"Don't forget; you're fighting for this woman's honor, which is probably more than she ever did."

I have regularly maintained that Duck Soup is the greatest political satire film ever made

Duck Soup is one of my favorite films of all time, the scene where Chico and Harpo fight with the Lemonade seller sends me every time

The rapid-fire witty dialogue you see in Aaron Sorkin movies and shows like "Frasier" - The Marx Brothers were doing it in the 1930s!

The Marx Brothers also heavily inspired the Looney Tunes in later years, and even the Animaniacs several decades after, which just proves that good comedy never dies.

The real estate scandal of the 1920s was in Florida (famously, Florida swamp land), not in California, and Cocoanuts takes place in Florida.

I've only ever heard one explanation of Duck Soup, which is that it was a joke Groucho made about being so poor that he'd make soup out of absolutely awful ingredients, with the result being that it would make him "duck (avoid) soup" for a while.

Groucho was one of my first heroes as a child. I would grab a butter knife from the kitchen then work the screws on the back of our B&W TV to transfer the antennae from VHF (which gave access to the four wretched network channels) over to UHF (which encompassed the more regional faire, that included the Marx Brothers, Chaplin, and Keaton at certain hours). The reception was abominable, the prints ancient, close to unwatchable, but I was infected by these performers, and still am. I'm turning 57 this year and seriously considering getting my first tattoo... Groucho on my forearm.

Regarding their stage period your forgetting Gummo the fifth Marx brother who left the act before they entered the film business.

My Favorite line from Horse Feathers: "we have a dormitory and a football stadium yes? Well we can't afford both we'll start tearing down the dormitory first thing in the morning".

The "handshake" scene in Duck Soup is comedy gold

Remember, you're fighting for this woman's honor, which is probably more than she ever did.

Cocoanuts was about the Florida land boom of the 1920's. Swamp land never brought in a better price. As one might ask: Why a duck?

One of the amazing benefits of your series is actually seeing real world examples of human history repeating itself, including the creative people being able to see clearly what was actually happening.

Duck Soup is a comedic masterpiece. It was just pure genius. So were all their Paramount movies.

Great to see Swift's Modest Proposal getting due recognition.

There's typically not much to say about Zeppo, besides what Groucho has said about him. He said that Zeppo was actually the funniest of the brothers and even stood in for him in some of their routines. In the movie The Cocoanuts, it is said that he played "Groucho" in one of the scenes when the lights were turned off, and Zeppo mimicks Groucho's vocal mannerisms. I kind of miss him in their later films.

Thanks for the explanation of the title. Interesting to know that, at the time, it didn't need an explanation. Old slang is the cat's meow. Love it when Chico plays the piano, he's very good. And Harpo, in the middle of wacky comedy, suddenly heartbreakingly beautiful music on the harp, plays. He takes us far away, for a moment of magic, then we are back. Then there's Groucho, I think he's the funniest person who ever lived. Just the idea of "Groucho" is hilarious. He can just stand there looking at you, and it's hysterical.

Duck Soup has a country called Freedonia. And in New York State, there is a town or city or village-whatever, called Fredonia. ❤️

Alright, this weekend i'm marathoning as many of the marx brothers films as i can.

The Cocoanuts was actually satirizing the Florida land boom, not a California land boom. Lots of swampland in Florida was sold in the 1920's, which turned out to be almost worthless. The play is also set in Florida.

It's crazy that their movies were made at that time

An excellent examination of one of the best early comedies. Subscribed!

I'm gonna guess the next one will be "It Happened One Night."

The GREATEST comedy team EVER!!!! They did it the hard way-with the spoken word. Very little slapstick and props to make you laugh. Groucho is the GREATEST comedian EVER!!!! SO quick on his feet. He sucks you in with laughter, and when you're done laughing, you've already missed 2 more jokes!! He preferred to be remembered as a great writer before being a great Comedian.

In case you’ve forgotten, it’s not “Cheek-o”...it’s “Chick-o”. The nickname “Chico” came about as Leonard (real name) was a “chicken chaser” (womanizer).

Coconuts was about Florida real estate, not California.

_Damn , this particular episode has aged well !_

The Coconuts was about land speculation in Florida not California. Jeez

If you have to explain satire and why these four geniuses were perfect It’s already too late.

This was a wonderful video, very well done. I can't wait to watch Duck Soup now!

Vaudville produced some of the greatest talents the world has ever seen.

My choices for 1934 would be either It Happened One Night, The Thin Man, or The Black Cat.

When people talk about the Marx Brother, the word is not Anarchy (which means no rulers....not no rules) The 9 words that should be applied to The Marx Brothers: The greatest team of comedic geniuses of all time !!!!

The Marx Brothers are great. I’m so glad their movies have been restored and can be viewed as they appeared when they came out

Wow! Such a thoughtful and impressive video. No use arguing politics here. Thank you for showing us what a great movie Duck Soup is. It's truth is so deep it should be watched by everyone forever. Humor with thought and purpose, what a concept. Thanks again.

