 |
| 'The Essential Groucho' edited by Stefan Kanfer (Penguin Modern Classics, 2000) |
One of the great things about the dawn of the DVD age is that my generation has been able to watch and enjoy films like those of the Marx Brothers films despite living around 70 years after their original cinema releases. It's testament to the cultural impact of their work that these films are available and that people are still interested enough in them for books like this to be in print.
The first few chapters of 'The Essential Groucho' draw from their early stage shows and movies and it quickly becomes clear that something vital is missing. I think I've got a pretty good imagination, but with the best will in the world, no one can play the Marx Brothers like the Marx Brothers. It's much like listening to 'Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel' on BBC Radio Four. It sounds like Groucho, but something of the personality, ease and spontaneity is missing. Just reading the scripts doesn't convey the madcap energy that was their trademark, which almost left me wondering why so many were included in this book. Certainly where the movies were concerned, perhaps it would've been better to just provide a filmography suggesting people watch them if they haven't done so already. Being quite familiar with them myself, I found these early chapters just made me want to watch them as the written word couldn't do them justice.
It wasn't all bad, however, and there were two chapters in particular that I found very interesting. Both included Groucho's writing - a selection of his letters and some of his articles. The latter in particular suggested a different side to the man, showing him to be unexpectedly analytical and thoughtful about life and his relationships. The distinctive wordplay and clever juxtaposition of apparently disparate ideas was still there, but underneath there are some serious ideas that make you think. I particularly liked the article about why Harpo wasn't allowed to speak and 'Bad Days are Good Memories'.
Overall, if you're a student of this Marx, you may find this collection a useful resource, but if you're a fan, you're probably best sticking with the films that made the Brothers famous. I might be interested in seeing a bigger collection of Groucho's articles, but I think his strength lay on stage and screen and I'd probably end that book the same way I did 'The Essential Groucho', with a sense of loss and a feeling that something was missing.
