Rise and Fall of the Marx Brothers Films - Case Study Example

Rise and Fall of the Marx Brothers Films Introduction The film language that is used through time is able to create a different understanding and viewpoints that associate with the culture and society of the time. Different individuals that have worked in the movies have altered and progressed over time with the thematic material as well as the way that they have approached the topics that are a part of society. In several of the Marx Brothers Films, there is a progression that has changed through time and which has created alternative understandings of the societal concepts that are a part of this. While the progression of films has better quality, the different movies went in a cycle. The pinnacle of the movies happens during the middle era of the films. Toward the 1960s and the last part of the films; however, the Marx Brothers have a slower period that is no longer able to associate with the culture and society that has changed into modern times. Earlier Years of the Marx Brothers The beginning of the Marx Brothers was not on the stage, but was instead at an opera house in Texas in the year 1912. During this time, the family began to produce comedic strips combined with music. The sketch that began the brothers was called “Fun in Hi Skule,” followed by “Home Again.” Both of these comedic skits were based on the satire of World War II and the controversies of politics that were a part of the time. The different associations and the satire that the troupe used allowed them to move immediately into Broadway then into the hands of Paramount films. The movement into film allowed the four brothers to create a unique style for the film which was based off a specific type of comedy and development of the characters in a certain way. The first four films that were produced were performed on Broadway and were adapted to film, including “Animal Crackers,” “The Cocoanuts,” and “I’ll Say She Is” (Kanfer, 139). The earlier films were known not only for their humor, but were also able to develop the different parts of acting and humor as well as character development. The concept of experimentation and development was prevalent in these earlier films and was used to help the brothers create a sense of style. For example, at the beginning of “Animal Crackers,” the main character can be seen talking to a tribal man then to the woman. It can be seen from this particular clip that the character is still being developed with a question of how to use this with how to create a deeper meaning to the character. Groucho speaks quickly through his parts and doesn’t have the same conviction with his acting while he speaks through. The slap stick comedy from the other brothers during the music parts as well as with the other characters carries the same fast pace with the limited development. The development of the character as well as from the plot is also known to be limited because of the safeness that is in the film. The film relates to colonized realms as well in Africa that Groucho is going to, combined with the satire that is a part of the white man going into these regions. In the 1920s, this issue was not considered as prevalent as other issues, such as World War I and the social issues of the country. It can be seen that the character development as well as the plot development are considered safer and provide only a basic, satirical option that is a part of the films. This particular development can be seen as safe satire, which was specifically used as the Marx Brothers tried to find a different way to approach the issues of the day through humor while creating a deeper meaning to the characters. Growth of the Marx Brothers Humor After the initial growth of the Marx Brothers into the development of satire and into film, was a transitional time in which they began to focus more on the characters and plot specifically for movies. The earlier works were adaptations from Broadway productions, which may have made an alteration in the acting and approach that was used. After 1931, the Marx Brothers switched completely to film for Paramount and worked with the company to create alternative productions. The first production like this was “Monkey Business,” which was known to create an increase in their popularity and humor. After this, “Prohibition” was created, which is known as the most popular film ever created by the Marx Brothers. During this time, a different director was added to the Paramount productions, Leo McCarey. It can be seen that the producer, the understanding of film and the movement off Broadway all led to the increased popularity of the Marx Brothers and the several productions they made from the 1930s and into the 1950s (Adamson, 6-8). The several productions that were made during this time led the Marx Brothers into higher popularity and were able to create a response to society that was needed. The development of the characters and plot into a different depth was a part of this. More than this was the movement onto film without stage production, which created a focus on the new medium that was used. The Marx Brothers were able to produce comedic scripts based on what was needed for the time as well as for those that were a part of the social and cultural concepts. During this time, the Great Depression was hitting America and social suffering was one of the main concepts that were included in the historical moments. Instead of approaching older concepts, the Marx Brothers approached the several issues and allowed them to be the center part of the film. Titles such as “Duck Soup” became even more popular because it approached the extremities of the Great Depression as well as that of the war. The Marx Brothers were able to respond with dialogue, action and plot lines that were needed for the time and which allowed society to relate to something with more depth. Even though these were still based on the levels of satire and comedy as the earlier scripts, they added in more than the strips that were produced before because of the approach that was used (Spiegelman, http://www.dvdjournal.com/reviews/m/marxbrothers_ssc.shtml). An example of this can be seen in the production of “Duck Soup,” and the different actions that are taken with this specific film. From the beginning, it can be seen that the Marx Brothers move outside of the comedy that is safe, specifically by adding in the ducks as the main theme of the production. This leads into the ideas of war and the responses of this. Groucho begins this by responding to the war by talking about the land of the free and the prohibition of chewing gum and what is occurring. This directly approaches the problems that are a part of America, such as taxes and the different politics that were a part of the time. Unlike the past productions, which were based on safer issues, this one goes directly into the war, political corruption and the Great Depression that is occurring. The comedy that was used only for satire in the earlier movies then moves into deeper issues that were prevalent for this time. This leads to a stronger development of characters and plot and allows the viewer to relate to what is occurring through the film. As “Duck Soup” continues, one is able to see how the Marx Brothers were no longer interested in comedy and character development as the main point. Instead, there was the desire to say something deeper and that was related directly to what was needed during the time. Through “Duck Soup,” Groucho moves into different political arenas, such as his time in court. For example, when Groucho acts as a lawyer, he turns against his only client to tell him that he should be locked up. This moves into an announcement that “this means war,” where the consideration is not the attack, but is instead