Duck Soup)

Starring:Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Zeppo Marx, Lillian Roth, Margaret Dumont, Louis Sorin, Hal Thompson, Margaret Irving, Kathryn Reece, Robert Greig, Edward Metcalf, Ann Roth (II), Donald MacBride, Robert Allen, Oscar Shaw
Director: Victor Heerman, Robert Florey, Joseph Santley
Studio: Universal Studios
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com essential video
There will be a debate of which 2004 DVD collection of Marx Brothers films was better. This Universal release of the better known Paramount-produced films are the only ones starring all four brothers: Groucho, Chico, Harpo, and Zeppo. The Warner collection contains less-vital films, but is loaded with extras and commentaries. The Universal collection contains only 20 minutes of interviews from NBC's Today Show--interesting but short--with Harpo, Groucho, and Harpo's son Bill from the '60s and '70s. All of the films in this collection were released on DVD by Image Entertainment in 2000 and the prints look the same, which isn't necessarily bad; one just wishes a major restoration had been undertaken.

Amazon.com essential video

There will be a debate of which 2004 DVD collection of Marx Brothers films was better. This Universal release of the better known Paramount-produced films are the only ones starring all four brothers: Groucho, Chico, Harpo, and Zeppo. The Warner collection contains less-vital films, but is loaded with extras and commentaries. The Universal collection contains only 20 minutes of interviews from NBC's Today Show--interesting but short--with Harpo, Groucho, and Harpo's son Bill from the '60s and '70s. All of the films in this collection were released on DVD by Image Entertainment in 2000 and the prints look the same, which isn't necessarily bad; one just wishes a major restoration had been undertaken.

The films--packaged handsomely with a booklet--are essential Marx Brothers, their first five films made from 1929 to 1933. The least timeless is their first, The Cocoanuts, based on their Broadway hit. The film--one of the first full talkies--takes place in a hotel with owner Groucho out to grab every dollar. Animal Crackers is the brothers' first classic, a lickety-split comedy about an art theft being investigated by Groucho's alter-image, Captain Spaulding. For introducing youngsters to the work of Marx, Monkey Business is the best way. The shenanigans start right at the start as the brothers stowaway on a luxury liner. It's their first film that wasn't based on a play, as they endeavored to find new material. Horse Feathers gave them more fertile ground plus a sure-fire Hollywood director at the helm (Norman McLeoad). Their fantasia of college life includes the riotous football-game finale. Music, always a key part of their plays and films is given more weight here and includes Groucho's theme, "I'm Against It." Music is again key as the musicals of the era are spoofed in the brothers' undisputed masterpiece, Duck Soup. From a land called Fredonia, Groucho plays a slapdash ruler who rewrites the rules of governing, leading to a most memorable war with Sylvania (so war gets lampooned. too). Duck Soup also boasts the most famous Marx brothers sketch: Groucho trying to fool his mirror. --Doug Thomas

Description

Celebrate the 75th anniversary of the greatest comedy act in history with The Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection. This essential DVD set features the legendary four Marx Brothers in five of their most acclaimed and best loved films - Duck Soup, Horse Feathers, Monkey Business, Animal Crackers and The Cocoanuts - the only five movies ever made with all four brothers together: Groucho, Chico, Harpo and Zeppo!

Customer Reviews:

Marx.......2007-07-02

These movies prove that you dont have to get hit to be funny. I always love to see Grucho on the screen. He talks so fast and his sexual innuendos are so funny that I cant believe they never got banned. Harpo and Chico always do a good job together. Zeppo...anyways, the only downside to the set is the speical features. The bonus disc is a joke. The transfer of the films to me seems fine, maybe because ive watched so many comedys from that era. I know some people complained about it. These movies are well worth buying but dont expect anyone to get hit with a hammer.

Marx Brothers Collection.......2007-06-21

Still one of the funniest vaudeville acts ever to grace stage, television, or silver screen, The Marx Brothers pioneered an antic, anarchic style of gut-busting entertainment that left audiences of the 1930s howling with delight. Even today, the hilarious mix of song-and-dance routines like "The Monkey Doodle-Do" and "Shirt Song"--accompanied, of course, by Harpo's harp, Groucho's guitar, and Chico's expert ivory-tinkling--combined with the sheer nuthouse fervor of their adventures simply dazzle. In fact, "Duck Soup" was a political farce so extreme that Mussolini banned it . This "Silver Screen" set collects the Brothers' early, outré Paramount outings, the only films where all four funnymen appeared together. Will social satire ever be this goofy again?

The first 5 Marx Brothers Movies.......2007-05-27

This set contains the first 5 Marx Brothers movies - all done in the 1929-33period- one a year. All 5 contain Zeppo, which is a good thing because once Zeppo was let go, they'd always have a Zeppo=like character. All 5 movies, including Cocoanuts, contain a great deal of laughs.
Not that their next 2 films "Night at the Opera" and "Day at the Races" weren't great, but these are easily among the group's best. The later films concentrated a little too much on big production song and dance numbers- these are unfiltered Marx Brothers. Great support here from Margaret Dumont and Thelma Todd also. Watch these movies and you too will become a Marxist!

The four Marx brothers.......2007-05-12

After all these years they are still better then most modern comedies. I really enjoyed watching these old films I haven't seen them in a long time so it was a great treat. Its a great set to have and if you say comedy is your favorite genre this is a must. The only bad part of this set is the special features. In the special features it shows Groucho and Harpo on the today show doing a little interview then it goes into the 70's with Harpo's son on. They were fun to watch, but for a box set like this it should have had much more.

Great movies, OK box set.......2007-04-23

Definitely great movies deserving of five stars and more! These are the Marx Brothers' best films, including the great Duck Soup. Having read other customer reviews about how Universal "slapped" this set together, however, I was surprised how classy the presentation is on the surface. There is a nice booklet and an extras disc. What were they talking about? Well, the extras really are kind of lame. I mean, they are great, but they really have nothing to do with the films, and they are short -- just interview footage from much later. And truth be told, I didn't get any new information out of the booklet, either. So, if you are optimistic Universal will take another stab at this and invest more in remastering and providing extras that mean something, you might want to wait. I felt it was time for me to have these movies, and I couldn't find any evidence a new version would be forthcoming. I am not disappointed I bought this box set, which has some of the best comedies ever filmed. But Universal definitely did not go the extra mile. "Jamison, take a letter to my lawyer..."

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