Reviewed By: Jason LockardThere are certain comedy teams that are timeless! 3 Stooges! Abbott and Costello! Laurel and Hardy! Even teams from later on like Harvey Korman and Tim Conway! Funny is funny! It never goes out of style! And one of the most classic teams in cinema history was that of the Marx Brothers.
Most people know the Marx brothers as the 3 Harpo, Chico and Groucho, but originally there was 5 performing brothers including; Gummo and Zeppo. The brothers were born in New York City, the sons of Jewish immigrants from Germany and France. Their mother Miene "Minnie" Schoenberg, known professionally as Minnie Palmer, later the brothers' manager and their father Samuel Marx was a tailor. There was a unique chemistry with the boys especially Harpo Chico and Groucho. I think that is way they were such a huge success in Vaudeville and transitioned to movies.
The quick witted Grouchy, the funny but extremely talented Chico and the silent but sweet Harpo, what a combination.
There are two collections that house 12 of the boys 14 films. Let's take a look at the films included in these dvd collections.
Our Rating System:****=Don’t Miss it!
***=Worth a look.
**=An Ok way to spend a few minutes.
*=You haven’t missed anything.
The Cocoanuts (1929) During the Florida land boom, The Marx Brothers run a hotel, auction off some land, thwart a jewel robbery. ***
Animal Crackers (1930) Mayhem and zaniness ensue when a valuable painting goes missing during a party in honor of famed African explorer Captain Spaulding. ***
Monkey Business (1931) Marx Brothers are stowaways on an ocean liner bound for New York. ***
Horse Feathers (1932) Quincy Adams Wagstaff (Groucho), the new president of Huxley University hire Baravelli and Pinky (Harpo and Chico) to help his school win the big football game. ***
Duck Soup (1933) Rufus T. Firefly is named president/dictator of bankrupt Freedonia and declares war on neighboring Sylvania over the love of wealthy Mrs. Teasdale. ***
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A Night at The Opera (1935) A sly business manager and two wacky friends of two opera singers help them achieve success while humiliating their stuffy and snobbish enemies. ***
A Day at The Races (1937) A veterinarian posing as a doctor and a race-horse owner and his friends struggle to help keep a sanitarium open with the help of a misfit race-horse. ***
A Night in Casablanca (1946) he Marx Brothers are employed at a hotel in postwar Casablanca, where a ring of Nazis is trying to recover a cache of stolen treasure. ***
Room Service (1938) A penniless theatrical producer must outwit the hotel efficiency expert trying to evict him from his room, while securing a backer for his new play. **
At the Circus (1939) The Marx Brothers try to help the owner of a circus recover some stolen funds before he finds himself out of a job. **
Go West (1940) The Marx Brothers come to the rescue in the Wild West when a young man, trying to settle an old family feud so he can marry the girl he loves, runs afoul of crooks. ***
The Big Store (1941) A detective is hired to protect the life of a singer, who has recently inherited a department store, from the store's crooked manager. **
I must admit The Marx Brothers comedy may not be for everyone. Just like some people can't enjoy the 3 Stooges. But I adore there banter and crazy antics.
If you have never seen the Marx Brothers you truly are missing out on some hilarious fun! I can not recommend these two collection enough! Head over to www.Amazon.com today to get your copy today.
Moral Rating: Nothing offensive
Audience: All audiences
Genre: Comedy
DVD Released: 2004 & 2013
DVD Rating: A
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