Monkey Business (Paperback, Main)

It's often the case that when celebrated people die, their names for a while disappear, their achievements denigrated. Not so with the Marx brothers - the immortal Groucho, Chico and Harpo continue to gambol across the screen not merely on late-night television, but in cinemas across the world. There have been many memoirs and books of reminiscence, but a really dependable biography is long overdue, and it is a bonus to get one which is not only enthusiastic and well-researched but admirably written. The author follows the brothers from a childhood in and around show business through the travails of establishing themselves in vaudeville and then in the movies. Their antics on and off stage (Groucho, as always, in the lead) disguised, of course, a deep seriousness in their approach to their profession. But it's the fun that draws us, and this book commemorates that with due respect. Essential reading - and not only for film buffs. (Kirkus UK)

This is the first full and properly researched biography of all five Marx Brothers - Chico, Harpo, Groucho, Gummo and Zeppo. It features the first authentic account of their origins, of the roots of their comedy, and their twenty-four years on the stage prior to the shooting of their first movie, The Cocoanuts, in 1929. Never-before-published scripts, well-minted Marxian dialogue, and much madness and mayhem feature in this tale of the Brothers' battles with Hollywood, their loves and marriages, and the story of the forgotten brother Gummo, who never appeared on screen. Spicing up the anarchic brew are accounts of Salvador Dali's 'missing' script for Harpo, the true identity of the long-suffering Margaret Dumont, and the FBI's verdict on Groucho's particular brand of Marxism.

General

Imprint:	Faber and Faber
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Release date:	May 2003
Authors:	Simon Louvish
Dimensions:	216 x 135 x 34mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	480
Edition:	Main
ISBN-13:	978-0-571-19350-9
Categories:	Books > Language & Literature > Biography & autobiography > Film, television, music, theatre Books > Arts & Architecture > Performing arts > Theatre, drama > Variety shows, music hall, cabaret Books > Arts & Architecture > Performing arts > Films, cinema > General Books > Biography > Film, television, music, theatre
LSN:	0-571-19350-1
Barcode:	9780571193509

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