I've always thought it would be interesting to pair this film with Singing In the Rain, because all the technical glitches satirized in the later movie were very real during the production of this one. While Jolson's The Jazz Singer predates The Cocoanuts, this was the first musical to have a full-length, credit-to-credit soundtrack.
As such, it's often goofy, ludicrous, clumsily staged and badly timed. The songs are... well, what can you say about a movie that opens with a song called "The Monkey Doodle-Doo"? And all that disappears when Groucho launches into a routine, such as the famous "viaduct" ("I'm all right, how are you?") routine with his brother Chico.
An interesting piece of trivia about this movie (and others with the Marx brothers) -- having grown up in live theater, they... More Info About This DVD Actor(s): Zeppo Marx - Groucho Marx - Harpo Marx - Chico Marx Director(s): Robert Florey - Joseph Santley DVD Release Date: Released the 17 October 2000 THIS TITLE IS CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE. If you would like to purchase this title, we recommend that you occasionally check this page to see if it has become available.
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For those who love the Marx Brothers (Animal Crackers, A Night at the Opera), that this movie is side-slappingly funny is a given. For those new to the Marx Brothers, this is the perfect introduction to Groucho, Chico, and Harpo (and even Zeppo), three of the funniest men to ever grace the screen. Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho) is the dictator of the small nation Freedonia. The country is a disaster, in financial disrepair, and the wealthy Mrs. Teasdale (Margaret Dumont) is its benefactor and the object of Firefly's shrewd affection. When the leader of the neighboring Sylvania decides he's in love with Mrs. Teasdale, Firefly declares war. The movie, from 1933, is tremendously satirical, a play on politics and war. (As Firefly says to a hapless young solider, "You're a brave man.... More Info About This DVD Actor(s): Groucho Marx - Harpo Marx - Chico Marx - Zeppo Marx Director(s): Leo McCarey DVD Release Date: Released the 10 October 2000 This item is currently not available.
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Originally broadcast on PBS in 1993 and narrated by Leslie Nielsen, this comprehensive documentary charts the career of the Marx Brothers--Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and sometimes Zeppo--from their beginnings on the vaudeville circuit to their final appearances on popular TV programs and commercials of the 1950s and early '60s. Featuring interviews with many surviving family members, friends, and close associates, the film covers the brothers' early stage careers in great detail, including the origins of their stage names and rare film footage of a sketch from one of their most popular comedy plays. Also fascinating is a long-lost film clip of Harpo in a silent film from 1925--four years before the Marx Brothers made their screen debut in Cocoanuts. The Marx Brothers' film career is... More Info About This DVD Actor(s): Harpo Marx - Zeppo Marx Director(s): David Leaf DVD Release Date: Released the 05 July 2000 Usually ships in 24 hours
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A roguishly clever and energetic documentary about the exploits of the Marx boys, this is as humorous and irreverent as the comedians' distinctive brand of humor. Directors David Leaf and John Scheinfeld accomplished the nearly impossible: they produced a fast and funny documentary as enjoyable as any piece of fiction. Though it runs for over two hours, this is so full of factual detail and amusing rumor about the exploits of the Marx boys that it could easily have gone on another 30 minutes. Its one flaw is the disappearance of the minor Marx brothers about halfway through, and the lack of information regarding the last days of all involved. --Rochelle O'GormanMore Info About This DVD Actor(s): Harpo Marx - Zeppo Marx Director(s): David Leaf DVD Release Date: Released the 29 June 1999 THIS TITLE IS CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE. If you would like to purchase this title, we recommend that you occasionally check this page to see if it has become available.
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