More Marx

 

 (imdb)

HORSE FEATHERS-1932-Fourth zany Marx Brothers comedy takes place in Huxley college where Professor Wagstaff (Groucho) has just become president. (“I'm against it”) He's concerned because his son (Zeppo!) is hanging out with a college widow (Thelma Todd in her second Marx outing) and Huxley hasn't won a losing football team. From the urging of his son, he tries to recruit 2 football players (Nat Pendelton & James Pierce) from a speakeasy and winds up with Harpo and Chico. Uproarious, hysterical football game is the highlight.

 Also with Richard Landau,Bobby Barber, Vince Barnett and Syd Saylor but unfortunately no Margaret Dumont. 

This is director Norman Z. McLeod follow up to the Marx Brothers last film, the equally hilarious MONKEY BUSINESS. Writers on his included Harry Ruby, Bert Kalmar and SJ Perelman.

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Harpo, Groucho, Chico and Zeppo

 

MONKEY BUSINESS-1931-This, the third Marx brothers movie is a hilarious chaotic comedy set partially aboard a steamship. The 4 brothers are stowaways (first seen in barrels singing “Sweet Adeline”) trying to avoid the captain (Eddie Baker), his first mate (Tom Kennedy) & crew while crossing paths with 2 feuding gangsters Alky Briggs (Harry Wood) and Joe Helton (Rockcliffe Fellowes). Zeppo hooks up with  Helton’s daughter, Mary (Ruth Hall). Groucho tries romancing Briggs’ wife (Thelma Todd) several times. Somehow Briggs winds up using Groucho and Zeppo as part of his gang! And then Helton hires Harpo and Chico as bodyguards! After they get off the boat, Helton throws a huge party where Briggs has Mary kidnapped and the brothers go into action! Bess Flowers, Bobby Barber and Billy Barty (as a kid) all have uncredited roles. 

Norman Z. McLeod also directed the brothers in HORSE FEATHERS the next year. He later directed many other comedy stars like WC Fields, Bob Hope, Harold Lloyd, Danny Kaye and did the “Topper” series.

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Stan & Ollie

 

 (imdb)

CHICKENS COME HOME-1931-The owner of a fertilizer company Mr. Hardy (Oliver Hardy) sees his political career jeopardized by an old flame (uncredited Mae Busch). He sends his general manager, Mr. Laurel (Stan Laurel) to stall while he has a dinner engagement with his wife (uncredited Thelma Todd). Stan tries to stop the woman from going to Hardy's house. An old biddy tells Stan's wife (Norma Drew) he's fooling around. Mrs. Laurel goes after him with an axe. James Finlayson plays Hardy's butler. Pretty hysterical Laurel & Hardy short.

Director James W. Horne had worked with the team before and would direct them again in THE BOHEMINAN GIRL and WAY OUT WEST. Later he directed several serials.

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Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy

 

ANOTHER FINE MESS-1930-In this Hal Roach short Laurel and Hardy escape a policeman by hiding in a mansion owned by Lord Buckshot (perennial L & H fall guy James Finlayson) who leaves on a hunting trip in South Africa. His maid and butler also leave. When Lord Plumtree (Charles K. Gerrald) and his wife (Thelma Todd) arrive to rent the place Ollie impersonates Buckshot and Stan becomes the maid. After several mishaps the real Buckshot returns unexpectedly and the duo wind up dressed in a lion's costume riding a two seat bicycle being shot at by the police! 

MESS was directed by James Parrot (brother of Charley Chase) and the titles are read by twin sisters (The Crane sisters) instead of written out. It's a remake of a once thought to be lost L & H silent DUCK SOUP (the first film with them as an “official” team) based on a play written by Stan's father.

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After "It"

CALL HER SAVAGE-(1932)-This is a must see early talkie pre-code drama featuring former silent star Clara Bow (The "It" Girl of the '20's) in her second to last movie. Although like a lot of early talkies this suffers from the stilted acting of the supporting cast, Bow carries the whole thing with her stand-out performance!



Bow plays Nasa "Dynamite" Springer, the spoiled daughter of a rich Texan who's real father is the "half Breed" Indian Moonglow (Gilbert Roland who in in real life was actually Mexician). After rejecting a rich suitor hand picked by her father (Willard Robertson) she marries her sleazy boyfriend (Monroe Owsley) who dumps her for the equally trashy Sunny (Thelma Todd, who had been in 2 Marx Bros. around the same time). Nasa lives wild life on her husband's money but he tries to rape her when she visits him at a sanatorium. After losing her millions and having a baby she turns to prositution to support herself. After her baby is killed in a fire she inherits her grandfather's fortune. When she goes to NYC, she hires a guy to show her around. He takes her to a gay bar in Greenwich Village where she starts a small riot!

Clara Bow lead a wild life in her heyday of the '20's. All sorts of rumors circulated about her sex life (from taking on a whole college football team to beastiality!). Typical of pre-code cinema she wears some very "skimpy" clothing too. Watch her scene where she wrestles with a dog! It's too bad she only made one more movie then retired to raise two sons with her husband, cowboy star Rex Bell (later a senator). Unfortunately, she suffered from mental illness later in life and died in 1965.

Strangely two co-stars of CHS died tragically. Monroe Owsley died of a heart attack four years later at the age of 36. Thelma Todd died of carbon monoxide poisoning that was ruled an accident but was more likely murder. She was 30 years old. Her last movie was Laurel & Hardy's THE BOHEMIAN GIRL.

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