Marx Brothers: Which is the best one to start with?

[Cumberdale]

The only blackface I recall is when Groucho is on the run and hiding from the police, he rubs grease from a wagon wheel on his face for a disguise.

For me this is much less offensive than white actors in blackface playing black characters or Jolsen’s use of blackface in The Jazz Singer.

[well_he_s_back]

Start with “Night at the Opera”, move on to “Duck Soup” and “Horsefeathers”. If you fall in love with the boys then look into their other works.

[C_K_Dexter_Haven]

@BrainGlutton

Well, stereotypical society dame Margaret Dumont usually seems to be in the story only to be humiliated . . . but, she does not represent Woman, she represents Society.

I’ll second that. There’s usually an ingenue with a love interest, and she’s not treated badly. It’s only the wonderful Margaret Dumont, and that’s not mistreating her as a woman but as a society snob.

[moriah]

Here’s a blast from the board’s past.

[Marley23]

@BrainGlutton

I don’t recall any blackface, but there is at least one scene with real AAs acting to stereotype.

There’s that, too. And while they don’t sing “Mammy,” they do smear axle grease on their faces to blend in with a group of black people.

[Voyager]

If you prefer movies where the humor exists with a real plot, then start with Night at the Opera. If you prefer pure comedy, start with Duck Soup. I prefer the latter, since it never stops for a love story or romantic songs, and its attack on mindless patriotism is still valid today. (Especially the last bit.) Then the SJ Perelman influenced movies, Horsefeathers and Monkey Business.
Then probably Day at the Races, then the first two, which are really dated, being based on their shows and filmed with static cameras. (But with Captain Spaulding.) Watch the later movies only to be a completist, they are neither very funny or very good.

[BrainGlutton]

@BrainGlutton

I don’t recall any blackface, but there is at least one scene with real AAs acting to stereotype.

And here it is. Judge for yourself.

[Jumpbass]

I once heard somebody quoted as saying, “There are no Marx Brothers films as funny as the Marx Brothers.” That always seemed true to me.

Whatever you do, DON’T watch Love Happy.Total dog.

[BrainGlutton]

@Jumpbass

I once heard somebody quoted as saying, “There are no Marx Brothers films as funny as the Marx Brothers.” That always seemed true to me.

I think it is that they developed their characters for short vaudeville skits, and really worked best in that format – that’s why their films seem to be pieced together from a dozen skits.