A Few Words About A few words about…™ The Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection — in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Reed Grele]

I saw The Cocoanuts on the big screen once, way back in 1974 at the height of the Marx Brothers revival frenzy. The print was a grainy, damaged, washed out mess with horrible sound! Watching it again, on this fantastic BD set, after a 42 year hiatus, I have come away with a new found appreciation for this minor gem.

Why a duck?

 

[Patrick McCart]

I finished watching the entire set last night, including the new documentary.

This is a great example of careful restoration simply letting films be entertaining without distractions. It's amazing how once you get rid of a veil of dirt and scratches, stabilize the image, and carefully clean the sound... you can just sit back and enjoy the films. I remember being left cold by Animal Crackers when I saw the DVD, but I enjoyed it just as much as Horse Feathers and Duck Soup this time around.

Also, turn up the volume at the very end of The Cocoanuts for an amusing flub from the musical director.

 

[Dick]

I have a 65 inch plasma Panavision.

Panasonic, perhaps?

 

[Mark Mayes]

Panasonic, perhaps?

Mmm...yes!

 

[Dee Zee]

Finished viewing the first 4 films. Loving this set so far. Images generally very stable until Horse Feathers tonight which was quite jumpy in the middle which drew me back to Mr. Harris's initial post with his round up on PQ. Next up Duck Soup. I hope a companion box comes out on HD with the rest of their films at some point. I have a new appreciation of the Marx Bros. groundbreaking work in comedy.

 

[Angelo Colombus]

Saw the 4 films for the first time in Blu-ray a few days ago and very happy with the image and sound and I did listen to the commentaries which were very informative. Surprised the trailers were not included.

 

[PMF]

Just putting in my belated two-cents worth.
I think its a miracle we have any of these films on BD.
Based on old past readings before this BD set emerged, I was in mourning for the first 5 Marx Brothers films.
And I guess we'll always be in a state of mourning for any of our classic films, to which the OCN's are no longer.
But in the case of "The Coconuts", "Animal Crackers", "Monkey Business", "Horse Feathers" and "Duck Soup"?
Lazarus is definitely laughing.
Anyway, I am only echoing what we - who already own this stupendous set of discs - have been saying all along.
It's just simply a wonderful set; and I am grateful to all involved who salvaged and restored.
I can't imagine anyone left, at this point, who is on the fence about owning this joyous package.
But, if you are, then here is one more eyewitness account who says its high time that you gave yourself over to many evenings of laughter and social mayhem.
I promise you, no matter what the fluctuating market prices may be, that these offerings are truly a treasure and a treat.
"Hooray for Captain Spaulding" !!!

 

[Brent Reid]

The UK is getting its own version of the US's Silver Screen Collection BD set, retitled The 4 Marx Brothers At Paramount 1929–1933. This time it's from Arrow Academy, rather than Universal, features all the same extras and initial pressings have an exclusive book. It's up for pre-order and is released on On 15 May 2017.

From Amazon:
The Marx Brothers, Chico, Groucho, Harpo and Zeppo are one of the cornerstones of American comedy. Starting out in vaudeville, they conquered Broadway and the big screen in their own inimitable style, at once innovative, irreverent, anarchic, physical, musical, ludicrous and hilarious.

With the advent of the talkies , the Brothers signed to Paramount Pictures and brought their stage act to cinema audience. They made five films in five years, all of which are collected here: The Cocoanuts (1929), Animal Crackers (1930), Monkey Business (1931), Horse Feathers (1932) and one of the greatest comedies of all time, Duck Soup (1933).

The Paramount era represents the Marx Brothers at their absolute finest, retaining all of the energy and controlled chaos of their stage shows. Plots are unimportant – it's the gags, set-pieces and one-liners that matter, eg "Why a duck?", "Hello, I Must Be Going", "Hooray for Captain Spaulding", "That's the bunk!", Horse Feathers' Swordfish scene and the classic mirror sequence in Duck Soup.

