The Marx Brothers Council Podcast

With the imminent arrival of Susan Marx’s memoir, “Speaking of Harpo”, it’s the perfect time to celebrate the (not) mute, (not) red-haired, (not) second-born, (not) Adolph Marx. Noah leads an examination of both the man and character, including the invaluable “Harpo Speaks”. We look at the evolution of his stage and screen persona, speculate if Harpo could have succeeded on his own, and explore th...

Not a fan of the Marx Brothers' “Go West”? Wish it had been written by the guys behind “Duck Soup”? Well, that was the original plan. Acclaimed screenwriter Scott Alexander returns to help us examine the film’s early scripts, as penned by the legendary team of Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. Groucho as a leering divorce lawyer, Chico as a phony fortune teller, Harpo chasing women and actually acting l...

WARNING: The following podcast contains explicit descriptions of subpar screenwriting, overwrought direction, and all-around lousy filmmaking. ———————————————— Admittedly not our favorite Marx Brothers film, but one we sure had fun talking about. We explore whether the problem is the material or just our expectations. We ask if the road tour actually helped, why they switched Dan Wilsons, and how...

If you prefer your film history told alphabetically, then this is the episode for you! Glenn Mitchell, author of The Marx Brothers Encyclopedia, as well as similar volumes on Laurel & Hardy and Charlie Chaplin, joins us to not only tell the story of his fact-based books, but also grace us with some actual opinions. We learn his favorite Marx films, his least favorites, and the one he likes but can...

We are joined by self-proclaimed Muppet geek and co-host of the “Movin’ Right Along” podcast, Anthony Strand, for a look at two of Groucho’s solo efforts, “Double Dynamite” and “A Girl in Every Port. Despite the episode’s title, we think these films are just fine…where else can you see the world’s greatest comedian and the world’s greatest singer do a duet on a treadmill, or watch the dad from “Ha...

A supersized deep dive into “You Bet Your Life.” First, Marx Brotherhood founder Jay Hopkins joins us to talk about the origins of the series, its unique and sometimes controversial way of production, and how Groucho wanted and needed to evolve from his screen persona. We also discuss the show’s most famous moment…which likely didn’t happen at all. Later, we are treated to a never-before-heard int...

Two Jews and an Brit celebrate Christmas and ring in the new year with our Marx Brothers hot takes! We like a film that most don’t, dis a famous artist, and suggest changes that will make you dance barefoot in our lemonade. And as a special treat, Noah tells how he risked his sanity and marriage to prepare for this episode. So, if you want to hear well-developed opinions combined with half-baked i...

Adam Gopnik, New Yorker writer and editor of “S.J. Perelman: Writings” joins us for an exhaustive look at the Marx Brothers’ 1932 classic, “Horse Feathers.” Adam discusses Perelman’s influence and tries to pinpoint his specific lines, Noah is skeptical that “Horse Feathers” owes anything to the brothers’ vaudeville school act, Matthew keeps track of the differences between the film and shooting sc...

Renowned film writer Nell Minow joins us to discuss her longtime love affair with the Marxes, her first-hand encounters with two of the brothers, her famous dad’s round of golf with another, and her grandmother’s friendship with two of their spouses! Nell also details the origin and mission of her “Movie Mom” franchise , and discusses the difficulty in getting young people to watch and appreciate...

This month, we take a deep dive into Richard J. Anobile’s controversial work from 1973, “The Marx Brothers Scrapbook”. Joining us is performer/writer/director Nick Santa Maria, who (like Bob) got the book when it first came out, has some deep insight, and (like Groucho) eye-opening opinions. We examine Groucho’s shocking and explicit comments, his mindset, and inconsistent cooperation. We discuss...

And now for something completely different... We are joined by educator Hannah Mira, who details her fascinating story of screening Marx Brothers (and other classic) films for incarcerated teenagers, and their surprisingly positive response. A lifelong Marx fan, Hannah uses the brothers’ antics not only as entertainment, but as a springboard to introspection. We learn what the most popular gags an...

We are honored to welcome Steve Stoliar, author of the iconic “Raised Eyebrows: My Years Inside Groucho’s House”. Outspoken as ever, Steve is as entertaining as he is candid. But what do you ask a guy who’s been interviewed on just about every podcast known to man (including ours)? Well, we didn’t know either, so we farmed the questions out to our loyal listeners. Steve updates us on the “Raised E...

