Those Groucho mysteries look interesting. I have always loved Al Hirshfeld's illustrations and try to count all the Ninas.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct sir:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.amazon.com/Flask-Fields-Richard-J-Anobile/dp/0289703336
I've read the first three Groucho mysteries and liked them all. I think Goulart does a great job capturing the Groucho character and the feel of the times. I'm not a mystery person so I don't really care about the plot. I liked the Lillian Jackson Braun "Cat Who ..." mysteries for the same reasons--pleasant characters to spend some time with.
The classic joke that is always told around my house at least twice a year:
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/NfN_gcjGoJo
The sister joke to Chico's , "There's a whole lotta relephants in the circus." Can't prove who wrote each line but Kalmar and Ruby did work on both scripts.
DeleteThe Marx Bros are still relephant.
I don't think I've ever seen a Marx Brothers movie, nor have I ever read a book. But I did recognize your icon as Groucho years ago. Not quite sure how I knew that though.
ReplyDeleteIs there a Marx Brothers movie you'd recommend to a newbie? I'd ask for a book recommendation, but I've got a stack of books that will last a lifetime that I need to read.
I'd probably go with Duck Soup or Animal Crackers. Good to know Groucho is still iconic, though I wonder how many of your students would recognize him.
DeleteAlso, Season 2 of Nobodies started. It's on TV Land Thursdays at 9C, not sure what that would be on the coast. "Check your local listings."
DeleteAwesome post. Extra points for mentioning Kroch's on Wabash. I loved that store.
ReplyDelete