Marx Brothers: Difference between revisions

 

In the team's vaudeville days, Groucho originally played a German-accented character; but he was often booed for it (there was a [[World War I|World War]] going on) and so became the fast-talking "authority figure", and possibly the king of wordplay. It was he who uttered those immortal lines, "Once I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don't know." However, the absolute best-known of his lines is something [[Beam Me Up, Scotty|he never actually said]] -- a [http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/grouchocigar.asp supposed comment] to a woman with lots of children who appeared on ''[[You Bet Your Life]]'':

'''Groucho:''' I love my cigar, too, but I take it out once in a while. }}

Pretty racy stuff, for the 1950s.

** Groucho's "I love my cigar" line on ''[[You Bet Your Life]]'' (see above).

* [[Breaking the Fourth Wall]]:

** In another instance he deliberately tells a bad joke and then says to the audience, "Well, ''all'' the jokes can't be good! You gotta expect that sometimes."

*** Similarly, after one particularly bad stock joke he says, "That's the first time I've used that joke in 20 years."

* [[Fake Nationality]]: Especially Chico, the "Italian".

** [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshaded]] in [[Animal Crackers]]:

'''Ravelli:''' Never mind—- whose confession is this? }}

* [[Forgotten Trope]]: ''Horse Feathers'' relies on several concepts, like "[[College Widow|college widows]]", that no longer exist

** From ''A Night at the Opera'': "You're willing to pay him a thousand dollars a night just for singing? Why, you can get a phonograph record of 'Minnie the Moocher' for 75 cents." (Pause) "For a buck and a quarter, you can get Minnie."

** From ''At The Circus'':

'''Chico''': At'sa too bad! }}

*** Perhaps not coincidentally, two-time co-star Thelma Todd's nickname was Hot Toddy.

** Also, Chico's incredibly long piano scene in ''Animal Crackers''. And the scene where Harpo pours a truly remarkable amount of cutlery out of his pocket.

*** ''A Night at the Opera'':

'''Groucho''': Make that three hard-boiled eggs. }}

* [[The Password Is Always Swordfish]]: Not an example in the strictest sense, but the [[Trope Maker]] for half of the ones that are. Anytime the password ''is'' "swordfish," it's a reference to ''Horse Feathers''.

* [[You Wouldn't Hit a Guy with Glasses]]: Groucho says this in ''Go West''. Yes, the guy would.

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