cult film freak: margaret dumont

Written by James M. Tate / 6/26/2024 / No comments / chico marx , comedy , harpo marx , lilian roth , margaret dumont , marx brothers , thirties , zeppo marx

ZEPPO/MARX BROTHERS PRESENTATION 'ANIMAL CRACKERS'

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxCwEhnAsW-xS9vUd_DxerHhNtzNOhKsmtsNKeQAqgWgYfRKVRg6K_35I7WjVvDmM7g5d9ZXny7IkVYg-Wof1kKux9G2p9nwctPAlKHkF8Yg_Hf8EgW4pVIEm2CWClTSmwHq4ReaQemdJrS28gNVGo7Ljekrn_xlF2jMIYmJNBpxSxyifCRf5WFwnG4UAx/s1600/Screen%20Shot%202024-06-16%20at%205.46.15%20PM%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="752" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxCwEhnAsW-xS9vUd_DxerHhNtzNOhKsmtsNKeQAqgWgYfRKVRg6K_35I7WjVvDmM7g5d9ZXny7IkVYg-Wof1kKux9G2p9nwctPAlKHkF8Yg_Hf8EgW4pVIEm2CWClTSmwHq4ReaQemdJrS28gNVGo7Ljekrn_xlF2jMIYmJNBpxSxyifCRf5WFwnG4UAx/s16000/Screen%20Shot%202024-06-16%20at%205.46.15%20PM%202.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Title: ANIMAL CRACKERS Year: 1930 Rating: ***</td></tr></tbody></table>The Marx Brothers ANIMAL CRACKERS is basically their hangout movie, seeming like a grand Broadway showcase with elaborate sets, mostly of a giant mansion interior celebrating Groucho as a famous big game hunter, introduced by his assistant played by straight-man brother Zeppo...What's ironic is there's a kind of standard-handsome young actor named Hal Thompson whose relationship with beautiful Lilian Roth would have fit Zeppo instead of the few scenes as Groucho's note-scribbling gopher...

chico marx, comedy, harpo marx, lilian roth, margaret dumont, marx brothers, thirties, zeppo marx

ZEPPO/MARX BROTHERS PRESENTATION 'ANIMAL CRACKERS'

Title: ANIMAL CRACKERS Year: 1930 Rating: *** The Marx Brothers ANIMAL CRACKERS is basically their hangout movie, seeming like a grand Broad...

Written by James M. Tate / 6/23/2024 / No comments / chico marx , comedy , groucho marx , harpo marx , louis calhern , margaret dumont , marx brothers , politial , thirties , zeppo marx

ZEPPO/MARX BROTHERS BATTLE LOUIS CALHERN IN 'DUCK SOUP'

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKFXrH6j781t6TXf4Pnv7wVttNV2Cvl5U5rqELAw5KeFFlcIK5W7w1a3BZXleBCLc0ZlAGwMSCQcNCPUCH3DqsbowPXYpxHEHbskRobwUDlTDKUjjVE1tnlp8qspF9cScF61nKwcLzP1U0kFJnp01Bjwreu1Ihzj63n-088StffqoEFFNGRgsKAP_prd4y/s2278/0.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="2278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKFXrH6j781t6TXf4Pnv7wVttNV2Cvl5U5rqELAw5KeFFlcIK5W7w1a3BZXleBCLc0ZlAGwMSCQcNCPUCH3DqsbowPXYpxHEHbskRobwUDlTDKUjjVE1tnlp8qspF9cScF61nKwcLzP1U0kFJnp01Bjwreu1Ihzj63n-088StffqoEFFNGRgsKAP_prd4y/s16000/0.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Title: DUCK SOUP Year: 1933 Rating: ****</td></tr></tbody></table>Heavily influencing comparably-modern classics from Mel Brooks' BLAZING SADDLES to Woody Allen's BANANAS (and even Charlie Chaplin's THE GREAT DICTATOR), The Marx Brothers' DUCK SOUP is by far their greatest movie... with a neatly constructed beginning, middle and end where their perfect straight-person Margaret Dumont forces the fictional country of Freedonia to hire Groucho Marx's Rufus T. Firefly to rule the land...And while quiet/handsome brother Zeppo is ultimately wasted, once again as Groucho's note-scribbling assistant, and Harpo's role seems rather forced, mostly just cutting things with scissors, Chico, who becomes Groucho's more hands-on sidekick, is of almost equal importance to the quip-spouting, mustached leader...

chico marx, comedy, groucho marx, harpo marx, louis calhern, margaret dumont, marx brothers, politial, thirties, zeppo marx

ZEPPO/MARX BROTHERS BATTLE LOUIS CALHERN IN 'DUCK SOUP'

Title: DUCK SOUP Year: 1933 Rating: **** Heavily influencing comparably-modern classics from Mel Brooks' BLAZING SADDLES to Woody Allen...

FAVORITES SHORTLIST

1)OTLEY 2)ROBBERY 3)HELL IS A CITY 4)THE FEARMAKERS 5)CANYON PASSAGE 6)HOT CARS 7)VIOLENT SATURDAY 8)THE BREAK 9)THE CROWDED SKY 10)THE ROARING TWENTIES 11) ANATOMY OF A MURDER 12)CALCULATED RISK 13)SWEENEY TWO 14)RAIDERS FROM BENEATH THE SEA 15)HARDCORE 16)JUNGLE STREET 17)WHITE HEAT 18)FALLEN ANGEL 19)A PRIZE OF ARMS 20)THE BIG HEAT 21)SHARKS' TREASURE 22)THE MARKED ONES 23)THE DRIVER 24)THE SYSTEM 25)AIR PATROL 26)THE STONE KILLER 27)JOURNEY INTO FEAR 28)WILLIAM CONRAD'S BRAINSTORM 29)FRENZY 30)THE MAN FROM LARAMIE FAVORITE ACTORS 1)DANA ANDREWS 2)JAMES CAGNEY 3)STANLEY BAKER 4)MARLON BRANDO 5)JACK NICHOLSON 6)CHARLES BRONSON 7)BURT REYNOLDS 8)WILLIAM LUCAS 9)TOM COURTENAY 10)GENE HACKMAN DIRECTORS 1)JACQUES TOURNEUR 2)RICHARD FLEISCHER 3)VAL GUEST 4)STANLEY KUBRICK 5)OTTO PREMINGER 6)ORSON WELLES 7)JOHN GUILLERMAN 8)JOHN LANDIS 9)SAM PECKINPAH 10)MICHAEL WINNER