The Marx Brothersas Social Critics

Satire and ComicNihilism in Their Films

MARTIN A. GARDNER

McFarland & Company, Inc., PublishersJefferson, North Carolina, and London

The photographs used in this book are from Photofest

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Gardner, Martin A.The Marx Brothers as social critics : satire and comic nihilism

in their films / Martin A. Gardner.p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-7864-3942-3

softcover : 50# alkaline paper

1. Marx Brothers. 2. Comedy films—United States—Historyand criticism. I. Title.PN2297.M3G37 2009791.4302'8092273—dc22 2009023169

British Library cataloguing data are available

©2009 Martin A. Gardner. All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any formor by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopyingor recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,without permission in writing from the publisher.

On the cover: The Marx Brothers in the 1930s—(clockwise fromupper left) Zeppo, Groucho, Harpo and Chico (Photofest)

Manufactured in the United States of America

McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers

Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640

www.mcfarlandpub.com

Contents

Preface 1

1. An Indifferent World 5

2. Triumphs, Tryouts, and Turkeys: The Film Career 15

3. The Writers 27

4. You Can Get Stucco 40

5. Is It Swordfish? 54

6. The Seven-Cent Nickel 63

7. A Job in the Mint 72

8. A Standing Army 80

9. Dear Old Ivy 89

10. A Coed with Two Pair of Pants 97

11. The Whole Wig 102

12. It’s Tough on My Suspenders 113

13. Three Hardboiled Eggs 119

14. Ice Water in 318 127

15. The Main Hungerdunger 136

16. Grand Slam 145

17. A Very Strange Interlude 152

v

18. A Brace of Woodpeckers 164

19. Upside Down 171

20. Whim Wham 174

Appendix: Credits of the Films Discussed 185

Chapter Notes 189

Bibliography 199

Index 209

vi Contents