– Paramount Movie Parade – The Marx Brothers In Duck Soup – 1933 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
The Marx Brothers; four at the time and later three – The Marx Brothers were an institution that continued keeping the world laughing long after their last film was completed.
In the 1930s we were in the midst of a Depression – America needed something to ease the pain, take the collective mind off things, see there was still humor to be had even in the darkest of times.
The Marx Brothers were in the right place at the right time. Sure, there were other comedy teams during the ’30s – most came up from the Vaudeville Theatre circuit and all earned their rightful place in keeping America in stitches. But the Marx Brothers were different; wholesale insanity mixed with delirious physicality and rapid-fire innuendos on a group level – it was the most wonderful display of madness that Hollywood managed to capture on film – and there were four of them*.
This radio version of Duck Soup marks the premier of what was a new idea for Hollywood; capturing and distilling in the space of 15 minutes a newly released film – offering a preview of coming attractions, as it were, to the radio audience. In 1933 Radio was just beginning to come into its own; a free medium that came into America’s living room, grabbing attention and capturing imaginations – the perfect antidote for imperfect times. The Paramount Movie Parade was only one of several studios diving into Radio for exposure.
Fans of the Marx Brothers no doubt have this – Marx Brothers collectors are ravenous and most have every utterance and appearance ever made. But if you aren’t familiar, maybe don’t know about The Marx Brothers – never saw their films, this might give you a slight idea of what you’re missing.
Comedy is a lot different now – it was insane then and it had the gift of healing.
Enjoy.
* not to give you the idea there were no comedy teams aside from the Marx Brothers – let’s don’t forget The Ritz Brothers, Olsen & Johnson, Laurel & Hardy, The Three Stooges – the list is endless.
