Why a Duck?: Visual and verbal gems from the Marx Brothers movies.

by Richard J. Anobile

Book Overview

288 page hardcover book on the Marx Brothers movies. Publisher-Darien House in 1971. Over 600 illustrations This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0821203738
• ISBN13: 9780821203736
• Release Date: January 1971
• Publisher: Darien
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 2.25 lbs.

Customer Reviews

groucho!!!

Book is GREAT,. Alot of laughs,. although not from the book, heres a little bit of Grouchos TV show. One of my favorite lines that RARELY EVER AIRS. Groucho is at his desk talking with a lady. Groucho: "I hear you have 15 children all with the same man" Lady; "Yes its true,. I have 15 children all with the same man." Groucho: "Why do you have so many children?" Lady: "because I love my husband" Groucho, turns, stares at camera for about 15 seconds, then says "I love cigars, but every once in awhile I take it out of my mouth" Gee, I wonder what he was refering too.. LOL..

The art of verbal slapstick, it is fading in the era of verbally crude humor

The Marx Brothers movies are some of the best demonstrations of verbal slapstick ever written and delivered. In this book, some of the best frames from their movies, Cocoanuts, Monkey Business, Horse Feathers, Duck Soup, A Night at the Opera, A Day At the Races, At the Circus, Go West and The Big Store are presented. The dialogue associated with the still is included and from it, you can get some of the feel for the verbal bantering that takes place between the characters. While it is impossible for any combination of stills and text to truly capture the action in a Marx Brothers movie, this book comes as close as possible. Reading this book will make you want to rent their movies and watch them once again.

This Book Quacks My Duck Up !!!

I Purchased this Book way back in 1972, and I Still love to Grab a quick Laugh from it. The Contents here are Great Quotes & Bits from the Films of the Four, then Three {after Zeppo leaves} Marx Brothers, that use Photo-Stills taken from the scenes of the Movies they are from. Most Material used is from the Earliest Movies: "Coconuts" thru "A Night at the Opera", as the Last Films the Brothers made, have less Quality material in the Writing Department. It is NOT a Biography of their Films or personal histories... BUT if you Enjoy the Great humor of The Brothers, this one is a MUST READ, You are indeed LUCKY that this is still Available. FIVE STARS

The Essence of the Marx Brothers

I first got this book in high school (early 70's). It turned me on to a life-long love of the Marx Brothers. I even used it for scripts for a student film.If you want to get a true feel of the wit, timing and marvelous play on words of the Marxes, this is most definitely the place. It is a pity that this book is now out of print. I would give my eye teeth for a copy.

This is a great book

If you enjoy the Marx Brothers you will love this book. It is a collection of the classic scenes from many of their movies. It has the dialog and pictures from the tooty fruity ice cream in "A Day at the Races" to the room packing scene in "A Night at the Opera". It is 288 pages of their greatest scenes.