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS:

• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations of all five features, transferred from original film elements by Universal

• Original 1.0 mono audio

• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing

• Commentary on The Cocoanuts by film scholar Anthony Slide

• Commentary on Animal Crackers by film historian Jeffrey Vance

• Commentary on Monkey Business by Marx Brothers historian Robert S Bader and Bill Marx, son of Harpo Marx

• Commentary on Horse Feathers by film critic FX Feeney

• Commentary on Duck Soup by Bader and film critic Leonard Maltin

• The Marx Brothers: Hollywood s Kings of Chaos, a feature-length documentary containing interviews with Leonard Maltin, Dick Cavett and others

• Three excerpts from NBC's The Today Show featuring interviews with Harpo, Groucho and Bill Marx

• MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED!

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Perfect-bound book featuring new and archival writing on the films

 

[Dick]

Finished viewing the first 4 films. Loving this set so far. Images generally very stable until Horse Feathers tonight which was quite jumpy in the middle which drew me back to Mr. Harris's initial post with his round up on PQ. Next up Duck Soup. I hope a companion box comes out on HD with the rest of their films at some point. I have a new appreciation of the Marx Bros. groundbreaking work in comedy.

A companion box would have to come from Warner Bros.

 

[BobO'Link]

Boy, that's some ugly artwork on that UK release! They look almost sinister!

I like how they put "perfect bound" as if it's something special. That simply means a standard paperback.

Still... it's a great set! I'm really hoping Warners steps up to remaster and release their Marx Brother's films on BR soon. I prefer the Universal films overall, but a couple of my favorites are from WB.

 

[Dick]

Boy, that's some ugly artwork on that UK release! They look almost sinister!

I like how they put "perfect bound" as if it's something special. That simply means a standard paperback.

Still... it's a great set! I'm really hoping Warners steps up to remaster and release their Marx Brother's films on BR soon. I prefer the Universal films overall, but a couple of my favorites are from WB.

A NIGHT AT THE OPERA, in my opinion, rivals DUCK SOUP as the best of their output. But, other than some embarrassing racial sequences, including a horrible musical number, in A DAY AT THE RACES, that film is quite funny and includes some classic routines. The RKO release ROOM SERVICE (1938), which is essentially a filmed play, is also pretty entertaining, as is the United Artists release of A NIGHT IN CASABLANCA (1946). The films between those two (AT THE CIRCUS, GO WEST, THE BIG STORE) are really just the Marx Bros. in serious decline.

 

[BobO'Link]

A NIGHT AT THE OPERA, in my opinion, rivals DUCK SOUP as the best of their output. But, other than some embarrassing racial sequences, including a horrible musical number, in A DAY AT THE RACES, that film is quite funny and includes some classic routines. The RKO release ROOM SERVICE (1938), which is essentially a filmed play, is also pretty entertaining, as is the United Artists release of A NIGHT IN CASABLANCA (1946). The films between those two (AT THE CIRCUS, GO WEST, THE BIG STORE) are really just the Marx Bros. in serious decline.

That pretty much echoes my opinion. The first Marx Brother's film I saw, at age 7 or 8, was A Night in Casablanca and I fell in love with them immediately! The scene where Harpo's leaning against the building, the cop comes over and asks "Whaddya think you're doing? Holding up the building?", Harpo nodding yes, being sent away, and the wall collapsing cracks me up every time!

 

[ColbyCo82]

I like the UKs packaging much more than ours in the US. The use of original advertising artwork is always a plus.

 

[Steve_Smith]

I was watching Animal Crackers last night from this set and started to look around the internet to see if any news on Warner Brothers working on a Blu set of their own...or at least HD versions for TV. Has there been any news or whispers that anyone has heard?

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Why a duck?

I just remembered - this was my high school yearbook quote. Most of the teachers got it; none of my classmates did.

 

[Malcolm R]

This set is currently $14.99 at Amazon.

 

[Matt Hough]

This set is currently $14.99 at Amazon.

What a steal! For those who don't have it (and even mildly like the Marx Brothers), run to place an order!

 

[Arthur Powell]

This set is currently $14.99 at Amazon.

I remember shortly after getting my first DVD player as a Christmas present in 2000 getting the Image Entertainment Marx Bros. DVDs for $9.99 each and thinking that I was getting a score. How times change!

 

[TJPC]

How about paying $30 for your first blank Beta tape!?

 

[Osato]

This set is currently $14.99 at Amazon.

Ordered!!

Thanks!!