A look at the Marx Brothers final film, 1949's "Love Happy"... The brothers search for jewels as we search for laughs…and though it’s not top-tier Marx, there is still plenty to enjoy as well as plenty to ponder. Matthew tells how Chico agreed to appear in a Harpo solo film before Harpo did, Noah is baffled by how the jewels got into a sealed sardine can, and Bob goes off on Marilyn Monroe. You’ll...

You want to see Groucho as an over-protective father, Harpo hiding in a Coke machine, or Chico trying to pass himself off as Harpo? Well, you’ve come to the right place as we dissect Shout Factory’s DVD set featuring Marx TV appearances from the ‘50s thru the ‘70s. We uncover the many treasures, failures, and sublime moments this collection offers to Marx fans, including Groucho’s rebooting of You...

ACTOR AND VOICE ARTIST EDDIE DEEZEN (GREASE, 1941, WAR GAMES) JOINS US FOR AN INDESCRIBABLE 90 MINUTES OF FREE WHEELING AND POTENTIALLY LITIGIOUS TALK ABOUT THE MARX BROTHERS. EDDIE RANKS THE MARX FILMS, OBSESSES ON CHICO’S SEXUAL PROWESS, AND GENERALLY TRIES TO STEER THE CONVERSATION TOWARDS THE BEATLES, MARTIN & LEWIS, AND THREE STOOGES WHENEVER POSSIBLE. EDDIE’S UNIQUE TAKE ON THE BROTHERS, PLU...

An addendum to our “A Night in Casablanca” deep dive (episode 33), Joe Adamson, author of “Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Sometimes Zeppo”, joins us for a further look. Comparing the finished film to the original script and studio call sheets, Joe theorizes on why changes were made, tantalizes us with scenes which didn’t make the cut, and even mourns a few moments that remain. Not joining us for this e...

Noted screenwriter and Marx devotee Scott Alexander returns, this time for a deep dive into “The Howl Raiser of 1946”, A Night in Casablanca. The Marxes' screen comeback after five years was a triumph both artistically and financially, though not really appreciated until recent decades. With sharper writing and surprising moments of surrealism, it almost feels like a return to Paramount…but, as we...

Our deep dive into 1972’s "An Evening With Groucho" LP, and his historic, yet bittersweet, performance at Carnegie Hall. To be frank, we’re as conflicted about this as you probably are…Groucho finally gets the late-in-life showcase he craved and obviously deserved, but perhaps a bit too late for him to take full advantage of. We point out the triumphs, tragedies, and missed opportunities that Grou...

Imagine a Marx Brothers-like film in 1992, now imagine a really good Marx Brothers-like film in 1992…well, imagine no longer because such a movie actually exists, "Brain Donors". Created by the team behind "Airplane!" and "The Naked Gun", "Brain Donors" achieved everything it set out to do…except find an audience. To explain why, we are joined by producer David Zucker and screenwriter Pat Proft, b...

A holiday extravaganza because we say it is! Actor/writer Nick Santa Maria returns for an examination of the Marxes’ two principal writing teams, George S. Kaufman & Morrie Ryskind, and Bert Kalmar & Harry Ruby. We compare their styles and strengths, and go off on numerous unrelated tangents. But first, we detour to Kalmar & Ruby’s original vision for the finale of “A Night at the Opera”, featurin...

In our NEW longest episode yet, we welcome Groucho’s grandson, Andy Marx, for a deep dive into “A Night at the Opera”, and a whole lot more… Andy recalls growing up with Groucho during the time he went from being a game show host to a legend. We learn about his curious connection to rock stars and speculate on his politics. We also hear about Andy’s other famous grandfather. Finally (at 28:40), we...

In our longest episode yet, we barely scratch the surface while talking to archivist John Tefteller. John has spent more than four decades accumulating rare Marx Brothers audio, and is producing a collection of the long-lost radio series “Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel”. John details how, as a high school sophomore, he was hired to be Groucho’s personal recording engineer and archivist. His storie...

In our final trip into the vault, we are treated to Jay’s never-before-heard 1984 chat with writer Nat Perrin. Perrin talks about his 50 year association with the Marxes, from contributing gags to “Monkey Business” all the way to Erin Fleming’s legal challenge to Groucho’s estate. You’ll hear about Nat’s work on the “Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel” radio series, and his later contributions to “Go...