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PODCAST

The Marx Brothers Council Podcast

Matthew Coniam, Noah Diamond, Bob Gassel

An insightful but not too serious look at the Marx Brothers films, careers, and lives from some guys who really need to get out more. Hosted by Matthew Coniam ("The Annotated Marx Brothers," "That"s Me, Groucho!"), Noah Diamond ("Gimme a Thrill: The Story of I"ll Say She Is") and Bob Gassel (he"ll write a book someday...or perhaps read one). Featuring guest appearances by Marx experts, notable fans, and even family members. New episodes post monthly. For more info or to leave a comment, visit us

tv & film film history

All Episodes

1:33:03

37 “Raised Questions” (featuring Steve Stoliar)

The Marx Brothers Council Podcast ·

2021/07/21

We are honored to welcome Steve Stoliar, author of the iconic “Raised Eyebrows: My Years Inside Groucho’s House”. Outspoken as ever, Steve is as entertaining as he is candid. But what do you ask a guy who’s been interviewed on just about every podcast known to man (including ours)? Well, we didn’t know either, so we farmed the questions out to our loyal listeners. Steve updates us on the “Raised Eyebrows” movie, and you won’t believe who stays up at night thinking about the casting. He further

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1:25:07

36 “We Spit on Lester Cowan” (our 'Love Happy' deep...

The Marx Brothers Council Podcast ·

2021/06/24

A look at the Marx Brothers final film, 1949's "Love Happy"... The brothers search for jewels as we search for laughs…and though it’s not top-tier Marx, there is still plenty to enjoy as well as plenty to ponder. Matthew tells how Chico agreed to appear in a Harpo solo film before Harpo did, Noah is baffled by how the jewels got into a sealed sardine can, and Bob goes off on Marilyn Monroe. You’ll learn about the two versions of the film, and why the shorter, less funny one is most likely what

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0:01:03

A Special Announcement!

The Marx Brothers Council Podcast ·

2021/06/08

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2:03:39

35 “This Magnificent Chest” (The Marx Brothers TV...

The Marx Brothers Council Podcast ·

2021/05/30

You want to see Groucho as an over-protective father, Harpo hiding in a Coke machine, or Chico trying to pass himself off as Harpo? Well, you’ve come to the right place as we dissect Shout Factory’s DVD set featuring Marx TV appearances from the ‘50s thru the ‘70s. We uncover the many treasures, failures, and sublime moments this collection offers to Marx fans, including Groucho’s rebooting of You Bet Your Life in 1960’s England, Harpo’s lead role in a Twilight Zone-like drama, and Chico’s two

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1:29:34

34 “OUR DINNER WITH DEEZEN”

The Marx Brothers Council Podcast ·

2021/04/28

ACTOR AND VOICE ARTIST EDDIE DEEZEN (GREASE, 1941, WAR GAMES) JOINS US FOR AN INDESCRIBABLE 90 MINUTES OF FREE WHEELING AND POTENTIALLY LITIGIOUS TALK ABOUT THE MARX BROTHERS. EDDIE RANKS THE MARX FILMS, OBSESSES ON CHICO’S SEXUAL PROWESS, AND GENERALLY TRIES TO STEER THE CONVERSATION TOWARDS THE BEATLES, MARTIN & LEWIS, AND THREE STOOGES WHENEVER POSSIBLE. EDDIE’S UNIQUE TAKE ON THE BROTHERS, PLUS SOME MIND-BOGGLING THEORIES, MAKE FOR UNFORGETTABLE LISTENING. *Our apologies that Eddie's audio is

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0:30:45

BONUS MINICAST: Adamson in Casablanca

The Marx Brothers Council Podcast ·

2021/04/12

An addendum to our “A Night in Casablanca” deep dive (episode 33), Joe Adamson, author of “Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Sometimes Zeppo”, joins us for a further look. Comparing the finished film to the original script and studio call sheets, Joe theorizes on why changes were made, tantalizes us with scenes which didn’t make the cut, and even mourns a few moments that remain. Not joining us for this episode: Scott Alexander.

