Book Description
Glenn Mitchell’s masterly, delightfully browsable A-Z of comedy’s most famous family—now in a revised edition—surveys the entire history of their work for cinema, stage, radio, and television. It features hundreds of entries and photos, new facts and essential trivia, entertaining stories and anecdotes, a full filmography, and a foreword by film critic and historian Leonard Maltin.
Customer Reviews:
The Best Book on The Marx Brothers I've Ever Seen.......2006-01-27
This is the most detailed book on the Marx Brothers I've ever seen.I highly recommend it.Every single movie they ever made,together and alone,is so fully detailed.Plus every actor and actress the brothers ever worked with(including the legendary Margeret Dumont of course)is also fully reviewed.
This book is a must for any Marx fan!
Everything but the kitchen sink is included in this book...........2005-02-23
Actually, I think I saw the sink somewhere in the book too! ;)
It's everything you could possibly want to know about the Marxes. I like the A to Z format, it's very easy to navigate your way through the book. I use it all the time for reference. A well-researched, well-written book. Get this one.
While we wait for the dvd's...Bob.......2004-03-04
Wonderful book full of trivia for even the most expert Marx fanatic. Revised edition is well worth the investment for info such as the butchering of "Night at the Opera"...which is the film with the stateroom scene asked about previously.
question answered.......2004-02-16
The answer to your question is A Night At the Opera and is considered one of their most famous scenes.
A MARX BROTHERS MOVIE QUESTION.......2004-02-13
I have not read the book yet but I have a question about one of their movies that I hope someone can answer. I cannot remember
the movie this skit was in but it was the skit where Groucho, Harpo and Chico are sharing basically a tiny room on board a ship. First the cleaning ladies come in to clean, then the steward delivers food, then the mechanics come in to adjust a pipe valve and finally the room is packed head to toe with all
of these people and they all pop out of the cabin door and spill out onto the ships floor. It is hilarious! Please, someone, which movie is this scene from. It's making me crazy that I can't recall the movie title. HELP!!!
Amazon.com
A serious book hiding behind a goofy title, Monkey Business captures a tremendous amount of detail in its pages, enough to satisfy the most hard-core Marx Brothers aficionado. Author Simon Louvish has a talent for showcasing contrasts, and it's these contrasts--along with a few surprises--that make the brothers such fascinating characters. Among all the scripts, photos, and quotes are some unexpected discoveries, especially the real story of Margaret Dumont. While lamenting the tall tales that have circulated around this actress's life so far, Louvish applauds her image as the ultimate "straight" lady when she was really pulling a lifelong practical joke. And while the one-liners are as entertaining as always, it's refreshing to see glimpses of Groucho's serious side. One chapter begins with an earnest letter to his daughter's boyfriend about the young man's struggles with anti-Semitism, advising him to "comport yourself in such a manner that you will ultimately gain their respect." Of course, he immediately follows up with "Tomorrow we're having tea at the White House. I hope they have pumpernickel": this is Groucho we're talking about, after all. Louvish takes the same one-two narrative punch with the other brothers, interspersing real-life slapstick with tales of gambling debts, relationship difficulties, and professional disappointments and triumphs. Complete with a chronological list of life events and films, a complete reference list, and a thorough index, Monkey Business is the biography serious Marx Brothers fans have been waiting for. --Jill Lightner
Book Description
Strange but true: this is the first authentic account of the Marx Brothers, their origins and of the roots of their comedy.
First and foremost, this is the saga of a family whose theatrical roots stretch back to mid-19th century Germany. From Groucho Marx's first warblings with the singing Leroy Trio, this book brings to life the vanished world of America's wild and boisterous variety circuits, leading to the Marx Brothers' Broadway successes, and their alliance with New York's theatrical lions, George S. Kaufman and the 'Algonquin Round Table'.
Never-before-published scripts, well-minted Marxian dialogue, and much madness and mayham feature in this tale of the Brothers' battles with Hollywood, their films, their loves and marriages, and the story of the forgotten brother Gummo.
Customer Reviews:
Poorly written, poorly reasoned, poorly checked.......2006-01-08
I'd give this book one star, but some of the author's patience and endurance in slogging through some old documentary evidence does deserve credit, and does make for some interesting reading. The project as a whole, though, is a monumental failure.
First, the book is almost unreadable. There are multiple puns in nearly every sentence. The tone expresses the author's desperation, and no other word will do, to be thought clever. It gets in the way of what reliable information is in the book.
