I can't believe the silly negative reviews here. Of course there are no movies on this collection. This is not a rip off, it is a rare treasure of non-movie material from TV, radio (they put a picture on the screen while you hear the radio material. Of course there's no video to this, remember radio?) and film items such as trailers and newsreels of the day. What can one expect from the 20's through the 50's? This is supplementary material that likely has never been seen by the public since it was originally aired. Of course it will be black and white and not what one is used to from modern films. That's doin' Marx Brothers fans a favor. This is a wonderful collection of, as it says on the box, "...clips, interviews, TV shows, and rare footage that span the careers of all five Marx Brothers." It's not a consistent laugh riot because it's not their moview, it's bits and pieces where the Marx Brothers appeared to the public outside of their films. DVD 1 is "Inside The Marx Brothers" a documentary on them. DVD 2 is "You Bet Your Life the TV Pilot which is not very good viewing quality. The real rarities are the next three: DVD 3 is "Papa Romani" a TV episode or pilot staring Chico, essentially it's an early sitcom and Edward R. Murrow doing his famous TV studio to the star's home interviews with Groucho and then Harpo. DVD 4 is "The Marx Brother: Radio Days" with numerous radio segments some or all of them did. Try and find that material anywhere else. Finally, DVD 5 is "Marx Brothers Mixed Nuts" which is film trailers and newsreels (that's what they had in those days) and other studio film related segments with some or all of the brothers. You likely have never seen any of this material anywhere else unless you were watching the TV or saw the movies with newsreels or heard the radio when originally broadcast those many decades ago. This has been put together in a professional manner, as well as can be done given the limitations of 70 to 40 year old film material. Passport Video (whoever that company is) deserves a lot of credit for releaseing this collection. Sure, it could have been put on 2 DVD's. But the price (I paid about twenty bucks used) is very reasonable for 5 hours of material. Who could ask for a better price? I'm baffled by the negative reviews here. As much as I love their movies, particularly the first four or so, I've been hoping to see something else and this fills the bill. If you need a warning it's to think of these as DVD extras that we've grown used to in the 2000's. And when you love the movie often it's a treat to see non-movie material and this is it. I gave it a 4 rather than a 5 star because of the clear logo in the corner of the company. Heck, that's pretty standard today on TV. Can't have everything. I hope you understand what it is and isn't now. Thanks to all the film companies and probably the estates of the brothers for giving us this collection.
Great for the price and to learn about them
I am not sure why so many people complain. I loved it, the piece with his(groucho) daughter is so cute.not bad quality,the times did not make great pictures.what does people want DVD quality from the 30's. get this and put it in your collection. I have all of movies and bio's this is in the top 3. the unkown marx bros is real good for 10 bucks too, get that one if you dont want to fork over more cash. but this is good, bet your life pilot,radio clips, etc...
Amazon.com is not at fault
It is obvious from all of the negative reviews that this is not a very good product because of it's misleading title and failure to work on US DVD players. I do not think, however, that amazon.com can be blamed for this. They do not make the DVD, they only sell it, and they have always made it clear that customer service is their highest priority. If people become bent out of shape because they bought it and didn't like what they got, maybe they'll be smart enough to check around next time. They apparently only keep it in their database because some extreme Marx Brothers devotees might actually want to own it. People really ought to stop accusing amazon.com of cheating them.
When it comes to long-awaited treats like The Marx Brothers Collection, you can never get too much of a good thing. These seven comedies can't compare to the sheer lunacy of the five classics (The Cocoanuts, Animal Crackers, Monkey Business, Horse Feathers, and Duck Soup) that the Marx Bros. made for Paramount between 1929 and 1933 (available in The Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection), but when uber-producer Irving Thalberg signed Groucho, Harpo, and Chico to an MGM contract in 1935 (by which time sibling costar Zeppo had become the team's off-screen manager), he knew just how to cure their box-office blues. As a result, A Night at the Opera and A Day at the Races were critical and commercial hits, lavishly produced... More Info about this DVD Director(s): William A. Seiter - Archie Mayo - Charles Reisner DVD Release Date: Released the 04 May 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Happily, Groucho is still Groucho in his first post-Marx brothers movie, and that's enough to keep this showbiz farce going. The rather labored plot has Groucho getting his longtime fiancée, Carmen Miranda, booked at Manhattan's glamorous Copacabana club, but as two different performers: a Brazilian bombshell (the usual Carmen Miranda act, without the pineapple on the head) and a veiled French chanteuse called Mademoiselle Fifi. Some of the nightclub stuff has a retro appeal, and the appearance of real-life showbiz columnists (like Earl Wilson) brings a whiff of Sweet Smell of Success. But mostly there's Groucho, still flinging one-liners in a zone of his own. Even when the material isn't first-rate, his delivery never wavers from the withering skepticism of the Marx... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Groucho Marx - Carmen Miranda Director(s): Alfred E. Green DVD Release Date: Released the 21 January 2003 Usually ships within 24 hours
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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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I know this movie doesn't hold a candle to "Duck Soup" and "A Night At The Opera", but don't judge this film too harshly. Watch the movie, see what you think, you're entitled to your opinion. I think this movie is pretty good. Harpo has center stage instead of all of them, mainly Groucho, in the spotlight. Groucho only has a secondary role and appears in about 1/3 of the film. Harpo as himself is kept an eye on by Ilona Massey as she tries to get her greedy hands on a diamond necklace. This becomes unoticingly passed through a group of actors rehearsing a show. As Chico gets in on the action and Groucho steps in on the scene, the chase is on when the diamonds are hunted down...almost. Give this a try. You're going to laugh at a few parts, but again it isn't tops, but it's worth... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Harpo Marx - Chico Marx - Groucho Marx Director(s): David Miller - Leo McCarey DVD Release Date: Released the 15 June 2004 Usually ships within 24 hours
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With 18 shows that remained unseen since their original broadcasts in the 1950s, You Bet Your Life: The Lost Episodes offers another welcome example of the way DVDs are preserving our precious television heritage. Of course, this long-running game show (1950-61) was barely a game show at all. Instead, it was a perfect showcase for the wit and whimsy of Groucho Marx (1890-1977), who clearly relished the third major chapter (after stage and movies) of his illustrious career. With his mischievously elevated eyebrows and ever-present cigar, the great comedian was right at home with average and above-average civilians, recruited from the studio audience in offbeat pairs to answer quiz questions and win typically modest sums of cash. "Say the secret word and split a hundred dollars,"... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Groucho Marx DVD Release Date: Released the 23 September 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
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