Episode 58: Acid Reflux (Our Skidoo Deep Dive, featuring Cinco Paul)
Cinco Paul returns to the show to discuss Skidoo, Otto Preminger’s acid-laced 1968 comedy, which contains the final film performance of Groucho Marx.
Episode 50: The Gods Look Down and Laugh (Our Animal Crackers Deep Dive featuring Heidi Gassel)
Not every Marx Brothers fan would name Animal Crackers when asked which film is their favorite, but as it happens, all three of your hosts would. And so would our especially special guest, Heidi Gassel.
Episode 47: Bert & Harry Go West (featuring Scott Alexander)
Not a fan of the Marxes' Go West? Wish it had been done by the guys who wrote Duck Soup? Well, it almost was. Acclaimed screenwriter and friend of the Council Scott Alexander joins us to discuss the film’s early scripts, penned by the legendary team of Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby.
Episode 46: Deridin' the Range (Our Go West Deep Dive)
In 1851, Horace Greeley said: "NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR A PODCAST ABOUT GO WEST, YOUNG MAN!" This is a story of three men who made Horace Greeley wish he had said it louder.
Episode 44: Double Disappointment (featuring Anthony Strand)
Isn't it interesting that Groucho made some movies without his brothers? Back in Episode 20, we tackled Copacabana (1947), and concluded that yes, it is interesting. And now, joined by Anthony Strand, we apply the same thinking to Groucho's odd double feature of early-fifties RKO releases, Double Dynamite (1951) and A Girl in Every Port (1952). Are these films interesting? Is this episode interesting? These are interesting questions -- or are they?
Episode 41: Waxing Wroth (Our Horse Feathers Deep Dive featuring Adam Gopnik)
Listeners to the podcast, podcast listeners, readers of the blog, and blog readers: The subject is the great masterpiece Horse Feathers, and the guest is the great essayist Adam Gopnik, whose most recent Marx-adjacent project is the Library of America’s S.J. Perelman anthology.
Episode 36: We Spit on Lester Cowan (Our Love Happy Deep Dive)
Well, you should have known we'd do this eventually. Please join us -- we're begging you -- for a discussion of the universally beloved classic Love Happy. It may not be everyone's favorite Marx Brothers movie -- it may not even be a Marx Brothers movie -- but you have to admit, it is a movie.
Bonus Minicast: Adamson in Casablanca
For our recent Night in Casablanca episode, we'd intended to include a segment with Joe Adamson. But the conversation with Joe was rich enough to be an episode all its own.
Episode 33: The Boys Are Back in Town
Our Night in Casablanca deep dive is a packed episode, featuring not only the second appearance of Scott Alexander, but Les Marsden himself lending his voice to some deleted scene recreations.
Episode 31: Our BRAIN DONORS Special
Our first episode of 2021 is our best episode of the year thus far! In addition to your faithful co-hosts, it features a couple of genuine comedy legends, and a discussion of the film the Marx Brothers would have made if they had made this film.