Second, the author's interpretation of the evidence is shaky at best. Because an early draft of a play script is the same or very similar to a movie filmed years later does not in any way prove that the performers didn't ad lib extensively while staging the play, but the author treats the matter as settled, the ad libbing as something minimal and grossly exaggerated, just because the Marx Brothers' movies are similar to the early play scripts. Nonsensical.
Finally, for all the author's smug assurance that he's gotten the details right where earlier authors were sloppy, you'd think perhaps he could check details like the spelling of Nacogdoches. I live in Nacogdoches -- I'm writing this from Nacogdoches -- and it is NOT "Nagacdoches," an error he repeats five or six times on a single page. It's not the easiest town name in the world to spell, and from any other author I'd shrug and read on, but this author's self-congratulation for his accuracy is so overblown that the glaring error is all the more maddening.
Bits of the book were worth the read, but disappointing isn't a strong enough descriptor.
Not quite perfect.......2005-12-03
The massive comprehensive research Mr. Louvish did for this book is truly impressive. Not only do we get huge amounts of biographical information on the five main subjects, we also get a lot of information on the generations that came immediately before. Some readers might feel all of that information is superfluous, but you can't really understand a person unless you know where the person comes from. I really enjoyed all of this background information. Another highlight was all of the research into their vaudeville years, as well as how for once Gummo and Zeppo don't get the short end of the stick. I also loved the pictures, but wished there had been more, particularly showing the boys with their own families. That would've been a really nice touch, given how much information we got on their wives and children. Another plus was the information on baby Manfred, whom many researchers and even members of the Marx family long believed was apocryphal. Based on the information given, I was able to submit his burial location and the brief biographical information and cause of death to the Find-a-Grave website and will know where to find his grave if I'm ever in the Brooklyn cemetery where he's buried.
I wasn't as bothered by the writing style by others have been, but I agree that it could get a little overly cutesy. Encorporating such a style once in awhile is fine, but sometimes it seems overdone, and you don't really need to write in a funny style when the people you're writing about are already funny enough on their own. I also thought their post-1937 films, for the most part, were given amazingly short schrift. Just because generally speaking most people don't hold them in high regard doesn't mean they're only worth a few pages each. Maybe it's time to give these later films a critical reevaluation and see what is good in them instead of automatically saying they're so bad they don't even deserve the same detailed treatment their first seven films deserve. And I agree, for all of Mr. Louvish's massive research on the Marx family, it seems baffling that he couldn't go to the pretty minor effort to look up the meaning of some of these American references and slang words that he admits he doesn't know the meaning of, instead of saying, for example, "No, I have no idea what a college widow is either." I also noticed a few other minor errors; for example, Mr. Louvish states that Harpo is the one who steals Maurice Chevalier's passport in 'Monkey Business,' when Zeppo was actually the one who did that.
Overall, this is a very engrossing entertaining book, although small things like the ones detailed above prevent me from giving it a full 5 stars.
Excellent in spite of author's cutesy style........2005-09-27
Okay, the author's style is idiosyncratic (look it up!) and sometimes annoying. He is as keen to tell us how he found the information as he is to tell it. But if you can get past all that, this is a great resource that gets at the truth (or as close to it as possible), clearing up a lot of the mis- and dis-information put out over the years about the Marxes and their achievements. I really felt after reading it that I have a much better understanding of the "real" story.
Well, "Monkey Business" IS my all time fave Marx movie.............2004-06-06
And I must say that this book of the same title is right up there too. I thought Simon Louvish did an excellent job of digging up the truth on the Marxian tales that have swirled around for many, many years. His research of the ancestral roots of Minnie and Sam "Frenchy" Marx are impeccable.....and Louvish's way of putting the "ages" of the brothers in their proper timeframe is first rate. I think he captured each brother perfectly. I was impressed at his case for giving Chico a hell of lot more credit in steering the brothers to superstardom. Chico was a go-getter, just like his mother Minnie, and I was happy to see Chico portrayed as something more than just the gambling, womanizing, loose cannon type of a guy we all know about (or thought we knew about). That's not to say Chico wasn't like that, it's just good to hear something else about him for a change (I'd kill to have the mathematical mind that guy had!). Harpo is always just the Harpo we all know (just like in "HARPO SPEAKS!") and love. He definitely marched to a beat of a different drummer (Louvish captures that perfectly), Harpo was his own man to say the least. That's a good thing. Groucho, is displayed (like usual) as cantankerous, moody and insulting (well, this IS Groucho we're talking about!). But Louvish gets into the reasons WHY Groucho was that way (let's just say insecurities MIGHT have played a small part in Groucho's disposition).
