Wednesday 12 September 2007

The Marx Brothers




“I’ve worked my way from nothing to a state of extreme poverty” Groucho Marx

For those of you who are unaware of the Marx Brothers, I have placed a few short films so you can get a feel for their unique breed of comedy. The Marx Brothers were four brother comedians from New York, and particularly famous in the 1920s. They were known for their sharp, improvised humour, which was well ahead of its time; watching one of their films is amusing as it ever was.

Groucho Marx seldom ventured any comment on his own comic style. He felt that humour, like romance and sex, loses its magic if examined too closely: “If you talk about those things, they go away.” When asked why he thought he was funny, he would answer simply, “I'm a funny-looking jerk”. He did believe, however, that all great comedy is based on character.

The on-stage personalities of Groucho, Chico, Harpo and Zeppo are thought to be based on their character in life. In some ways the Marx Brothers have become caricature of themselves, with Groucho sporting his trademark greasepaint moustache, cigar and stooped walk. Harpo, completely mute with curly hair communicates only with a taxi horn. Chico adopts a fake Italian accent that he learnt off the ‘tough guys’ living in his neighbourhood in New York. Zeppo was the romantic of the group, always ending up falling in love.

The Marx Brothers have become one of America's all time favourite theatrical acts. With their sharp and bizarre sense of humour, they satirized institutions such as high society and human hypocrisy. They also became famous for their improvisational comedy in free form scenarios.

I love the Marx Brothers witty humour, as well as their talented music, with all brothers being able to sing, Chico plays piano and Harpo plays the harp. To me, they are completely unique and as relevant to our culture and comedy as they ever were.

“Go and never darken my towels again” Groucho Marx


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