August 29 movie: Monkey Business. The perfect pick-me-up after the solemnity of Solaris the other night. I think Monkey Business is one of the funniest Marx Brothers movie. It's got the Maurice Chevalier sequence, and Harpo in the punch and judy show, and Groucho hiding in the gangster's closet. I've also got Duck Soup to watch this weekend.
One odd thing about this movie is the recurring theme music: it's the same music used in Rope. They play it in a different key, I think, and Farley Granger gets more and more twitchy as he plays, and the effect is fairly creepy. It's strange to hear that same creepy music played so cheerfully by Chico Marx.
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I think the best comment I ever heard about Monkey Business is that it is the Marx Brothers completely freed of the constraints of a plot. As such, it's pure comedy gold.
I certainly think it's among their funniest, but I'm not sure if I think it's funnier than Duck Soup. I really should see them both again.
Have you ever read Joe Adamson's book on the Marxes? Groucho, Chico, Harpo, and Sometimes Zeppo, unless I have the order wrong. Like his book on ace cartoon director Tex Avery, reading the book makes you feel like you're watching the movies, even when he's describing their real lives. I've read my copy in half. Once in a while, I spot someone making a reference to the book (like someone whose LJ handle is "Exapno Mapcase") and have that "You read it too!" conversation.
Hi Kip, that book sounds great! I will look for it next time I'm at the library. I read Harpo's autobiography many years ago & really ought to read more about the Marx Brothers now.