For me, reading of Zeppo's burden of being so much younger and feeling he was always an afterthought is sad. To be bearing the middle name of his deceased eldest brother, you have to feel some sympathy towards the poor guy. Zep's talents lie elsewhere, as subsequent chapters explain. Louvish's use of prime Marxist dialogue is superb, and he really outdid himself in research at the Libary of Congress, finding several vintage manuscripts just lying there waiting to have their moment in print.......speaking of moments, I was really intrigued by the true story of Margaret Dumont. This woman managed to pull off the ultimate lifelong-practical joke on GROUCHO of all people. Read the book to see what I'm talking about. Everything you'd want to know about the Marxes is here, and there's so much irony in the stories, it's mind boggling. What really got me was the sad way each of their lives ended. None of them (except maybe Gummo) just went along peacefully. Chico died of arteriosclerosis, with practically nothing to show for all the glory years in the movies, Harpo had a heart attack during open-heart surgery (on his 28th wedding anniversary no less), Zeppo died of lung cancer. Groucho's surviving relatives' feud with Erin Fleming (even after Grouch was gone) was a sad closing to an amazing, but sometimes painful life. But it's the laughter that kept the brothers (and brought all of us) together. That's what this book celebrates more than anything. The genius of their comedy, their anarchistic style, they brought THEMSELVES to us, the movie goer. That's why almost 80 years later, we're still interested in them, because there was no one else like them, probably never will be. But it's the legacy of laughter they left behind, the legacy that Louvish writes about so beautifully. First rate book, get this one.
Top Quality Biography.......2003-01-26
Louvish's detailed biography of the MB's is very good indeed. Starting in mid action, sympathetic, never genuflecting , the book goes on to describe what became of the Marx Brothers. Humorwise the author isn't trying to be the sixth Marx Brother any more than he's trying to be fourth Beastie Boy, the second Maureen Lipman, or the fifth Beatle. He's just trying to set the scene, which I feel will add to the book's value as time goes on, because that's what good history is.
Of all the secondary Marx(i.e. surname-not-Marx) material I have read, this is the one I have the most affection for, mainly because it is not trying to be definitive or exhaustive or curatorial, and yet strangely is better at all three than anything else Marx-related I've read in the past. Even if you've never seen a MB movie, you will probably find plenty here to amuse.
Average customer rating:
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The Complete Films of the Marx Brothers (Citadel Film Series)
Allen Eyles
Manufacturer: Carol Publishing Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0806513012 |
Customer Reviews:
Great Reference Book, But..........2004-12-16
First, the praise.
This book presents one of the best portraits of Vaudeville that I've ever encountered. While Groucho disavowed the book, I will be forever grateful to Anobile for transcribing Groucho's words as he said them instead of editing them. I think the portrait that emerges is human, amusing and elucidating. The early sections about the Marx family's life in Vaudeville are especially illuminating.
Now, the bad news.
According to several sources, transcription errors abound. I would point you to Kanfer's biography on Groucho for a description of the particular errors. At least one or two of the photos are misidentified. Of course, this might be of interest only to obsessive fans like myself, but it is does throw some of the information into question - hence the four star rating.
That all being said, for a fan of the Marx Brothers, this work is indispensible - a must buy!
The Marx Bros. Scrapbook.......2001-11-18
A great Marx Brothers book. The extensive interviews make this book great. It is loaded with interviews, not only with Groucho but Zeppo, Morrie Ryskind, Robert Florey, Harry Ruby and others. Richard Anobile spent quite a bit of time with Groucho in the mid-1970's. Many great pictures are also included. The only negative is Groucho's use of four-letter words. For accuracies sake I suppose they should have been included. However, I could have lived with a few "****" s instead of......well I can't type that here.
