Download or read book The Marx Brothers and America written by Robert E. Weir and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2022-08-17 with total page 295 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ground has shifted from the days in which "serious history" and "boring" went hand in glove. Textbooks and lectures have their place, but less traditional classrooms can be powerfully immersive and insightful. Take the 1929 Marx Brothers film The Cocoanuts and what it teaches about both the Great Depression and early sound films. The Marx Brothers are among the funniest comedy teams of all time. Four of their 13 films are on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 greatest American comedies ever made. For many contemporary viewers, though, "getting" the jokes is not always easy because the humor can be subjective and timebound. This work looks at the American past through the lens of the Marx Brothers' films and other projects. Each of the chapters focuses on a specific film, contextualizing the world at the time and how the Marx Brothers lampooned those subjects. Along the way, the book demonstrates what the Marx Brothers revealed about weighty topics like gambling, gender relations, immigration, medical care, Prohibition, race and war, all leavened with offbeat humor.
Download or read book The Marx Brothers and America written by Robert E. Weir and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2022-08-17 with total page 295 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ground has shifted from the days in which "serious history" and "boring" went hand in glove. Textbooks and lectures have their place, but less traditional classrooms can be powerfully immersive and insightful. Take the 1929 Marx Brothers film The Cocoanuts and what it teaches about both the Great Depression and early sound films. The Marx Brothers are among the funniest comedy teams of all time. Four of their 13 films are on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 greatest American comedies ever made. For many contemporary viewers, though, "getting" the jokes is not always easy because the humor can be subjective and timebound. This work looks at the American past through the lens of the Marx Brothers' films and other projects. Each of the chapters focuses on a specific film, contextualizing the world at the time and how the Marx Brothers lampooned those subjects. Along the way, the book demonstrates what the Marx Brothers revealed about weighty topics like gambling, gender relations, immigration, medical care, Prohibition, race and war, all leavened with offbeat humor.
Download or read book American Legends written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-03-11 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures. *Includes the brothers' funniest quotes. *Includes a bibliography for further reading. "The world would not be in such a snarl, had Marx been Groucho instead of Karl." - Irving Berlin "I sent the club a wire stating, 'PLEASE ACCEPT MY RESIGNATION. I DON'T WANT TO BELONG TO ANY CLUB THAT WILL ACCEPT PEOPLE LIKE ME AS A MEMBER.'" - Groucho Marx A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors' American Legends series, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of America's most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known. When the American Film Institute ranked its top 50 screen legends of the 20th century, only one team of performers earned a collective spot: the Marx Brothers. Famous throughout the country for nearly half a century, several of the Marx Brothers performed together for over 40 years, and their nicknames - Groucho, Harpo, Chico, Gummo and Zeppo - are all well known today, especially Groucho. From the vaudeville stage to movie theaters, millions saw their performances, and the brothers became not only one of the most popular acts but the kind that paved the way for subsequent groups like The Three Stooges. As beloved and culturally significant as the Marx Brothers are, it is also important to acknowledge that the character they portrayed in their films were clearly personas, so one of the challenges of any close analysis of their lives involves digging past their performances and attempting to figure out what they were truly like as people. How much did the Groucho Marx audiences saw onscreen correspond with his offscreen personality, and where are the nuances and discrepancies that exist between the brothers' private and public selves? If anything, it's important to determine how their personas were actually shaped, a process that did not actually crystallize until Groucho was well into his adulthood. At the same time, the dynamic between the siblings, as well as the impact that their parents had on them, all necessarily influenced their careers. Analyzing these influences on their lives helps explain how the formation of the Marx Brothers was the result of a lengthy process, and just why no one could have justifiably predicted that they would achieve such fame and cultural status. American Legends: The Marx Brothers examines the lives and careers of one of America's most iconic performance teams. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Marx Brothers like never before, in no time at all.
