A Night at the Opera with the Marx Brothers

A Night at the Opera with the Marx Brothers

A different version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:

-              https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVa4_CsRStSBBDo4uJWT8BSWtTTn0N1E  and   http://realini.blogspot.ro/

One of the best comedies ever, advertised in the tag line as the best comedy ever

Some of the scenes from this hilarious film have stuck in my mind.

I have seen this comedy many years ago and saw it again yesterday.

It was still entertaining to see many people in one room...how many was it, thirty?:

Waiters, engineers, maids, I can't think who was missing.

And Groucho Marx, as the leader of the team formed with his brothers has a fabulous sense of humor.

Some of it is just repeating obsessively some words.

At the start, he introduces Mrs. Claypool to Mr. Gotlieb.

And he keeps saying:

-          Mr. Gotlieb

-          Mrs. Claypool

-          Mr. Gotlieb

-          Mrs. Claypool

And on and on, while bowing his head

Later on, he summons a waiter to get some food...

I am sorry, not some food, but all the food on the ship

-          Ok, so give me some eggs, ham, cheese...one boiled egg

-          And two boiled eggs - adds one of the brothers- Harpo or more likely Chico

-          Make that three boiled eggs

-          And then stakes

-          And two boiled eggs

The list is getting longer with various items, and every time Groucho adds to the order there is a shout

-          And two boiled eggs

In the end, there might be forty two boiled eggs and food for all the Roman Senate.

When he has to tip the man who brought the luggage, he asks

-          Do you have two five dollar bills?

-          Yes

-          Then you don't need the ten cents I was going to give you

Mind you, dollars had a different value back then.

Groucho Marx was famous for his sense of humor.

When I worked in the tourism business, offering tours around the country, I used a Groucho Marx joke for the end of the trip...

I hope you will not say as Groucho Marx, as he went out of a soirée, a party.

When his host saw him out, she asked:

-          Did you have a good time?

-          Yes, I had a great time, only not this time

Was the answer.

With his dry humor, he is known to have said:

-          I don't want to belong to any club that would have me as a member.

In A Night at the Opera, almost every other line is funny and the humor is different.

From the confusing change of beds, chairs and furniture when they are chased, to the establishment of a partnership.

Groucho and his brother Chico, their respective characters of course, intend to go through a contract for the tenor who would sing at the opera...

Otis B. Driftwood: Now pay particular attention to this first clause because it's most important. It says the, uh..."The party of the first part shall be known in this contract as the party of the first part." How do you like that? That's pretty neat, eh?

Fiorello: No, that's no good.

Otis B. Driftwood: What's the matter with it?

Fiorello: I dunno. Let's hear it again.

Otis B. Driftwood: It says the, uh..."The party of the first part shall be known in this contract as the party of the first part."

Fiorello: That sounds a little better this time.

Otis B. Driftwood: Well, it grows on you. Would you like to hear it once more?

Fiorello: Er... just the first part.

Otis B. Driftwood: What do you mean? The... the party of the first part?

Fiorello: No, the first part of the party of the first part.

Otis B. Driftwood: All right. It says the, uh, "The first part of the party of the first part shall be known in this contract as the first part of the party of the first part shall be known in this contract..." look, why should we quarrel about a thing like this? We'll take it right out, eh?

Fabulous comedy