# Rediscovering the Marx brothers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 2, 2007, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rediscovering-the-marx-brothers/386419 "2007-01-02T15:40:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2007, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rediscovering-the-marx-brothers/386419/21 "2007-01-02T20:44:39Z")
[QUOTE=Asgardking] “One day I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How the elephant got in my pajama’s, I’ll never know” [/QUOTE] Everybody always misquotes this, probably because these variant versions get the meter correct. Even so, the real original (in both the play and the movie) is, “One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas I don’t know.” All hail George S. Kaufman! ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2007, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rediscovering-the-marx-brothers/386419/22 "2007-01-02T20:55:06Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] I agree. Which ones did you watch? I think they are hilariously funny, and I am not very happy about the person years ago who told me they were “just like the Three Stooges”. Marx Brothers were real comedy! 3 Stooges is just stupid. [/quote] They were more alike than you may realize, and as much as I love the Brothers Marx, I cannot allow this asparagus on the Brothers Howard (and Fine) pass unrelented. Take away Groucho’s one-liners and most of what you had left was the same sort of physical, screwball humor that the Stooges had. When it wasn’t physical, it often revolved around such things as the stupidity of someone in the scene–specifically their inability to grasp what was going on around them, or around such concepts as the contrast between social classes. IMO the Stooges’ pig latin scene, the one where they’re struggling mightily to explain it to Curley, is on a par with the “sanity clause” scene between Chico and Harpo. Also Curly could mime just as well as Harpo, though you only get to see it in a couple of shorts. > [@](#): > > Groucho’s one-liners are amazing,. Yes you do have a point here, but even some of those famous jokes were written by Kaufman and Ryskind, and if you watch other comedies written by the team, you will recognize the style of humor. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2007, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rediscovering-the-marx-brothers/386419/23 "2007-01-02T21:01:31Z")
Of course in Alabama the Tuscaloosa. I have a CD of Duck Soup done on their radio show - some of the lines are slightly different from what was in the movie. And please, let’s not forget the contribution of S. J. Perelman to Horsefeathers and Monkey Business. “Why don’t you go back to your wife. Better yet, I’ll go back to your wife, and besides the improvement, she’ll never know the difference.” ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2007, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rediscovering-the-marx-brothers/386419/24 "2007-01-02T21:01:57Z")
[QUOTE=Exapno Mapcase] > [@Asgardking](#): > > “One day I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How the elephant got in my pajama’s, I’ll never know” Everybody always misquotes this, probably because these variant versions get the meter correct. Even so, the real original (in both the play and the movie) is, “One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas I don’t know.” All hail George S. Kaufman! [/QUOTE] Not only that, K&R wrote “pajamas” without an apostrophe. I can tell from watching the movie. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2007, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rediscovering-the-marx-brothers/386419/25 "2007-01-02T21:02:10Z")
Been listening to a lot of ‘You Bet Your Life’ on an old-time radio station. I have to say, I really liked the movies, but listening to Groucho live? Wow. The man had a -razor- sharp wit. Any show in which he doesn’t get me laughing is a rarety, and there are some in which he leaves me in tears with his delivery. His appearance in the Jack Benny show, episode entitled ‘Detective O’Benny’, is amazing. From it: Jack: I’ll have a Coke. Groucho, what’ll you have? Groucho (obviously ad-libbing): Well, my sponsor wants me to say blue ribbon beer, but I’ll say Heddy Lammar. Jack (aghast): Groucho! Groucho: You’re just annoyed that you didn’t say that first. Jack: Well, yes. Groucho: That makes two of us. ---
**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:** [January 2, 2007, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rediscovering-the-marx-brothers/386419/26 "2007-01-02T21:03:37Z")
Harpo speaks. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/j9Ewf6PamZ4/hqdefault.jpg "Harpo speaks") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9Ewf6PamZ4) > **[The Marx Brothers](https://www.marx-brothers.org/biography/harposp.htm)** > > Find out about the Marx Brothers, online since 1996 ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2007, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rediscovering-the-marx-brothers/386419/27 "2007-01-02T21:09:25Z")
[QUOTE=ArrMatey!] Jack Benny show, episode entitled ‘Detective O’Benny’, is amazing. From it: Jack: I’ll have a Coke. Groucho, what’ll you have? Groucho (obviously ad-libbing): Well, my sponsor wants me to say blue ribbon beer, but I’ll say Heddy Lammar. Jack (aghast): Groucho! Groucho: You’re just annoyed that you didn’t say that first. Jack: Well, yes. Groucho: That makes two of us. [/QUOTE] According to Groucho’s memoir, Jack Benny could “take care of himself” in the ad-lib department. It must have been a fantastic show with two such talents. Groucho also had the utmost respect for Red Skelton, considering him the successor to Chaplin. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2007, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rediscovering-the-marx-brothers/386419/28 "2007-01-02T21:20:00Z")