Read what Groucho sued to stop publication of.......2001-09-15
In his second book on the Marx Brothers (the first being 1971's "Why A Duck?") Richard J. Anobile conducted lengthy interviews with Groucho, Gummo, Zeppo, Harpo's widow Susan, and Jack Benny, among others. Most of the book is Groucho speaking, and his recollections are fascinating and brutally honest. Frequently the eighty-two-year old comedy giant lashes out at the twenty-six-year old Anobile: "Fifty years ago! How the hell am I supposed to remember what I did fifty years ago?" Gummo is pleasant and cooperative, more so than Zeppo, who was no doubt squirming about that card game that was getting away. Susan Marx is blunt about Groucho's caustic tongue and Chico's gambling. Groucho's four-letter words, which are in abundance, found their way into the final print and Groucho sued for $15,000,000.00 to stop publication. This was settled in Anobile's favor as Groucho signed all the releases. Steve Stoliar, a college student who worked for Groucho and helped get "Animal Crackers" re-released, says he doesn't doubt Groucho used that language, but never thought that Anobile would include it. Son Arthur Marx attributed it to his father's advanced age. This can't be recommended enough for Marx Brothers fans; it's a treasure trove of information, tidbits, and gossip.
Marx Maddness!.......2000-05-31
The Marx Brothers were arguably the greatest comic act of the century and 'The Marx Brothers Scrapbook' brings the heart and soul of the great performers to life. With engaging interviews, hirlarous anecdotes, and moving glimpses into the brother's lives, this book is a must for any die-hard Marx fan. Especially remarkable is the look author Anibole gives us of Groucho in his latter years. Fantastic!
I loved it.......1998-03-21
A book that displays Groucho as he was. If a true fan reads this, they should understand his unfortunate display of vulgarities related to the incedible childhood and subsequent amazing career paths of the brothers. In order to appreciate this book, you must read Harpo's account in "Harpo Speaks", as well as any thing by Adamson that you can.
Customer Reviews:
Not a good gamble this time around........2002-12-21
The best of these Toby Peters mysteries (such as Never Cross a Vampire and to a lesser extent Murder on the Yellow Brick Road) are the ones where the celebrity clients have something to do, or where the proceedings at least parallel some aspect of their lives. This is not one of those, joining The Man Who Shot Lewis Vance as a novel where the supposed star, this time the Marx Brothers, are only the deus ex machina.
There are other ways this novel is a departure for the series, and in every way it deviates from the norm is a way in which it fails. Perhaps that is merely happenstance, but I think the changes themselves are to blame, as opposed to any faulty ideas or execution.
This novel is set in Chicago, allowing interaction with Mayor Daley and mobsters such as Frank Nitti. The plot involves Toby trying to get Chico Marx out of a situation arisen from gambling debts, which he says are not his.
There is notably less humor in this book than in previous adventures. It is freezing cold, Toby is perpetually ill and in pain, and meets a succession of characters that are sad or pitiful without ever achieving much poignancy. And as for Toby himself, his pathetic lifestyle is palatable when the comedic nature of it is trumped up; here it is more serious, almost maudlin at times. In addition, though these books are modeled after Chandler, they've never really managed the cynical wit or wry dialogue; so the humor is missed even more sorely here.
My overriding complaint with this book is this: Why have the Marx Brothers in your story if they're not going to act like the Marx Brothers? I understand that they were not the same men as their stage-and-screen personas, and were even a little frustrated by inability to transcend them. But I maintain that the injection of a little of their subversive craziness into a project which bears their image is only right, and would have improved this book immensely. It goes back to the first paragraph of this review: give the Hollywood stars something to do, or at least comment on their life and livelihood through the action. (I would have loved to read Groucho flustering a room full of corrupt cops with trademark one-liners and non-sequitirs. And I am likewise intrigued by a mental picture of Harpo using his giant Duck Soup scissors to cut a bunch of mobsters' ties, then soaking his feet in a vat of their beer.)
Only at the end, after the wrap-up, does Toby check in with any members of the usual supporting cast, and then only by phone. Too bad; it sounds like some interesting events had been happening to them back in LA.
There are nice things about the book, too, though comparatively few: Ian Fleming makes a welcome cameo, rescuing Toby in a manner not unlike his fictional creation might have, and we also meet a diseased, demented Al Capone early in the story. The "love interest" (I hate that term, because they're seldom more than warm bodies) could have been an interesting character, but she is little more in these pages than the standard harlot with a heart of semi-gold.
The book is unfortunately not enough redeemed by a thoughtful solution. Chicago in this period of history was a unique place, but I still think the mystery could have played out the same almost anywhere. Kaminsky likely had a mob story in him and had no way better to use it.
Deal yourself out of this hand, at least until you've read some of the others in the Toby Peters series.
