Groucho was the king of one liners and insults. Loved these guys. Comedy gold.

Love the marx brothers love people rediscovering classic entertainment!

I really respect you for watching these 1930s/40s movies. I've been obsessed with that time period after working on a production of Stage Door. These films had such a feel to them.

I never noticed before how many different war costumes they used. I recognised US war of independence, the Civil War, Davy Crockett style and Napoleonic. There's probably several more.

We usually see two different people in the same actor, that being Harpo. We see his hilarious comedic Harpo character throughout the majority of a movie, and then when he plays the harp, we see Arthur Marx, the talented and serious harpist. The Monty Python guys were influenced by The Marx Brothers in their zaniness and anti-establishment, stuffy, upper crust society attitudes.

Yes, Vaudeville was a popular form of entertainment before movies took off in the 1920's and 1930s. They usually opened with a silent comic because people might be late to the show and there were dancers, animal acts and then the headliners like the Marx Brothers, WC FIelds, Ted Healy and his Three Stooges were usually the last act of the night. Each large city and small city and a few small towns had Vaudeville theaters and the acts normally changed each week. Vaudeville died in the early 1930s because of the Great Depression and talking movies.

The expression is "never darken my doorstep again" as in your shadow. Groucho says "never darken my towels" meaning he's dirty.

I have always loved the Marx Brothers. I've seen all their films, numerous times, and have read various books and biographies on them. Harpo's autobiography, "Harpo speaks" is one of my favorite books, which I've read multiple times. They got their start in vaudeville, and it's because of that that they always had several musical numbers in their films. Producer Irving Thalberg introduced a new concept with the Brothers, by sending them out on the road with certain bits to see how audiences reacted to them. The 'Stateroom" scene in "Night at the Opera" is a prime example of this. Some of their humor may be dated by this time, but remember, these jokes and bits are almost a hundred years old.

"Never darken my towels again" is a play on a 20/30 saying "Never darken my doorway again" (i.e. don't come around here anymore).

There were actually FIVE Marx Brothers who performed on stage ("Gummo" didn't make it to the movies). "Zeppo" was the youngest, and he basically played the "straight" character in these movies, but supposedly on stage, he was as funny as the others. He left the act around 1934 and when into the business side of show business.

"Last night I shot an Elephant in my pajamas, how the Elephant got into my pajamas I'll never know". --Groucho

Duck Soup has the best telegraphed joke ever. As soon as Zeppo announces that his boss will be in time you know that there’s no way on God’s green earth he’s going to be. It’s brilliant.

As a Marx Bros fan, you are legit the first person I've seen reacting to this. Also, you had the oddest, coolest babysitter. ;)

Hey Kay! Thanks for reacting to 'Duck Soup'! Cool style and laugh. I also saw it when I was around 8 years old for the first time. My parents recorded on vhs and I used to whatch it a lot. Not many people my age seem to know how influential The Marx Brothers was on comedy films and TV comedy to come. I have to give you props for spotting and aknowledging the similarity between the Freedonian War Song and the song 'Knights of the Round Table' by Monty Python from 'Monty Python And The Holy Grail', another favourite :) I like the creativity, the anarchic quality adn the way they make fun of authority in the early Marx Bros films from the 1930s to 1940s.

There were five Marx Brothers. When they started out in Vaudeville, the act was Groucho, Chico, Harpo and Gummo. Later, Gummo quit performing on stage to focus more on his work behind the scenes, so Zeppo (the youngest) took his place. Out of the five movies they made for Paramount, Margaret Dumont played the straight man in three of them, making Zeppo less important in those films, so when the group split with Paramount and moved to MGM, Zeppo quit the group.

You should react to BRAIN DONORS (1992), a great hommage to the Marx Brothers starring John Turturro.

Fun fact, Harpo was born in the late 1800's with the name Adolph Marx. He changed his name later in life, because reasons.

Love your reactions !!! Actually , there was a 5th Marx Brother...... Gummo He left early in the game with the Advent of WW 1. He got the Nickname because he would creep up to people silently Like a Gumshoe. Also , he apparently Chewed Gum A lot.

