"The Cocoanuts" was released in 1929, only two years after sound was introduced to the movies. Not surprisingly, it's a little crude technically, but I find that to be part of its charm.
This movie was wonderful for several reasons. First, Groucho didn't leave me with one scene where I could keep a straight face.
While this is not their best movie, it does very much show off what the Marx Brothers were so good at - but also show some of their failings.Yes, this is a combination of sketches/bits like a lot of their movies, but some of these sketches are so good.
This first Marx Brothers film is quite funny sporadically, as long as you focus on the antics of Groucho, Harpo and Chico and don't let the very dated singing and poor production values get in your way.Being one of the very earliest sound films, there are less than stellar production values and some very old fashioned and grating musical numbers to intrude during the course of THE COCOANUTS.
In Florida, the owner of the bankrupted Cocoanuts Hotel, Mr. Hammer (Groucho Marx), is trying to sell real estates around the area.
It's strange to see the archaic musical numbers punctuating the mayhem of the Marx Brothers, but in 1929 musicals were still all the rage in Hollywood. At the time this film was being made, the Marx Brothers and Margaret Dumont were being shuffled between the big street where they were starring in "Animal Crackers" and Paramount's New York studios that weren't even soundproofed yet.
My choice of a summary line came down to one of two, the other one was "...go upstairs and count the rooms.
Mr. Hammer (Groucho Marx) runs Florida resort, Hotel de Cocoanut.
I have never been as big a fan of The Marx Brothers as I have been of other great comedy teams, be it the verbal brilliance of Abbott & Costello, the pathos laden antics of Laurel & Hardy, nor the violent slapstick of The Three Stooges. The reason is because the team's success or failure basically falls all on the shoulders of its lone truly brilliant member, Groucho Marx.