Download or read book The Annotated Marx Brothers written by Matthew Coniam and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2015-02-12 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Have you ever watched a Marx Brothers film and wondered what "habeas Irish rose" is? What is the trial of Mary Dugan with sound? What is a college widow? When exactly did Don Ameche invent the telephone? Their films are full of such in-jokes and obscure theatrical, literary and topical references that can baffle modern audiences. In this viewer's guide to the Marx Brothers you will find the answer to such mysteries, along with an exhaustive compilation of background information, obscure trivia and even the occasional busted myth. Each of the Marx Brothers' 13 films is covered by a running commentary, with points in the film discussed as they appear. Each reference is listed by its running time, with time code given for both PAL and NTSC DVD. An introduction for neophytes and a resource for fanatics, this book is a travel guide to the rambling landscape of these remarkable comedies.
Download or read book The Life and Times of the Marx Brothers written by Ronald Bergan and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Monkey Business written by Simon Louvish and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2000-06-08 with total page 492 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Strange but true: this is the first authentic account of the Marx Brothers, their origins and of the roots of their comedy. First and foremost, this is the saga of a family whose theatrical roots stretch back to mid-19th century Germany. From Groucho Marx's first warblings with the singing Leroy Trio, this book brings to life the vanished world of America's wild and boisterous variety circuits, leading to the Marx Brothers' Broadway successes, and their alliance with New York's theatrical lions, George S. Kaufman and the 'Algonquin Round Table'. Never-before-published scripts, well-minted Marxian dialogue, and much madness and mayham feature in this tale of the Brothers' battles with Hollywood, their films, their loves and marriages, and the story of the forgotten brother Gummo.
Download or read book The Marx Brothers as Social Critics written by Martin A. Gardner and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2009-10-21 with total page 219 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Marx Brothers' films are packed with slapstick and obvious jokes, gags, puns, pratfalls, and mimicry. But beneath the laughs is a serious and biting condemnation of American culture. This book examines historical events, political practices, economic conditions, manners and customs, literary subjects, and popular entertainment as satirized in the films and considers the ways in which the films were relevant in their era and remain so today.
Download or read book The Great Depression in America 2 volumes written by William H. Young and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2007-03-30 with total page 717 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Everything from Amos n' Andy to zeppelins is included in this expansive two volume encyclopedia of popular culture during the Great Depression era. Two hundred entries explore the entertainments, amusements, and people of the United States during the difficult years of the 1930s. In spite of, or perhaps because of, such dire financial conditions, the worlds of art, fashion, film, literature, radio, music, sports, and theater pushed forward. Conditions of the times were often mirrored in the popular culture with songs such as Brother Can You Spare a Dime, breadlines and soup kitchens, homelessness, and prohibition and repeal. Icons of the era such as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, George and Ira Gershwin, Jean Harlow, Billie Holiday, the Marx Brothers, Roy Rogers, Frank Sinatra, and Shirley Temple entertained many. Dracula, Gone With the Wind, It Happened One Night, and Superman distracted others from their daily worries. Fads and games - chain letters, jigsaw puzzles, marathon dancing, miniature golf, Monopoly - amused some, while musicians often sang the blues. Nancy and William Young have written a work ideal for college and high school students as well as general readers looking for an overview of the popular culture of the 1930s. Art deco, big bands, Bonnie and Clyde, the Chicago's World Fair, Walt Disney, Duke Ellington, five-and-dimes, the Grand Ole Opry, the jitter-bug, Lindbergh kidnapping, Little Orphan Annie, the Olympics, operettas, quiz shows, Seabiscuit, vaudeville, westerns, and Your Hit Parade are just a sampling of the vast range of entries in this work. Reference features include an introductory essay providing an historical and cultural overview of the period, bibliography, and index.
Download or read book Coffee with Groucho written by Simon Louvish and published by Sterling Publishing Company. This book was released on 2007 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Meet Groucho Marx by a miracle of time travel. Sit back and enjoy his hilarious showbiz tales and his surreal flights of fantasy. A fictional dialogue based on biographical facts.
Download or read book Toys and American Culture written by Sharon M. Scott and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2009-12-09 with total page 536 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tracing developments in toy making and marketing across the evolving landscape of the 20th century, this encyclopedia is a comprehensive reference guide to America's most popular playthings and the culture to which they belong. From the origins of favorite playthings to their associations with events and activities, the study of a nation's toys reveals the hopes, goals, values, and priorities of its people. Toys have influenced the science, art, and religion of the United States, and have contributed to the development of business, politics, and medicine. Toys and American Culture: An Encyclopedia documents America's shifting cultural values as they are embedded within and transmitted by the nation's favorite playthings. Alphabetically arranged entries trace developments in toy making and toy marketing across the evolving landscape of 20th-century America. In addition to discussing the history of America's most influential toys, the book contains specific entries on the individuals, organizations, companies, and publications that gave shape to America's culture of play from 1900 to 2000. Toys from the two decades that frame the 20th century are also included, as bridges to the fascinating past—and the inspiring future—of American toys.