Dang. I've never thought the Marx films were satire before It all makes sense now.

Great work my man.

Extraordinary Job Charlie! can't believe this turned out better than i already hoped for , i was aiming for a 109 but i think you went overboard with a 125, specially in the writing , i really liked it. Have to point out your courage in making a analogy about mockery with snl, but also including literature and Mel Brooks! that's always nice to think about, parody and deconstruction aren't the same kind of ridicule and you explained this in the video flawlessly, be proud boyo. also the stick figures section seemed to go on for awhile but clearly there wouldn't be an accurate visual representation of their life in the theater, so i think you made do very well with what you had, specially if it was *you* who made those cute animations,congrats to that too. For lazier viewers i think 7:15 until 7:34 will be criticized for being inaudible, but clearly you say "From it's military dress, to its grand hall, to its national anthem,the country's european value, uses critique of the absurdity in american politics, does't cut too close to the bone, duck soup came out in 1933, the same year hitler was elected chancellor in germany" so no big worries about correcting that part of the video, lazy people will be lazy, they'll watch something only once in their life,barely paying attention, drop a dislike and run away with it without even remembering it 2 hours later, that's a morbid inevitability of having an audience, but so far so good, and you found a specific audience that enjoys your content the way it is. *applause* _See Ya Next Video_

One gag that is frequently lost on critics (including this one) is that Firefly is a dictator because he's always dictating letters to Zeppo. I'm not sure whether that's satire or pure corn...😄

brilliant critique .. really enjoyed your perspective of satire and the Marx Brothers foreboding and prophetic times ahead. Well done !

Best. Analysis. Ever.

I've long wondered about the pretty strong resemblance between Groucho Marx and King Alexander of Yugoslavia. I guess it was just a coincidence, but from the sets & costumes, it's pretty clear that Fredonia was supposed to be a Balkan country (as was Klopstockia in WC Fields's similar movie from around the same time). The intricacies and intrigues of Balkan politics invited satire when they weren't leading to World Wars. Alexander was assassinated the year after Duck Soup was made, but the causes behind the assassination went a lot deeper than any movie.

I've seen all The Marx Brothers movies hundreds of times. Duck Soup is considered one of their finest films to me. At the beginning of the movie Groucho's predecessor was incompetent as leader because he kept asking Mrs. Teasdale to loan money to Freedonia. She was right. If the President of Freedonia has to resort to asking a rich woman for money then it's time to impeach him! As for Groucho doing a better job at running the country? Your guess is as good as mine!

too funny. Groucho w/ a Thompson. how'd I forget that?

Cocoanuts is about the Florida property boom of the 1920s, not California.

If not for marx brothers movies there would have been no model for the beatles 'Help.'

Really interesting. Thanks.

Thank You Charlie, your analysis has killed all the fun I used to have when I watched that movie. Just kidding !!!!

The font used is "Breamcatcher" if you wanted to know

Duck Soup literally IS how satire works. It's a veritable clinic on it.

I have the original movies, I watch it on my old tv

The Very Best Of The Marx Brothers Films

Who knew this comedy was so serious?

3:49. Florida, not California, land boom

Cool!

should have been One hundred years of American cinema, America is where most the cinematic work took place.

Forever timely. For contemporaneous literary equivalent of Duck Soup, I recommend A Cool Million by Nathanael West...

Nice work, but just a few little errors that need correcting: 1) It's pronounced "Chick-o" and not "Cheek-o." Leonard received that name due to his "chicken" (chick)-chasing. 2) The brothers as a team released 13, not 14 feature films. 3) The Cocoanuts is concerned with the Florida land boom (not California.) And I do have to say, and with complete respect: there's more than a bit of over-analysis at play here. As someone who has had both a personal and scholarly relationship with the Marx families for nearly a half-century, and who was honored to actually know Groucho himself, the brothers and their writers (some of whom I was also fortunate to know) weren't seeking out specific parallels in their contemporary political world. Their bottom line was always: "what will be the funniest thing we can do?" - and not "how can we satirize Hitler, or make some sort of social commentary?" They also believed - profoundly: that analyzing comedy was the best way to kill it. Duck Soup is an extension of nothing so much as their developed characterizations via 20 years of vaudeville - Zeppo's role is NOT as some sort of Everyman, but rather as the necessary straight man component the three comedian brothers required when Gummo left the act in 1918 (and Zeppo was, by all accounts: actually the funniest of the brothers offstage - and didn't relish his role in the films, which is why he left at the conclusion of the Paramount contract.) Duck Soup owes (perhaps) more to Paramount's previous-year "Million Dollar Legs" than to Hitler's ascension to the German Chancellory (a film which coincidentally starred Harpo's future wife and my late friend Susan Fleming.) Leo McCarey may have pointed the direction of the satire a bit, but it was not the intention of the Marxes to make a message film about the rise of fascism in Europe. It's always possible to read far more into history - and particularly historic comedy - than was the intention at the time. Whereas Chaplin would LATER deliberately parodize Hitler, the Marxes weren't offering commentary on the situation in Europe at the time of Duck Soup. They were just seizing a situation which had comedic promise, and running with it.