Customer Reviews:
Gee I Miss That Book.......2004-01-23
Back in the late sixties when I was a mere youth growing up in the Bronx and a fan of Channel 9, I became fascinated by the Marx Brothers and subsequently bought the initial hardcover edition of this book (circa 1969). I even had occasion to write Mr Zimmerman with my review ( at age 14) of his book. Yes Groucho, he wrote me back & I have his letter- on Newsweek stationery. Unfortunately, word soon spread of my possession of this most valuable opus and a friend(?) named Andrew Halp..n borrowed the book. Neither the book nor Andrew have been seen since. Gee I miss that book.
If you are lucky enough to find a copy you will love it. If you happen to run into Andrew, press on the accelerator. :-)
Marx Brothers At The Movies.......1997-04-23
Still have original paperback version of this great book. Each chapter covers details and behind the scenes stories of each of the films the team made, from The Coconuts to Love Happy.
Very well done, with a good mix of pictures. I'd recommend it highly.
Average customer rating:
- Sure to Bring Laughs
- Essential!
- An Absolute Must for Marx Brothers Fans
- Hello, We must be going!
- I laughed my ... off!
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Flywheel, Shyster, and Flywheel: The Marx Brothers' Lost Radio Show
Michael Barson
Manufacturer: Pantheon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0679720367
Release Date: 1988-10-22 |
Customer Reviews:
Sure to Bring Laughs.......2007-02-13
This remarkable set of radio scripts from 1932-1933 almost brings the fast-talking Marx Brothers back to life. It seems that these scripts could only be performed by Groucho and Chico Marx in their hilarious and fast-insulting style. The scripts bring many laughs as the detectives go forth to flirt with women, uphold justice, and insult the stuffed shirts. These scripts bring many smiles, but are also a little depressing as no known tapes exist of these long-forgotten radio broadcasts from the pre-television era.
Essential!.......2001-02-24
Reading this book is just like watching a classic Marx Brothers movie. There are the same hilarious jokes, the same wacky conversations between Goucho and Chico. In fact, some pieces of dialogue in this book made it to the movies! As you read, you will be amazed at these comic geniuses and their perfect sense of comedic timing. A definite must for all Marx Brothers and comedy fans.
An Absolute Must for Marx Brothers Fans.......2001-02-01
If I hadn't been a merchandiser for WaldenBooks when this priceless gem was published, I probably never would have heard of it. What a loss that would have been for me. If you've seen any of the Marx Brothers' movies, you'll actually hear their voices (and honks) as you read these hilarious scripts. You'll love it. One word of caution, though. Make it a point to read it before you climb into bed with your significant other, or you'll soon find yourself ejected for disturbing their rest with your frequent outbursts of laughter.
Hello, We must be going!.......2001-01-16
My proposal for a better world: make a package of this book together with Gideons'Bible and stick it onto hotel drawers everywhere in the planet! No wonder this is the surviving marxism, the ideology and enchantment of insulting boredom and its favorite characters. The book's a gem, a nugget. No wonder, too, it is rare and shaped to match the conoisseurs. Waldorf Tecumseh Flywheel and Emmanuel Ravelli are but the finest profiles of the western finest comedy tradition, navigating from naïve and deliciously childish circumstances up to blasting chaotic humor inferno. This is a book to taste like the best wines: one entire case at the time and with no hang overs...never ever! Groucho and Ravelli are stowaways as the ship arrives in New York. They were caught by the Captain but are confounded with a famous adventurer, Sir Roderick by an unaware airheaded socialite (they've had stollen Roderick's luggage and his name was printed on the tags). As the captain wanted to apologyse he says:
Cap - Pardon me.... Groucho - Now what are you going to beef about, captain? Cap - I want to apologyze, sir. I had no idea you were Sir Roderick Mortimer, the explorer. Groucho - Well, it came as a surprise to me, too.
I laughed my ... off!.......2000-05-05
This book is definately one of the most funny pieces of literature I've ever read in my life! Marx Brothers you were just GREAT!
Customer Reviews:
This Book Quacks My Duck Up !!!.......2007-06-21
I Purchased this Book way back in 1972, and I Still love to Grab a quick Laugh from it. The Contents here are Great Quotes & Bits from the Films of the Four, then Three {after Zeppo leaves} Marx Brothers, that use Photo-Stills taken from the scenes of the Movies they are from.
