# Marx Brothers 101 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 14, 2010, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210 "2010-08-14T02:58:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210/1 "2010-08-14T02:58:20Z")
So I finally watched a Marx Brothers movie last weekend (Duck Soup) and loved it, and now I’m suddenly geeked about the whole Marx Brothers phenomenon. I’ve seen two more of their films since then and been reading about the family and their move from Vaudeville to Broadway to Hollywood. I think Harpo is my favorite; he’s the only mime I’ve ever liked but he cracks me up and I like the way he just happens to find a harp in every adventure and how his personality changes when he’s playing from idiot to savant (HM said once he touched the harp he wasn’t acting any more.) I like Groucho best when he goes from memorable one liners to being actually insane. You get the sense he’s ad libbing everything and they only ever did one take. Since I’ll probably eventually watch all of the movies and know which one to see first (Since I’ve seen Duck Soup and Animal Crackers, the next two are Night at the Opera and Day at the Races), I guess I don’t need recommendations. Just wanted to share the joy of finally getting what the big deal is. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210/2 "2010-08-14T03:04:22Z")
Read Harpo’s memoirs, _Harpo Speaks!_ ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210/3 "2010-08-14T03:07:21Z")
…and two more hard-boiled eggs. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210/4 "2010-08-14T03:07:22Z")
I went into my first Marx brothers movie expecting to hate it, but I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Groucho cracked a joke and as I was repeating it to myself (so I could tell someone at work) 14 more jokes went by. After that I rented a bunch more. After reading this, I think I’m going to go put some more on my Netflix list. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210/5 "2010-08-14T03:25:16Z")
I expected **R. T. Firefly** to be here by now. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210/6 "2010-08-14T04:10:41Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > I expected **R. T. Firefly** to be here by now. And **Exapno Mapcase**. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210/7 "2010-08-14T05:20:07Z")
As I like to tell my girlfriend, “I can see you now, bending over a hot stove. But I can’t see the stove.” And then she smacks me. But my all-time favorite: “Either this man is dead, or my watch stopped.” ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210/8 "2010-08-14T11:18:40Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > …and two more hard-boiled eggs. And a duck egg. Groucho wrote quite a few books. You can buy them all, in a little shop, out by the viaduct. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210/9 "2010-08-14T11:39:09Z")
Hello? Room Service? Send up a bigger room! ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210/10 "2010-08-14T11:40:23Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > You can buy them all, in a little shop, out by the viaduct. All right, why a duck? ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210/11 "2010-08-14T12:27:16Z")
> [@](#): > > “Either this man is dead, or my watch stopped.” Stolen by the writers of M_A_S\*H (television). \* > [@](#): > > Hello? Room Service? Send up a bigger room! Stolen by Bob Dylan. mmm Edit: \*although, to be fair, Hawkeye was impersonating Groucho at the time ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210/12 "2010-08-14T12:28:24Z")
[QUOTE=cricetus] I like Groucho best when he goes from memorable one liners to being actually insane. [/QUOTE] He can get away with it, of course, because his contract has no sanity clause. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210/13 "2010-08-14T14:06:36Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > [QUOTE=cricetus] > I like Groucho best when he goes from memorable one liners to being actually insane. He can get away with it, of course, because his contract has no sanity clause. [/QUOTE] “Ha! You can’t fool me! There ain’t no Santy Clause!!” -Chico ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210/14 "2010-08-14T17:57:56Z")
“Take this thing out and sell it. My broker just called and said he needed more margin”. Ad libbed by Groucho for the Broadway production of “Animal Crackers” after the stock market crash wiped out his lifetime savings. Pity there is no film of the time during World War II when Groucho and Charlie Chaplin teamed up with two tennis pros for a war bond drive. Groucho showed up with a blanket and picnic basket. When Chaplin objected saying “I didn’t come here to be your straight man”, Groucho replied “That’s what you think” Or the time the anti-Semitic country club rejected Groucho because he was Jewish. He asked “My children are only half-Jewish”. Can they go into the swimming pool up to their needs". Or the time returning for a trip for England, he filled out the reentry form occupation listing as “smuggler”. And in a loud stage whisper, asked his wife “Where did you hide the opium”. The family got stripped searched for that one. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_jeffrey_lebowski/32/215_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Jeffrey_Lebowski)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210/15 "2010-08-14T19:04:26Z")
Will you marry me? Did he leave you any money? Answer the second question first. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210/16 "2010-08-14T20:26:09Z")
But remember, we’re fighting for this woman’s honor, which is probably more than she ever did. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210/17 "2010-08-14T20:43:04Z")
Send help! There’s a woman and three men trapped in a building. If you can’t send help, send two more women. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210/18 "2010-08-15T00:00:14Z")
Ah, I fell in love with them as a teen, most especially Harpo. That was my standby Halloween costume. Also, read all their autobios. I checked out every one they had at the library. It’s been a while, I’ll have to watch those movies again. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Shroud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/439d5e/32.png) [@The\_Shroud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Shroud)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210/19 "2010-08-15T01:47:29Z")
Don’t overlook my favorite Marx Brothers movie, _Horse Feathers_. Hilarious as always, and unlike _A Night at the Opera_, [the music](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVj0gaTSMPc) is good enough not to bring the movie to a dead stop. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210/20 "2010-08-15T02:16:20Z")
Lots of other good songs in Marx Brothers movies… “Hello I Must Be Going,” “All Gods Chillun Got Guns,” and “Lydia the Tattooed Lady,” among others I’m sure. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210.md?page=2)