For example:
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Yeah, but, Jerry Springer???
Also, the work of early comedic pioneers often seems predictable and formulaic to modern audiences just because so many people who came later tried to copy their success. If youâve watched any sitcom made in the last 60 years then âI Love Lucyâ will seem like a by-the-book TV show. But they were the ones who WROTE that book.
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I have somehow made it to this point in my life without ever watching any Marx Brothers material whatsoever. Iâve seen short clips, iâve seen them referenced in cartoons and movies, but never anything significant. Which is truly odd considering i got to see plenty of Three Stooges and other old shows growing up. The closest i get to them is Three Stooges, which makes me wonder how they compare. From what little i know it seems that Stooges is mostly physical comedy, while Marx is zingers and jokes.
I think there was some sort of licensing terribleness going on along with trouble finding good copies to remaster. But I canât recall and I canât find anything good discussing this.
My recommendation for a first Marx Brothers film would be how familiar you are with 30s musical conventions.
If youâre super into 30s musicals, go with Duck Soup.
Otherwise, I think you should start with A Night at the Opera.
I welcome all counterarguments, because I love Zeppo.
Quite honestly, thatâs not surprising. As a kid, it seemed like there was always a Three Stooges short on at some point, or at least, they got rerun a lot. Same with Laurel & Hardy and the Little Rascals. But I probably wouldnât have seen any Marx Brothers if my dad hadnât showed me their movies and explained them to me, explaining topical 30s jokes, their weird (to a kid of the 80s) personas, and why they were amazing.
The Marx Bros are a mixed bag: Groucho mostly delivers zingers, Chico is the fast-talker, and Harpo is insane physical comedy that suddenly turns into beautiful harp performances.
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