Sorry for the (sort-of) double post. The server seemed to freeze up the first time, and I never saw my reply in the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rediscovering-the-marx-brothers/386419/29 "2007-01-04T12:59:32Z")
From _Duck Soup_ : “Remember, you’re fighting for this woman’s honour, which is probably more than she ever did.” ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rediscovering-the-marx-brothers/386419/30 "2007-01-04T14:31:17Z")
Ok, **Spectre** , OK! I plead for mercy, it was a bad asparagus! _hides_ 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rediscovering-the-marx-brothers/386419/31 "2007-01-04T15:31:59Z")
What does everybody have against asparagus? Never been able to watch the Marx in English… it’s in my list of Stuff I Oughta Get Around To Doing. From what I’ve read, many of their most famous phrases in Spanish are unrelated to what’s said in English; lots of stuff is simply impossible to translate, so the Spanish translators came up with something equally absurd and it stuck. I want to see if Groucho talks as fast in English as his Spanish dubber 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rediscovering-the-marx-brothers/386419/32 "2007-01-08T02:16:35Z")
[QUOTE=Spectre of Pithecanthropus] According to Groucho’s memoir, Jack Benny could “take care of himself” in the ad-lib department. It must have been a fantastic show with two such talents. [/QUOTE] Oh yes. The two were ‘pretending’ to be aghast at each other, but you could tell they were (quite succesfully) trying to one-up each-other, and had the audience rolling. > [@](#): > > Groucho also had the utmost respect for Red Skelton, considering him the successor to Chaplin. Interresting. Never heard the two of them together. For some reason Skelton just seems ‘mediocre’ to me, but I think that’s because I hear his same ‘characters’ all the time. Still, the fact that Groucho had respect for him bumps him a few notches. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rediscovering-the-marx-brothers/386419/33 "2007-01-08T02:26:21Z")
Who could forget the immortal words of Yip Harburg, as set to music by Harold Arlen and spoken by Groucho Marx: _Oh Lydia, oh Lydia, say have you seen Lydia Lydia the tattooed lady She has eyes the boys adore so And a torso even more so Lydia, oh Lydia, you encyclopidia Oh Lydia, you queen of tattoo On her back is the Battle of Waterloo Beneath it the wreck of the Hesperus, too And waving above is the red, white, and blue You can learn a lot from Lydia!_ One of the highlights from _At The Circus_, and one of my all-time favorite Marx Brothers scenes (along with the crowded room in _A Night At The Opera_ and the scene in _Duck Soup_ where all four brothers are playing _The American Patrol_ on soldiers’ helmets- a rare comedic moment for Zeppo). I can’t think of how to end this post. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rediscovering-the-marx-brothers/386419/34 "2007-01-08T04:09:23Z")
Just for the fun of it, [here is a page of Groucho quotes.](http://workinghumor.com/quotes/groucho_marx.shtml) “I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rediscovering-the-marx-brothers/386419/35 "2007-01-08T08:50:44Z")
[QUOTE=mobo85] I can’t think of how to end this post. [/QUOTE] How about mentioning the elderly Groucho singing this on the Dick Cavet show. I remember that years later. (Though I think he adlibbed some of the lyrics.) ---
**Author:** ![Mame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/858c86/32.png) [@Mame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mame)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rediscovering-the-marx-brothers/386419/36 "2007-01-08T12:50:38Z")
Going out on a limb here. I LIKE Love Happy. The scene with Harpo and the Neon lights is priceless. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rediscovering-the-marx-brothers/386419/37 "2007-01-08T15:28:32Z")
I can’t remember what movie it was in, but my favorite Groucho line is: “I am gonna memorize your name and throw my head away.” Close second: In _Duck Soup_ when Harpo thinks he’s opening the safe, and it turns out to be a big radio; it comes on blasting a Sousa march throughout the house, shaking the foundations and alarming Margaret Dumont. Dumont: What’s that noise? Groucho: I’m not sure; sounds like mice! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rediscovering-the-marx-brothers/386419/38 "2007-01-08T15:32:14Z")
[QUOTE=Voyager] And please, let’s not forget the contribution of S. J. Perelman to Horsefeathers and Monkey Business. [/QUOTE] “The Dean is furious! He’s waxing wroth!” “Is Roth out there, too? Tell Roth to wax the Dean for awhile.” ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rediscovering-the-marx-brothers/386419/39 "2007-01-08T15:33:24Z")
[QUOTE=jackelope] Dumont: What’s that noise? Groucho: I’m not sure; sounds like mice! [/QUOTE] “Mice don’t play music!” [It’s from Duck Soup] ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rediscovering-the-marx-brothers/386419/40 "2007-01-08T15:51:21Z")
[QUOTE=Nava] What does everybody have against asparagus? Never been able to watch the Marx in English… it’s in my list of Stuff I Oughta Get Around To Doing. From what I’ve read, many of their most famous phrases in Spanish are unrelated to what’s said in English; lots of stuff is simply impossible to translate, so the Spanish translators came up with something equally absurd and it stuck. I want to see if Groucho talks as fast in English as his Spanish dubber 😃 [/QUOTE] One of Houston’s Spanish-language TV stations often plays a bunch of Cantinflas movies on holidays. Without dubbing or subtitles, of course. When I knew only a bit of Spanish, Cantinflas often confused me with his double-quick speeches. After I studied a bit more of the language, I realized that he was confusing everybody! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rediscovering-the-marx-brothers/386419.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rediscovering-the-marx-brothers/386419.md?page=3)