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1:59:53

33 “The Boys Are Back In Town” ("A Night in...

The Marx Brothers Council Podcast ·

2021/03/28

Noted screenwriter and Marx devotee Scott Alexander returns, this time for a deep dive into “The Howl Raiser of 1946”, A Night in Casablanca. The Marxes' screen comeback after five years was a triumph both artistically and financially, though not really appreciated until recent decades. With sharper writing and surprising moments of surrealism, it almost feels like a return to Paramount…but, as we point out, the Thalberg softening of the team was still in evidence. We detail our first experiences

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1:27:51

32 “I Don’t Think This Damn Thing is Safe”

The Marx Brothers Council Podcast ·

2021/02/26

Our deep dive into 1972’s "An Evening With Groucho" LP, and his historic, yet bittersweet, performance at Carnegie Hall. To be frank, we’re as conflicted about this as you probably are…Groucho finally gets the late-in-life showcase he craved and obviously deserved, but perhaps a bit too late for him to take full advantage of. We point out the triumphs, tragedies, and missed opportunities that Groucho dealt with in 1972, culminating with this hit album. We detail favorite moments as well as our

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1:19:39

31 “Our BRAIN DONORS Special” (featuring David Zucker...

The Marx Brothers Council Podcast ·

2021/01/29

Imagine a Marx Brothers-like film in 1992, now imagine a really good Marx Brothers-like film in 1992…well, imagine no longer because such a movie actually exists, "Brain Donors". Created by the team behind "Airplane!" and "The Naked Gun", "Brain Donors" achieved everything it set out to do…except find an audience. To explain why, we are joined by producer David Zucker and screenwriter Pat Proft, both life-long Marx fans. They detail the making of the film, including the casting of John Turturro as

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1:53:22

30 "K&R vs K&R” (featuring Nick Santa Maria)

The Marx Brothers Council Podcast ·

2020/12/24

A holiday extravaganza because we say it is! Actor/writer Nick Santa Maria returns for an examination of the Marxes’ two principal writing teams, George S. Kaufman & Morrie Ryskind, and Bert Kalmar & Harry Ruby. We compare their styles and strengths, and go off on numerous unrelated tangents. But first, we detour to Kalmar & Ruby’s original vision for the finale of “A Night at the Opera”, featuring another performance by The Not Ready For Online Players...augmented by Kathy Biehl and Pete

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2:23:30

29 "Make That Three Hard Boiled Eggs” ("A Night at...

The Marx Brothers Council Podcast ·

2020/11/29

In our NEW longest episode yet, we welcome Groucho’s grandson, Andy Marx, for a deep dive into “A Night at the Opera”, and a whole lot more… Andy recalls growing up with Groucho during the time he went from being a game show host to a legend. We learn about his curious connection to rock stars and speculate on his politics. We also hear about Andy’s other famous grandfather. Finally (at 28:40), we turn our attention to what most Marx fans agree is their first film for MGM. We try and make sense

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2:16:49

28 “Flywheel, Shyster, and Tefteller”

The Marx Brothers Council Podcast ·

2020/10/27

In our longest episode yet, we barely scratch the surface while talking to archivist John Tefteller. John has spent more than four decades accumulating rare Marx Brothers audio, and is producing a collection of the long-lost radio series “Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel”. John details how, as a high school sophomore, he was hired to be Groucho’s personal recording engineer and archivist. His stories of rare finds, heartbreaking misses, and colorful personalities will entertain you more than we ever

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0:56:15

BONUSCAST The Jay Hopkins Interviews: Volume 5 - Nat...

The Marx Brothers Council Podcast ·

2020/09/28

In our final trip into the vault, we are treated to Jay’s never-before-heard 1984 chat with writer Nat Perrin. Perrin talks about his 50 year association with the Marxes, from contributing gags to “Monkey Business” all the way to Erin Fleming’s legal challenge to Groucho’s estate. You’ll hear about Nat’s work on the “Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel” radio series, and his later contributions to “Go West” and “The Big Store”. Perrin also discusses some of his non-Marx films and later TV work.

