Word: harpo
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Dates: during 1930-1939
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...Brown in his latest smash; the boy with the mouth is cast as a gob, and manages to disorganize the personnel of at least one battleship and one admiral's country home. He has developed a penchant for the important sex which would do credit to a disciple of Harpo Marx'; he becomes a boxer for is day; and he winds up under bomb fire on a condemned ship. The film, then, is not without action, and not without comedy relief. It is excellent entertainment. Lack of space precludes any remarks on the other picture, "Cradle Song...
...helping plan the musicales. Mrs. Harding, whose favorite piece was "The End of a Perfect Day," was less interested. Mrs. Coolidge, who plays the piano a bit herself, liked Rachmaninoff and Violinist Albert Spalding. Mrs. Hoover's favorite musician was Harpist Mildred Dilling, whose most famed pupil is Harpo Marx...
Duck Soup (Paramount). Any country governed by Groucho Marx would likely become a shambles. Freedonia,* the scene of this picture, has Groucho for dictator, Brother Zeppo for his secretary. Freedonia's collapse is only delayed by Brothers Chico and Harpo as spies for a rival principality. Groucho is engaged simultaneously in making love to and insulting the richest lady in Freedonia. He is also doing his best to foment war by abusing Ambassador Trentino (Louis Calhern) of Sylvania who makes the mistake of hiring Chico and Harpo. They enter his office armed to the teeth with alarm clocks, scissors...
With more plot and fewer girls than most Marx Brothers comedies, Duck Soup has the disadvantage of adding nothing to vary the essential technique of their efforts. It exhibits Chico & Zeppo as usual, Groucho less flatteringly than in Horsefeathers. Admirers of Harpo should be particularly pleased with his horrid actions in Duck Soup. He carries a plumber's blow torch for a cigaret lighter, conducts a wordless telephone conversation by means of horns and bells, irritates a lemonade vendor by doing sleight-of-hand with his straw hat. Good shot: Harpo, impersonating Groucho in order to steal "war plans...
...cracked the Marxes: "Your excellency: Our advice is that you change the name of your town. It is hurting our picture. Anyhow, what makes you think you are Mayor of Fredonia? Do you wear a black moustache, play the harp, speak with an Italian accent or chase girls like Harpo? We are certain you do not. Therefore we must be Mayor of Fredonia, not you. The old gray Mayor ain't what he used...