First off, as a brand new subscriber, not only am I excited to find your channel, where you have a wide variety of stuff to enjoy, much of which is stuff I like, but I think there's something almost poetic and beautiful that you began your channel with something as fundamental as "Duck Soup". And so, this is where I'm starting, too! With your reaction to it! This was so much fun to revisit with you, loved every single thing you had to say, how you appreciated how much practice must have been involved, noticing the roots in vaudeville, and basically everything you had to say at the end of the video. My personal favorite Marx Brothers, in terms of out loud laughs, is "A Day At The Races" (although I like "Duck Soup" and "Night Of The Opera" as well). I'm very excited to see more of your videos, it's such a pleasure to see someone react who knows a bit of history, understands different time periods, different styles.....isn't allergic to black & white or some bizarre border of time between the 80s and everything that went before, much of which is pretty great! I'm bursting with titles to recommend....but instead right now, I'm going to give you a link to a ten minute comedy, from 1919......Harold Lloyd and Bebe Daniels.....comedy that is still fresh a hundred years later. You can react to it, or just enjoy it for yourself. It's way cool, and undeniably brilliant and funny....at the end of ten minutes, you feel like you've just seen a full movie. And you have! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/Y8Vha7qrzrPYpIE.html

It's one of the funniest movies ever made. Also, the director Leo McCarey was a GREAT Hollywood director who won several Oscars, directing both comedies and dramas. He's one of my favorite directors of all time. Another good Marx Brothers film is Horse Feathers.

The old lady Margaret Dumont usually wore plunging evening gowns as Groucho's undercover girl friend . She was a rich widow who got back into show business after her husbands early death .

They all are extremely talented as shown in the musical part of their movies

My favorite comedy! Subscribed!

They had great gag writers back then. Modern comedies have lost the silliness that made so many of the classic comedies so wonderful.

When this film was made there was a rule that unmarried men and women had to sleep in separate beds. However there was no rule concerning horses! The Marx Brothers managed to make fun of the censors on that one.

Duck Soup predates Monty Python by about 40 yrs, but I agree there are lots of similarities in style.

It's incorrect the reason people don't remember Zeppo is because his speciality is playing ordinary people, victim to the other three madness or the romantic lead meaning the person whom the Marx either help or whose their foil, he is actually incredibly important as his always serious ordinary persona helps to draw the absurdity of the situation out in the scenes and he is actually present in every movie, he was a part of the group.

So many good one liners. Lol! Plus an influence of me smoking cigars…

Where's the public nuisance bit?...When Groucho asks Chico after Chico is being basically a vagrant around Groucho's office and Groucho asks him...."You wanna be a public nuisance?" and Chico answers...."Sure how much does the job pay?"...that had me rolling back in the day...lol

There was Four Mark Brothers on Broadway and Zeppo dropped out the act after Duck Soup after appearing in their first five films and became an film agent.

So glad to see someone checking out a Marx Bros movie for sort of the first time. I always thought these guys were a major formative influence on my sense of humor, since my dad got me into them as a kid. Hope you get around to some of their other greats, like Horse Feathers and Night at the Opera.

darken my doorway was common expression, Groucho says darken my towels to imply the guy is dirty.

One of the greatest comedies ever. Thanks!!

I remember a scene from another Marx Brothers movie in which Harpo,the one that doesn’t talk,is walking along.A person on the street walks up to him and says”Could you help me out please?I’m trying to get a cup of coffee.”Harpo reaches into his pocket and pulls out......a cup of coffee.It was at that moment I remember becoming a Marx Brothers fan.Incidentally I’m sure someone already informed you but that fourth brother is named Zeppo,and he is in all their films,although I can’t spot him.I’d be surprised if anyone can.There was even an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer called “the Zeppo” which plays with the fact that a particular character doesn’t get noticed within his group.

Found the channel because of Space Balls. Subscribed immediately when I saw you reacted to this. Bravo!

You are an utter delight to watch!!!!

My favorite comedy troupe of all time. Every time I watch the Marx bros movies I cant stop laughing. Awesome

Harpo Marx has a great grandson who acted for a while,,he was in a couple of Bad News Bears movies

Lucille Ball did the mirror scene once-with Harpo Marx.

"I can see you bent over the stove...but I can't see the stove"😂😁😁

Zeppo was the fourth brother, who was in the first three or four films. Yes, they started in Vaudeville, and then did a few plays on Broadway that became their first three or four films.

