Favorite Films (lists up to participating site members)

[lynn cates]

business pursuits

Hello Jeff, Steadmund. My understanding is that Gummo eventually went to work for the Wrigley company and Zeppo to some lighter fluid company or other.

Any truth to this? (heh-heh)

Cheers.
LC

[Howard Brown]

Before leaving this subject I should add that there was a BBC series about Hollywood's history in the period from 1905-1930 in like ten episodes that James Mason narrated which was excellent in discussing many leading figures who rose (and frequently fell) in public esteem.
-Jeff Bloomfield-

Buddy, there were 13 episodes....here's a link to where the 12 of them may be found :
https://www.youtube.com/user/jamon2112/videos
Happy Holidays, Jeff.


Hollywood
Narrated by James Mason
Written & Directed By Gill & Brownlow
1980

[Mayerling]

Hello Jeff, Steadmund. My understanding is that Gummo eventually went to work for the Wrigley company and Zeppo to some lighter fluid company or other.

Any truth to this? (heh-heh)

Cheers.
LC

Hi LC

Gummo (whose name was based on the "gum Arabic" soled shoes he wore on stage when all five brothers were in their act, left early and just became a businessman (not with Wrigley, Bazooka Joe, Adams, etc - hahaha). Zeppo had a curious problem. He only once demonstrated his real abilities as a member of the group on stage - he was Groucho's understudy on Broadway, and when Groucho was ordered (due to his nerves) to take a month off, the part was filled by Zeppo. At the end of the month Groucho was ready to resume, and found that management told him to take some more time off. Curious, he secretly went to see the show (The Cocoanuts) and discovered the audience in stitches - they loved Zeppo. Groucho came back the next day.

It seems he wasn't missed because Zeppo's sense of real humor was as witty and caustic as Groucho's. This resulted in what many viewers of the brothers (to this day) still say - that Zeppo was always the most boring of the brothers. It wasn't fair. For him to have been given equal time as Harpo and Chico were, he'd have been in competition for the type that Groucho played. You could not have had two Grouchos. Zeppo was treated as Groucho's adjunct (his secretary) and was given romantic parts (most notably in Monkey Business). After Duck Soup he had it. Zeppo decided to become an agent, and he negotiated the wonderful deal (giving them a percentage of the gross, not the net profits) that the brothers had when they signed on with MGM for A Night At the Opera and A Day At the Races.
He proved to be a very successful agent. Zeppo's name, by the way, was based on the fascination of the public with zeppelins from the time of his birth (about 1901 I think) until their films with Paramount ended (1933).

Jeff

[Mayerling]

Before leaving this subject I should add that there was a BBC series about Hollywood's history in the period from 1905-1930 in like ten episodes that James Mason narrated which was excellent in discussing many leading figures who rose (and frequently fell) in public esteem.
-Jeff Bloomfield-

Buddy, there were 13 episodes....here's a link to where the 12 of them may be found :
https://www.youtube.com/user/jamon2112/videos
Happy Holidays, Jeff.


Hollywood
Narrated by James Mason
Written & Directed By Gill & Brownlow
1980

Merry Christmas Howard,

Thanks for the correction and that link.

Come on back - we haven't gotten into films about the American Civil War which I have been thinking of listing.

Jeff

[GUT]

Hello Jeff, Steadmund. My understanding is that Gummo eventually went to work for the Wrigley company and Zeppo to some lighter fluid company or other.

Any truth to this? (heh-heh)

Cheers.
LC

G'day Lynn

I know that this is saying a lot BUT:

That may well be your worst ever. haa-haa

[Cogidubnus]

It is indeed saying a lot Geoff...

[lynn cates]

Karl

Hello Jeff. Thanks for this information on the "forgotten" brothers.

Of course, Karl was the most overlooked of all. (heh-heh)

Cheers.
LC

[lynn cates]

worse

Hello GUT. Thanks.

Ah! but it gets worse. (heh-heh)

Cheers.
LC

[GUT]

Hello GUT. Thanks.

Ah! but it gets worse. (heh-heh)

Cheers.
LC

Is that possible????

[Mayerling]

Hello Jeff. Thanks for this information on the "forgotten" brothers.

Of course, Karl was the most overlooked of all. (heh-heh)

Cheers.
LC

It's hard to think that Karl's theoretical monkey business on economics would possibly be threatening the democracy of Fredonia in the post 1945 Eastern European world.

Jeff

[Steadmund Brand]

Hello Jeff, Steadmund. My understanding is that Gummo eventually went to work for the Wrigley company and Zeppo to some lighter fluid company or other.

Any truth to this? (heh-heh)

Cheers.
LC

Wow...those are BAD jokes... I love them!!!!!

Steadmund Brand--

[Steadmund Brand]

By the way Gummo (Milton) Marx left the act back in the vaudeville days, joined the Army, became a Colonel and retired from the army in the early 1950's, then he went to work with Zeppo as an agent, after that he represented Groucho in his late solo career and he developed the television version of " The Life of Riley"

Zeppo (Herbert) Marx was an interesting character, not only was he part of the team for their best films (the Paramount films).. he became the agent (with Gummo) for their biggest contract (the first MGM deal) and he became VERY rich outside of showbiz as an engineer and inventor (he invented the wristwatch that monitors your pulse rate.. seriously he did) and he was married to Barbara Blakeley.. who after divorcing Zeppo became the wife of Frank Sinatra....He was also the last surviving Marx Brother.

Steadmund Brand

[lynn cates]

Master the possibilities.

Hello GUT. Thanks.

Quite possible. (heh-heh)

Cheers.
LC

[lynn cates]

Once 'pun a time.

Hello Jeff. Thanks.

Actually, I have been Lenin toward that point of view myself. (heh-heh)

Cheers.
LC

[GUT]

Hello Jeff. Thanks.

Actually, I have been Lenin toward that point of view myself. (heh-heh)

Cheers.
LC

I think that you're just Stalin for time.