Even though I had seen 90% of the Marx Brother's films before watching this it was still great to watch. This was first video showed in my Cinema studies class covering the life and works of the Marx Brothers. I was pleasantly surprised to see that instead of addressing the brothers as a whole each brother was described in detail both on camera and off. This is an amazing documentary that clearly shows how the Marx Brothers affected other great comedians such as Woody Allen and Dick Cavett, as well as the impact they have had on a variety of generations. If you ever wanted to know what kind of fast pace intelligent humor you were getting into this would make a great introduction.
3 Reviews
A beautiful explanation of why the Marxes matter
dbborroughs24 December 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Excellent biography/appreciation of the Brother Marx that clearly shows why they were and are so popular. This is a really good film that nicely balances information on the lives and times of the fellows and managing to show us what they do best. To be certain the film isn't a fact filled march through the lives of all concerned, its an over view that beautifully lays out everything you need to know to have a working knowledge of the the brothers. Best of all the film shows some excellent highlights from their films that not only give you a taste of their madness but also manages to make you want to go out and see the whole films.
If you want to know how good this is, the producers also made a documentary on WC Fields called WC Fields Straight up which is essentially the same thing for Fields, however it doesn't work as well since the biographical material is too scant and poorly handled and the clips chosen are either too brief or aren't the best at revealing why Fields was so popular in his day. A better way to know this is a great film is that I will put this on when I feel like seeing Marx madness but don't know which film to watch. A must see for any comedy fan
If you want to know how good this is, the producers also made a documentary on WC Fields called WC Fields Straight up which is essentially the same thing for Fields, however it doesn't work as well since the biographical material is too scant and poorly handled and the clips chosen are either too brief or aren't the best at revealing why Fields was so popular in his day. A better way to know this is a great film is that I will put this on when I feel like seeing Marx madness but don't know which film to watch. A must see for any comedy fan
A neat documentary on why we laugh outloud with those silly Marx boys!
boris-2620 November 2001
THE MARX BROTHERS IN A NUTSHELL is prime viewing for a Marx Brothers fan. It does take the expected route of tracing the origins of the Marxes, from their early days in the New York/Coney Island vaudeville circuit almost a hundred years ago, onto Broadway in the 1920's and finally Hollywood. There are great "chapters" on each brother, including the never filmed Gummo. These insightful chapters give facts such as straight man Zeppo was considered the funniest Marx Brother (He's actually hysterical in ANIMAL CRACKERS) Chico had a gambling problem, and Harpo was a loving family man. There are great film clips, including a seldon seen 1931 short they did at Paramount where the Marxes menace a helpless talent scout. The perfect film to see after HORSEFEATHERS or DUCK SOUP.
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