Famous Groucho Line.... " I would never join a club that would have me as a member " LOL

I love seeing people appreciate the old classics. I’ve been a Marx Brothers fan since I was a kid. I even dressed up as Groucho one year for Halloween when I was in high school. You were right that they got their start in Vaudeville. They incorporated many of their Vaudeville bits in their movies. Duck Soup is said by many to be their best movie, but I’d also recommend Horse Feathers, A Night at the Opera, and A Day at the Races. You said humor back then was different than it is today. That’s true, but the Marx Brothers movies weren’t representative of all comedies of the time. Comedies like Bringing Up Baby, Ninotchka, and The Thin Man were not the same zany, irreverent comedy that you see in the Marx Brothers. They were one of a kind.

Marx Brothers are so funny man...I remember watching Night At The Opera at 15 years old and laughing hysterically...this was back in 1985 when they gave the movie on local TV...Channel 5 in NYC...I recorded it on my VHS...Duck Soup I recorded in 1986...and in that same year...Monkey Business and Horse Feathers....memories man...wow

Spot on. Zeppo became a real estate agent in Hollyyood, if I'm not mistaken. And this, one of their earlier films, definitely withstands the test of tme. Some comedy is eternal.

You should also do their film A Night At The Opera, which is my choice for the funniest feature film of all time.

how much practice indeed. They had MANY MANY years of it, touring in Vaudeville for like decades.

Harpo is the ultimate agent of chaos

5:44 I came here to see the famous *Mirror Gag*. You may have see the Lucille Ball/Harpo Marx revision.

Possibly the best RomCom is The Moon Is Blue (1953).

Re: The Mirror Scene. Others have done it indeed. Chaplin. And I saw it as a child on Sesame Street, with Linda (the deaf woman) and Maria dressed as chaplin.

You have the greatest laugh ever

The one that started it all!!!

Zeppo was one of the senators. His appearance is very clean cut and he reminds me of Errol Flynn or something

I think Zeppo usually acted as a straight man, although I understand he was very funny in real life.

FANTASTIC Always !..grew up with them !...Groucho quit wit!..Harpo's craziness !..just per COMEDY LEGRNDS!!!CLASSIC

In answer to your question about how much practice the various bits took... If I remember right, the brothers used to work out material in front of live audiences on stage. So while one movie was playing in theaters, they would be on the road practicing scenes for the next movie to get the timing right, how to space out the jokes, etc.

Groucho Marx is and will always be my King of Sarcasm

Gods of comedy

Marx Brothers are my favorite old movies )

Kay There were 4 Marx brothers the 4th Gummo was in their vaudeville act. Was never in their movies. All the brothers are excellent musicians

Gabe Kaplan of Welcome Back Kotter fame did a one man show as Groucho

I like how you are cultured enough to enjoy black and white movies

There's a movie called Brain Donors based on Night At The Opera

Thank you so much for watching this. It's such a hilarious movie and my favourite of the Marx Brothers! Pure comedy gold. The Mirror Gag and the Hat switch scene kill me. Zeppo was the most boring of the brothers and usually the one involved in the "romantic"side story. Italy's tyrannical leader at the time, Benito Mussolini, accused the Marx Brothers of mocking him with this movie, much to their delight. The country of Fredonia(one E)said that the movie was giving their country a bad name. Groucho shot back that their country was giving their movie a bad name.

Lucille Ball did the mirror scene with Harpo in I Love Lucy

2:29 Have you seen 'Blazing Saddles'? - re the 'chewing gum on line eh?' joke.

Music, art, comedy. If it was good in the past it's still good 👍. By the way there was a fifth Marx brother, Gummo, but he joined the service before they made any films 🎥.

"The Ed Sullivan Show" was like vaudeville. Everything from singers to animal acts.

The different uniforms were used to depict different eras of war. The movie was pretty much a parody for the senselessness of war.

I know someone mentioned it below but yes the movie Brain Donors is a must see if you like the Marx brothers. A great homage

My favorite Marx Bros. movie is "Animal Crackers" which came next. Another black and white comedy I highly recommend is "Harvey" starring James Stewart whose best friend is a 6 foot tall invisible rabbit.

Groucho,Chico,Harpo,Gummo, and Zeppo.