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1:40:11

27 “A Compilation, a Sandwich, and You”

The Marx Brothers Council Podcast ·

2020/09/07

In the spirit of the great comedy compilation films of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, we’ve decided to create our own “Best of the Marx Brothers” money-grab. To be precise, the three of us have each compiled our own films…hamstrung by the constraints of our in-house Irving Thalberg. We’ll discuss our scene choices and come up with a final tracklist, all before realizing the whole exercise was pointless. Did your favorite scene make the cut? Listen and find out, unless you’re an Eve Arden fan, in which

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1:44:53

26 “The Marx Brothers In A Nutshell” In A Nutshell

The Marx Brothers Council Podcast ·

2020/07/23

Our long overdue look at the definitive Marx Brothers documentary, with special guests, producer/meme Robert B. Weide, and writer/editor Joe Adamson. The guys take us on Nutshell’s long journey, full of roadblocks and last minute scrambling. How did they get both Paramount and MGM clips when told it was impossible? Why did PBS viewers not see Woody Allen, and no one see Betty Marx? What happens when you ask Gene Kelly to do a retake? These and other questions you never asked will all be

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1:54:26

25 “Send Out The Clowns” ("At The Circus" Deep Dive)

The Marx Brothers Council Podcast ·

2020/06/24

Our contractually obligated deep dive into “At The Circus”, where your hosts are as enthused watching the film as the Marxes were in making it. We try our best to make sense out of this jumble of wonderful and embarrassing moments. You’ll scream as you experience the lost courtroom scene that MGM cut instead of "Two Blind Loves"….you’ll thrill as we struggle to remember plot points no one cares about anyhow…you’ll jump for joy as we play no clips of Groucho yelling “Help Pauline!” NOTE: This ep

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2:05:56

24 “Take a Letter!”

The Marx Brothers Council Podcast ·

2020/05/14

This month we are joined by Zeppo expert/loyalist/fangirl/critic/stalker Andrea Orlando for a two-hour examination of the youngest Marx. Was he the funniest Marx Brother offscreen? Was he even a Marx Brother onscreen? Andrea rips some of Zeppo’s performances, then drools over his ripped shirt in Duck Soup. Matthew adds up his screentime, Noah secretly wonders if this was worth surviving Covid-19 for, while Bob questions how Vanity Fair will react. Yes, we said two hours. About Zeppo Marx. You have

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1:14:02

BONUSCAST - The Jay Hopkins Interviews: Volume 4 -...

The Marx Brothers Council Podcast ·

2020/04/30

Still stuck in quarantine, we’ve dug up another vintage interview from Jay’s archives. From 1979, Jay talks with Steve Stoliar, who worked in Groucho’s house as secretary during his final years and later wrote the essential account of this era, “Raised Eyebrows”. Steve details how he helped get “Animal Crackers” rereleased after being out of circulation for twenty years, and how this led to him meeting Groucho and being hired by the infamous Erin Fleming. Steve recounts his fascinating duties, and

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2:07:35

23 “Monkey Distance”

The Marx Brothers Council Podcast ·

2020/04/12

Quite the opposite of the live get-together this episode was supposed to document, your three quarantined hosts do their best to help you through COVID-19… First, we reveal the results of “The Marx Brothers Nonsensus” where fans made it known what they like and what they want. Let’s just say there are some curious folks out there...or at least a couple of wise guys. Then we dive into the virtual mailbag and play clips of your comments and questions. Many submissions are videos, so we recommend

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1:00:32

CORONASCAST - The Jay Hopkins Interviews: Volume 3 -...

The Marx Brothers Council Podcast ·

2020/03/18

Taking advantage of a captive audience, we are proud to present the latest in our exclusive series of vintage interviews from the archives of Marx Brotherhood founder, Jay Hopkins. From 1984, Jay talks with Groucho’s son...author, playwright, tv scribe and screenwriter Arthur Marx. Arthur discusses the pitfalls of writing showbiz biographies, the gestation and disappointment of “Minnie’s Boys”, being passed over to write the screenplay for “The Impossible Years”, and the star of a Groucho one-man

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106 results

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