Most Material used is from the Earliest Movies: "Coconuts" thru "A Night at the Opera", as the Last Films the Brothers made, have less Quality material in the Writing Department. It is NOT a Biography of their Films or personal histories... BUT if you Enjoy the Great humor of The Brothers, this one is a MUST READ, You are indeed LUCKY that this is still Available. FIVE STARS
Useful Before Video..........2004-12-16
While this book was very useful before you could buy the movies on VHS or DVD, the need for it is somewhere reduced in the 21st century. It is, in essence, a collection of still frames from assorted Marx Brother's movies with some of the dialogue printed beneath the frames.
It is very funny reading and spares you the need to see some of the later films. On the other hand, why not just buy "Duck Soup" and enjoy it first hand?
The Essence of the Marx Brothers.......1999-11-05
I first got this book in high school (early 70's). It turned me on to a life-long love of the Marx Brothers. I even used it for scripts for a student film.
If you want to get a true feel of the wit, timing and marvelous play on words of the Marxes, this is most definitely the place. It is a pity that this book is now out of print. I would give my eye teeth for a copy.
This is a great book.......1998-12-29
If you enjoy the Marx Brothers you will love this book. It is a collection of the classic scenes from many of their movies. It has the dialog and pictures from the tooty fruity ice cream in "A Day at the Races" to the room packing scene in "A Night at the Opera". It is 288 pages of their greatest scenes.
Customer Reviews:
A solid biography of Grouch and kin.......2006-03-17
The best thing about this exhaustively researched and jauntily written critical biography is the anecdotes: Groucho once "attended a spritualists' meeting and answered a call for questions to the Great Spirit by standing up and asking, 'What's the capital of North Dakota?'"
Adamson, a college professor, brings an academic's seriousness of purpose and breadth of knowledge to bear on the Marx Brothers' lives and work. He also brings -- and this sets off this volume from most Hollywood hagiography -- an irreverent and entertaining prose style. He is serious but never stuffy.
Although he touches on every stage of their career, Adamson wisely concentrates on the '30s, when the Marx Brothers were at their creative peak. He examines almost scene by scene such movie classics as "The Coconuts," "Animal Crackers," "A Night at the Opera" and "A Day at the Races," demonstrating how and why the comedy team was funny.
Adamson also records their decline, more in the style of a documentary than a Hollywood expose. The book is packed with photographs and movie stills and dozens of excerpts of the madcap dialog that made them famous. And more anecdotes: Groucho "was probably not aware of everything he was saying when a 'You Bet Your Life' contestant stated that she had 13 children and could explain it only by proclaiming, 'I love my husband!' 'I like my cigar too,' said Groucho, 'but I take it out once in a while.'"
Not as great as it could have been.......2006-01-30
There's a lot of great material in this book; there's no denying that. There are wonderful sections on not only the brothers' movies and vaudeville shows but also the people who worked behind the camera, the screenwriters, and details on the original drafts of some of the movies, showing the changes they went through before they became the final movie versions we know and love today. However, all of those great things can be overwhelmed at times by a number of things, such as Adamson's insistence on trying to be really funny and witty. This was also a problem with Simon Louvish's more recent 'Monkey Business' (although that book had far more of a professional approach to the material apart from the at times annoying writing style). You don't really have to have a funny writing style or constantly make jokes when the people you're writing about are funny enough on their own already. This book could also stand an updated edition; since it was published in 1973, many of the people being talked about (including Groucho, Gummo, and Zeppo) were alive and well, and so are referred to in the present tense. Adamson also describes a number of things, events, or remarks as "recent" and "current," and over 30 years later they're obviously no longer that recent or current! However, those are really minor quibbles in comparison to the overwhelming problem with this book, or at least how Adamson chose to present the material.