Download or read book The Complete Films of the Marx Brothers written by Allen Eyles and published by Carol Publishing Corporation. This book was released on 1992 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book My Life with Groucho written by Arthur Marx and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author shares his memories of his father and provides an overview of Groucho's career, his family life, and the turmoil of his final years.
Download or read book That s Me Groucho written by Matthew Coniam and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2016-08-04 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Groucho Marx's career as a solo performer began long before the Marx Brothers and lasted almost until the end of his life, with a series of controversial sold-out concerts in his eighties. In between came several films, numerous television and radio appearances, theater performances, dramatic acting and writing and his smash hit radio and TV quiz show You Bet Your Life (1947-1961). This first ever comprehensive study of his work without his famous brothers reveals a Groucho perhaps unfamiliar to the public. Driven to prove he was much more than just a comedian with a greasepaint (later real) mustache, Groucho always thought of himself as essentially a solo performer and strove for individual success in his professional life--and to balance (if not always successfully) his career with his family life. Many rare photographs are included, along with new and previously unpublished interviews.
Download or read book Alice Cooper and Groucho Marx written by Diane Paterson and published by . This book was released on 2019-05-18 with total page 86 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx, born on October 2nd, 1890, East 78th Street, Manhattan, New York City, U.S, was a comedian, writer, stage, film, radio, and TV star. A master of quick wit, he is widely regarded as one of America's all-time greatest comedians. Groucho made 13 feature films with his siblings the Marx Brothers, of whom he was the third-born. He also had a successful solo career, being best known as the host of the radio and TV game show You Bet Your Life.
Download or read book For Sale American Paradise written by Willie Drye and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2015-10-20 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the Independent Publisher Book Awards Silver Medal for Best Regional Nonfiction in the Southwest The story of how Florida became entwined with Americans’ 20th-century hopes, dreams, and expectations is also a tale of mass delusion, real estate collapses, and catastrophic hurricanes. The Fantasy of Florida hones in on the experiences of William Jennings Bryan and Edwin Menninger, the two men who shaped the image of Florida that we know today and who sold that image as America’s paradise. The cast of characters also includes the Marx Brothers, Thomas Edison, Al Capone, and Mark Twain. A tale of a colorful and tragicomic era during which the allure and illusion of the American Dream was on full display—a Jazz Age period when Americans started chasing what F. Scott Fitzgerald called “the orgiastic future”—the book reveals how the recent economic collapse in Florida is eerily similar to events that happened there between 1925 and 1928. What sets the mid-1920s’ Florida land boom apart from more recent booms-and-busts, however, is that this was the first modern boom, the first time that emerging new technologies, mass communications and modern advertising techniques were used to sell the nation on the notion that prosperity and happiness are simply there for the taking. Florida’s image as a place where the rules of everyday life don’t apply and winners go to play was formed during this dawn of the age of consumerism when Americans wanted to have fun and make lots of money, and millions of them thought Florida was the perfect place to do that.
Download or read book The Marx Brothers written by Wes D. Gehring and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 1987-07-28 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This bio-bibliography was designed to present a combined biographical, critical, and bibliographical portrait of the Marx Brothers. It examines their significance in film comedy in particular, and as popular culture figures in general. The book is divided into five sections, beginning with a biography which explores the public and private sides of the Marx Brothers. The second section is concerned with the influences of the Marx Brothers as icons of anti-establishment comedy, as contributors to developments in American comedy, as early examples of saturation comedy, and as a crucial link between silent films and the talkies. Three original articles, two by Groucho and one by Gummo, comprise part three. A bibliographical essay, which assesses key reference materials and research collections, is followed by two bibliographical checklists. Appendices containing a chronological biography with a timeline, a filmography, and a selected discography complete the work.
Download or read book The American Hebrew written by and published by . This book was released on 1926 with total page 22 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