Good taste in movies!

there is clear tone shift mung movies from 1920 , 1930, 1970, 1980, and 2010 and in between its kind of the same. Zepo was in few of there films but he was strait man and less popular so not in all of them. hope you see more from the era.

In my opinion, the silent comedies were so great because all of the humor had to be acted, without the snide quips and punchlines. And, there were GREAT comic actors back in the Nineteen-teens and 'twenties, like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd. I really recommend finding some good silent movies because especially in the 1920s, there were some exceptionally great movies made back then.

You said you had never heard of Zeppo. Zeppo was the "normal" brother, who always played a serious part. The part where the soldier told Groucho about the gas attack (lol), that soldier was Zeppo. He looked alot like a much younger version of Groucho, without a mustache.

Did you notice they break the mirror but there's no glass on the floor?

Kay, I would binge watch Marx Brothers, Three Stooges, and even Bud Abbott & Lou Costello films with you.

Check out Night Patrol, Murray Langston, Linda Blair,Andrew Dice Clay, Billy Barty

Love the Marx Brothers. If you do more, please react to Room Service. There is a colorized version if you prefer over the B&W, and it's the big screen debut of Lucille Ball.

Groucho was a real character

Zeppo left the act after this movie. He always had the smallest parts which he began to resent.

Hola Kay has escogido muy bien esa pelicula es una de mis favoritas Sopa de pato.

Have you ever seen It Happened One Night (1934) starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert? A fun romantic comedy that's one of my favourites.

Lucille Ball did the mirror gag with Harpo on her t.v. show. Check it out if you haven't seen it. Or if you have. In the old days funny people were funny. In the Pryor/Wilder. John Candy. W.C. Fields. That's a top of my head list so please someone provide the female names. Myrna Loy.

you should react to "Operation Petticoat" (1959). it has Cary Grant in it. its a funny ww2 movie

I would suggest "We're No Angels" 1955

O.k. someone has probably answered this,but I don't see it so at the risk of being an upstart..to answer your question. All the Marx Brothers were classically trained musicians so pretty much all their films hstop at some point for at the very least Chico to play the piano and Harpo the Harp.

duck soup was supposedly a parody of mussolini. he even banned the film. its also the ONLY marx bros film with no musical interludes by chico or harpo. it was a bust when first released. groucho thought their movie careers were over. today its considered the quintessential marx brothers movie. this and "the cocoanuts" (1929, their first film) are my two favorites. but all the way through to "the big store" (1941) all the marx bros films are a joy to watch. after that their films went definitely downhill. thanks for the video.

old movies are the best!

I just found your channel. I am interested in your selection of movies you react to. I love this movie. I'm interestedin your thoughts on Sleepwalkers and Airplane. This should be fun. I don't like gum generally either. Only do it if I have bad breather, but then I usually have a mint.

was always a huge laurel and hardy fan

When I was on the channel 5 Movie Club in the mid-70s 1976.... that when the Mark's Brothers did movies at Paramount Studios their first sound movie was coconuts and they second one was animal crackers at the Paramount Studios in Long Island Paramount Studios in Melrose Avenue in California took the Marx Brothers from Long Island to do movies over there in California their last movie was Duck Soup according to me that was their Swan Song the motion picture was a box office failure no one could get the jokes so Paramount Pictures and Melrose Avenue tore up the Marx Brothers contract to this day marks Brothers movie Duck Soup became the number one hit movie of screwball comedy

Zeppo was the 4th

The Marx Brothers were brilliant. Intelligent humor along with slapstick. Most comedies today are lame.

I want to make a video crossover with the Marx Brothers and the Three Stooges using Blender editing software. I hope I can learn to splice images so Groucho, Chico, Harpo can share the same scenes as Moe, Larry, and Curly. Wish me luck XD

Hi Kay I just came upon this one with you . but I like how you React to these older movies #1 there was no cursing or drinking and showed women with respect. where Modern Movies has to much violence . and I like that you like these Older movies . so i just hope one day you will get into drama and arts so i can see you . Love ya Charlie

See "My Girl Friday".

For the record, the greatest comedy ever, top 5 movie ever. Most Marx Bros. movies incorporate music into the plot. The musical bits were part of the times. They just turned that fad on it's head with this, financially bombing upon release. Hail, hail FREEDONIA!!!