It's perfectly alright for a writer to occasionally work his or her opinion into a work of nonfiction. However, Adamson does it so often that it just comes across as biased and unprofessional, like he couldn't put aside his own prejudices or views in the interest of writing a balanced neutral account. He presents so many of his opinions as undisputed authoritative fact, which really isn't fair or professional. For example, my own favorite Marx Brothers movie is 'A Day at the Races,' which he constantly makes cutting comments about, saying the jokes are limp and feeble more often than not, it doesn't start the way it should, the boys are too out of character, none of the musical numbers are necessary, and on and on. He also leaves out a number of important scenes in the film. It's quite ironic, since earlier he had mentioned his disdain for critics who overanalyse comedy and what makes us laugh. From here on out he criticises their films more and more, engaging in that very overanalysis. Chances are, if you talk to people who either came to the team through their post-1937 films or who saw them without being aware of the general consensus on them being not quite up to par with their earlier work, you won't find nearly as many complaints. Who cares if they've become softer around the edges, if there's more of a plot and less constant joking, or if jokes aren't followed up by the punchlines you were waiting for? Just because he thinks these later jokes and movies don't work means everyone feels the same way? He also waxes disbelief when he quotes someone who actually has a positive opinion of these later films, like it's outrageous anyone would actually find them funny and worth watching. And only three pages to discuss 'Room Service'?! I don't think anyone would argue that these later films are of the same quality that their earlier films were, because of how they lost a lot of creative control and were forced to put a romantic/musical subplot in each picture, but I think a lot of people are missing the point. They had to change and grow as artists; they couldn't have constantly gone on remaking 'Monkey Business.' When they moved to MGM, a new formula was put in place, and it saved their careers. Adamson seems so busy bashing their post-1937 films, with more criticism and less amount of space reserved for each succeeding one, that he can barely find anything good to say about them. For example, just take this one sentence about 'The Big Store': "It's hard to tell whether the rest of these scenes are supposed to be funny or not, so let's just get on to the climax." What a professional approach. The Marx Brothers only made 13 films together, and to only like half of their recorded output really calls into question one's qualifications to write a book about their film career. Come on, who would dare to write a book about, say, Laurel and Hardy, who made a lot more than just 13 films, and admit one only cares for half of their work? I really think their post-1937 films are due for a positive reevaluation; they're really not as bad as a lot of people have long made them out to be.
There are also a number of factual errors he makes (e.g., giving Gummo's year of birth as 1897 instead of 1892, giving the wrong release years of the films 'Seven Years Bad Luck' and 'Blockheads'), as well as a bias against a number of other comedians and comedy teams, whom he makes dismissive remarks about (particularly Abbott and Costello). Because I'm sure no fans of these other comedians will be reading this book and feel offended that their other favorite comedians have just been mocked. Adamson also makes a number of comments displaying bias against silent films, such as, to use just one example, saying no one knew the names of silent screenwriters, not even those who knew the people. Yeah, because no one had ever heard the names of people like June Mathis or Frances Marion.
Really, this was an interesting book with a lot of good material, but ultimately Adamson's unprofessional comments and biases get in the way, along with his overanalyses of their movies. Whether or not he thinks a certain joke isn't funny or that a scene isn't effective doesn't mean that everyone else feels that way too.
Nice try, but not that funny.......2005-05-07
There are two ways to write about comedians. The way which sometimes works is to play straight man and let the funny people be funny. The way which always fails is to try to be funnier than the material. Adamson has the annoying habit of doing this, and it ruins an otherwise well-researched and otherwise decently written book. Tons of pictures, lots of great Marxist dialogues, a great (if slightly obsolete) bibliography.
The Marxist Bible.......2003-02-12
This exhaustively researched, well considered and very funny book is exactly what the Brothers would have said if they hadn't been so busy making the movies that are examined here so thoroughly. Adamson displays a keen sense of humor and a clear-eyed view of the work of these comic greats. If you only want one book on the Marx Brothers, make it this one. You won't be disappointed.
Adamson isn't a Marx Brother.......2003-01-17
So he should stop trying, at tedious length throughout the book, to be one. Yes there's an admirable wealth of research here but it's constantly obscured by the author's tiresome sense of humor. It feels like he's watched all the movies again and then felt like he could reprocduce their humour.
He fails.
His writing style is annoying and obstructive. His analysis of the films is pedantic and often misjudged. But the biggest crime of all is making it too much a book about how funny Joe Admason thinks he is and not enough of just letting the Marxes brilliant comic voice shine though. Try Simon Louvish's "Monkey Business" for a better read on the boys or Richard Anobile's controversial but hugely entertaining "A Marx Bros Scrapbook".
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Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
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Harpo Speaks!
The Marx Brothers in a Nutshell
Groucho and Me
The Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection (The Cocoanuts / Animal Crackers / Monkey Business / Horse Feathers / Duck Soup)
The Marx Brothers Collection (A Night at The Opera/A Day at The Races/A Night in Casablanca/Room Service/At the Circus/Go West/The Big Store)
