Philosophy
This week we have two Comedist celebrations. It was the anniversary of the birth of Marcel Marceau. We will honor him with the usual moment of silence...
(extra credit if you name the film he spoke in)
It is also the birthday of Leonard Marx, better known as Chico. On the evening when the brothers were playing poker and the nicknames were created, the thing that most stood out about Chico was his unrelenting pursuit of the chicks and thus "Chico" would be name henceforth.
Always the gambler, Chico would play with the money he made from the act. Sometimes he won huge amounts and would be very generous with his winnings; but as happens, he was often broke. Groucho was the financially conservative one in the family and invested in stocks, always saving his money. Whenever Chico was busted, he always knew to go to Groucho who would bail him out after a lecture...until 1929. When the stock market crashed, Groucho lost everything -- years of savings, a fortune wiped out. Despondent, he looked up to see Chico walking in after a VERY good night at the table. With an ironic lecture about looking after one's money, Chico bailed out Groucho.
The con-man aspect went beyond the gambling table, though. Chico was a very talented talented piano player before they were film stars, he would work evenings in bars playing for the customers. He would often double book himself in order to bring in more money for the family and get Harpo to fill in at one of the gigs -- out of costume they could pass for each other. The only problem was that Harpo only knew a couple of songs that he would play over and over and get them both fired.
On screen, Chico was best in rapid fire pun-trading with Groucho. A few of my favorites:
From Animal Crackers,
From Duck Soup,
My absolute favorite, from A Night At the Opera,
Live, love, and laugh
Irrevend Steve
- Groucho And Pure Jokes
My Fellow Comedists, I was unable to get this weekend's comedist post up in time, so let's do it today. This week marks the 50th anniversary of Groucho's last public performance. An aging Groucho was slipping into depression, so...
- T-shirts
My Fellow Comedists, TheWife and I took the kids up to Cooperstown this week and in the gift shop I saw an amazing t-shirt: T-shirts are a classic Comedist medium. My favorite was red with a black image of Groucho, Harpo and Chico with the caption, "Sure,...
- Feast Of Saint Zeppo
This week we commemorate the passing of Herbert Manfred Marx, best known as Zeppo. He is the Comedist version of Saint Jude. Often called the funniest of the Marx Brothers off-stage, in the act he was the straight man, always setting up the jokes, but...
- The Feast Of Saint Groucho
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists everywhere, This weekend brings us one of the holiest days on the Comedist calendar, the feast day of the one and only Saint Groucho. Born Julius Marx into a family connected with vaudeville and a neighbors...
- Comedist Festival Of The Ascention: The Captain Is A Very Moral Man
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere, This week we celebrate one of the holiest days of the year, the anniversary of the day Groucho took his place at the head table in Comedy heaven. We'll have more biographical details in a...
Philosophy
The Feasts of Saint Marcel and Saint Chico
This week we have two Comedist celebrations. It was the anniversary of the birth of Marcel Marceau. We will honor him with the usual moment of silence...
(extra credit if you name the film he spoke in)
It is also the birthday of Leonard Marx, better known as Chico. On the evening when the brothers were playing poker and the nicknames were created, the thing that most stood out about Chico was his unrelenting pursuit of the chicks and thus "Chico" would be name henceforth.
Always the gambler, Chico would play with the money he made from the act. Sometimes he won huge amounts and would be very generous with his winnings; but as happens, he was often broke. Groucho was the financially conservative one in the family and invested in stocks, always saving his money. Whenever Chico was busted, he always knew to go to Groucho who would bail him out after a lecture...until 1929. When the stock market crashed, Groucho lost everything -- years of savings, a fortune wiped out. Despondent, he looked up to see Chico walking in after a VERY good night at the table. With an ironic lecture about looking after one's money, Chico bailed out Groucho.
The con-man aspect went beyond the gambling table, though. Chico was a very talented talented piano player before they were film stars, he would work evenings in bars playing for the customers. He would often double book himself in order to bring in more money for the family and get Harpo to fill in at one of the gigs -- out of costume they could pass for each other. The only problem was that Harpo only knew a couple of songs that he would play over and over and get them both fired.
On screen, Chico was best in rapid fire pun-trading with Groucho. A few of my favorites:
From Animal Crackers,
Groucho: What do you get an hour?
Chico: For playing, we get-a ten dollars an hour.
Groucho: I see. What do you get for not playing?
Chico: Twelve dollars an hour. Now for rehearsing we make special rates. That's-a fifteen dollars an hour.
Groucho: And what do you get for not rehearsing?
Chico: You couldn't afford it. You see, if we don't rehearse, and if we don't-a play, that runs into money.
From Duck Soup,
Minister of Finance: We'll have to raise taxes.
Chico: Hey, I got an uncle who lives in taxes.
Minister: No I mean taxes, dollars.
Chico: That's where he lives, dollars, taxes.
My absolute favorite, from A Night At the Opera,
Chico: Hey, wait, wait. What does this say here, this thing a-here?
Groucho: Oh, that? Oh, that's the usual clause, that's in every contract. That just says if any of the parties participating in this contract are shown not to be in their right mind, the entire agreement is automatically nullified.
Chico: Well, I don't know...
Groucho: It's all right. That's in every contract. That's what they call a sanity clause.
Chico: Ha-ha-ha! You can't fool me. There ain't a-no Sanity Clause!
Live, love, and laugh
Irrevend Steve
- Groucho And Pure Jokes
My Fellow Comedists, I was unable to get this weekend's comedist post up in time, so let's do it today. This week marks the 50th anniversary of Groucho's last public performance. An aging Groucho was slipping into depression, so...
- T-shirts
My Fellow Comedists, TheWife and I took the kids up to Cooperstown this week and in the gift shop I saw an amazing t-shirt: T-shirts are a classic Comedist medium. My favorite was red with a black image of Groucho, Harpo and Chico with the caption, "Sure,...
- Feast Of Saint Zeppo
This week we commemorate the passing of Herbert Manfred Marx, best known as Zeppo. He is the Comedist version of Saint Jude. Often called the funniest of the Marx Brothers off-stage, in the act he was the straight man, always setting up the jokes, but...
- The Feast Of Saint Groucho
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists everywhere, This weekend brings us one of the holiest days on the Comedist calendar, the feast day of the one and only Saint Groucho. Born Julius Marx into a family connected with vaudeville and a neighbors...
- Comedist Festival Of The Ascention: The Captain Is A Very Moral Man
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere, This week we celebrate one of the holiest days of the year, the anniversary of the day Groucho took his place at the head table in Comedy heaven. We'll have more biographical details in a...