The real sadness is how revelant the is today

Did Gummo also perform with them in the Vaudeville days?

I love The Marx Brothers and "Duck Soup."

This is an excellent rundown of the movie and the sick reality behind it. I majored in political science in college. I guess that entitles me to talk about current events like I know what I'm saying better than anyone else in the room, even when that may not be the case. I first voted in 1972, and, like many young men during the Vietnam era, I voted for McGovern over Nixon; Nixon won, but we who opposed him got our revenge when the facts about the Watergate burglary came to light and Nixon was forced from office in disgrace. Since then, I came to the conclusion that American presidents of either party during my adult lifetime have been a pretty sorry lot. Recent US history provides a rich environment for political satire. Where are the Marx brothers when we really need them?

Sorry, but there are so many inaccuracies in this video that I had to shut it off. (SIGH)

My favorite brother was always Harpo

i disagree that satire and mockery are always so clearly distinct or defined, as sometimes like with 'Fight Club' or 'Starship Troopers' it serves as a broad exaggeration of an entire story, not just a few characters. but this is a good video about some basics and the Marx Brothers . good job.

Chick-Oh not Cheek-oh It stems from him always chasing the chicks

Groucho Marx + Clark Gable = Bugs Bunny

The pronounciation of Chico's name is Chick-o, not Cheek-o. He was nicknamed this because he was the one brother who could talk to girls (or chicks) confidently.

I've been searching for something to watch from the Marx brothers. Never seen any of their films, and this looks like a fine one to start with. Always had this weird prejudice against ancient comedies for some reason. I only got into silent comedy after I accidentally saw a Buster Keaton -short on tv (think it was _One Week._) Fell in love immediately, and went on to watch a lot more Keaton + Chaplin & Lloyd -films, but I'm still super inexperienced on early talkie comedies.

In other words a movie about modern-day America.

Correction: Cocoanuts was set in Florida during the 1920s land boom. NOT California.

whats next

I always considered this a great anti-war film, thanks for the additional insight. Too bad this film has not been in resurgence.

Oh he’s only a young fella doing the talkin

Leonard (Chico) Marx's name is pronounced "Chicko," not "Cheeko."

Kinda late to release a video no?

I feel bad for people that refuse to even try b & w films

He looks like a 1930s version of Borat, ngl

13:28 Me: EXPELLED

Marx brothers were geniuses, predicting things "anticipando". (Ch. Chaplin's "The great dictator" came a bit later, 1940). Some ideas were surprisingly ahead of their time. Freedonia and the war reminds us a lot of today's "Putinlandia" and its oldfashioned, though lethal habits: first shelling, then discuss.

What’s the moody music in the background?

Man have I be ben wrong all these years. I thought it was just great comedy.

charlie: you are Gold. if you went to the University for your analisys: you had Great Teachers. i had a couple of good ones myself. the kinds that Trøn and rasPutin would have fired or jailed or .. ... ps anthropology, lit., psych, soc., languages... the usual suspects. as one of my Master Professors might have said: «Bien pensé» . i rarely got that.. : )

Florida land development not California - selling swampland...

chico is not dimwitted....he is not formally educated and their satire is clearly modeled after gilbert and sullivan

Spot on with the Baldwin note. Such a ripe venue for great satire and all he offers is unfunny mockery. Where's Hartman and Carvey when you need them.

Chick o

Good points. Duck Soup was the greatest anti-war movie ever made. - And Alex Baldwin is the most unfunny comic ever to be on TV.

It’s Chick-oh, not Chee-coh.

You have succeeded in making the Marx Brothers dull. Congratulations.

I think you think way too much.the movie is satire witt silliness.absurd word play .not a deep political statement.

Duck soup means something easy, easy as duck soup because you just need ducks and water. Bad explanation here

So what you are saying is that Donald Trump is playing Groucho Marx? It all makes sense now.

I am confused though, why would a couple of Jews (you know, the race that started all the wars) make an anti-war movie?

MY GOD! It could easily be a satire on the surreal presidency of Donald J Trump!

Talking over clips with interpretation tends to cut the enjoyment.

I think you are way over analyzing the film and other Marx's Brother films. Some of comedy scenes, were pure genius, and I wish you talked about them, (like the infamous Mirror scene with Groucho and Harpo) than the political overtones. One thing you missed, and it played a big part during Duck Soup, was the Great Depression. Combine with First World War, gave a very cynical view of the world. The Marx Brother films, especially Duck Soup, wasn't appreciated as a Great Comedy Film until years later.

Vladimir Putin exactly

Movie just a piss take -