on the taxes that will be raised. The characters are able to completely reverse these different concepts into one that is humorous and satirical, which allows the audience to relate to the problems that are currently in society. Taking this specific perspective allows the movies, such as “Duck Soup,” to have the best quality in speaking with the needs that were a part of this time. Later Years of the Marx Brothers The development of the movies during the middle period was known to attract audiences at a deeper level. This occurred with the character and plot development as well as the ability to reach to different audiences. The last years of the Marx Brothers; however, began to come back through the cycle of productions and into the end of the comedic structure that was used. During this time, the brothers began to separate into different areas of TV, specifically with Groucho and Chico beginning to appear in other films that were not their own. They also continued to work on films such as “Story of Mankind.” However, Chico became ill during this time and some of the shots were never finished. Other pressures began to fall on the family which stopped them from producing the films and which led into a shortened life of the films (Crichton, 72). The several trials that began to occur in the family were one of the problems that began to occur. At the same time, the Marx Brothers had gained to international popularity that allowed them to continue making the films. The popularity of their names and older films led to pressures that didn’t allow them to produce new or experimental materials. Instead, they used a formulated set of concepts with the films. The division into other TV shows as well as the ideas that became a part of the film industry also led into distinct changes that didn’t allow the Marx Brothers to produce the same materials as before and which created a downfall of the several productions that they were interested in making. Not only was the change of the films into the contemporary time frame unable to provide the Marx Brothers with the components needed with film, but was also underdeveloped because of the changes in TV during the 1950s. This created a change in the film industry because of new experiments that were beginning to occur. Newer talent was beginning to show up, all which were able to provide different options for creation and for making specific statements about current issues. The demands in society also began to change, specifically because individuals were not as interested in the comedic and satirical nature that seemed to be extreme and surreal in nature, such as the Marx Brothers produced. Instead, there was an interest in the realistic nature of the times with characters taking on appearances that had different meaning and significance. The Marx Brothers were not able to match these specific needs because of the style that had developed, which led to them ending their careers in film (Wexman, 175). The last films that the Marx Brothers produced show the different controversies that were associated with this time frame. For example, “Love Happy,” produced in 1949, was the last film that was produced by the brothers. The films created after this time did not include all of the brothers performing together and were often attributed to other directors that were a part of each of the scenes. This particular film was changed because it used Marilyn Monroe and other stars that were beginning to become popular in the 1950s. This takes away some of the meaning and options in the film. It can be seen through this film that the use of these specific stars created an alteration in the development of the characters and limited what the Marx Brothers. Instead, the brothers had a focus on what was already known and were moved into collaborations with other stars that took away the substance and essence of the comedy by the brothers. Other elements of “Love Happy” show the same limitations because of the way that the film is produced during the time. The mid period works of the Marx Brothers included musicals and other natural sounds that were created by each of the brothers. In “Love Happy,” it can be seen that film begins to take on a different presence which changes the way that the film is produced. This limits what is occurring with the Marx Brothers and takes away some of the substance. For instance, in the scene where the brother is being searched, there are several film sounds that are added in. This is followed by background sounds of a music box as a part of the display. This takes away from some of the humor that is in this scene and doesn’t show the same meanings that are a part of the film. The changes in the film take away from some of the comedy, deeper meaning and the development of characters and also create a meaning that is not a part of the natural way that the Marx Brothers began the comedy routines that they are doing. Conclusion The way that the Marx Brothers produced different films is one that moves through a complete cycle of artistic development. This was dependent on several elements that were surrounding the development of films. The first element that changed this was related to the development of cinema. It can be seen that the earlier films had a specific manner of production based on the adaptation of stage production for the screen. This limited how the Marx Brothers were able to create a production of the film. The change in film then led to development of the Marx Brothers into the height of their career in which they only worked with film and were able to produce different types of films because of their understanding of the medium. However, the movement of film into the 1950s and 1960s created new demands for the Marx Brothers and limited what they were able to do from their earlier developments. Not only do the Marx Brothers change with the cycle because of the changes in the industry, but also developed, grew and fell because of their relationship to the screen. The earlier screen productions have a specific relationship to character and plot development that can be seen as safe. Through the different films it can be seen that the main interest is in production and understanding of how to work with the different characters and plot lines. Once the Marx Brothers mastered this, they were able to move into productions that were not as safe and which created a different understanding of the production. Instead of focusing on characters, they already had an established ground with the audience. They were able to associate with the audience through social issues and contemporary problems. The change in focus as well as the deeper development allowed the Marx Brothers to create a different solution to the production and provided them with the height of their career. However, the complications within the family as well as the way in which society began to look at the Marx Brothers from their fame led to the limitations in the development of later films and led to the ending of the brothers. It can be seen that the internal and external changes of the Marx Brothers is what led to the adaptation of different films, as well as the growth into movies that were able to carry substance and deeper meaning. References 1. Adamson, Joe. Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Sometimes Zeppo: A Celebration of the Marx Brothers. Simon and Schuster: New York, 1973. 2. Crichton, Kyle. The Marx Brothers. Doubleday and Company: New York, 1970. 3. Kanfer, Stefan. Groucho: The Life and Times of Julius Henry Marx. Vintage: New York, 2001. 4. Spiegelman, Art. The Marx Brothers: Silver Screen Collection. 2010. Retrieved from: http://www.dvdjournal.com/reviews/m/marxbrothers_ssc.shtml. 5. Wexman, Virginia. History of Film (7th ed). Allyn and Bacon: New York, 2009. Read More