PEOPLE IN AMERICA - The Marx Brothers

PEOPLE IN AMERICA -July 21, 2002 : The Marx Brothers

By Shelley Gollust

VOICE ONE:

I’m Mary Tillotson.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Steve Ember with the VOA Special English program, PEOPLE IN AMERICA. Today we tell about
the Marx Brothers. They made many funny movies in the nineteen-thirties and nineteen-forties that are still
popular today.

((THEME))

VOICE ONE:

There were five Marx Brothers. The most famous were Julius, Leonard and Adolph. They were born in New
York City between eighteen-eighty-six and eighteen -ninety. Their father made clothing. Their mother wanted
them to become performers.

Julius, Leonard and Adolph started performing when they were children. Along with their two brothers, they
performed in stage shows called vaudeville¹ in New York. They sang songs, danced and told jokes. Julius,
Leonard and Adolph Marx began making funny movies in nineteen-twenty-nine.

They changed their first names. Julius became Groucho. Leonard became Chico. Adolph became Harpo. Another
brother, Herbert, appeared in the first five Marx Brothers movies. He was called Zeppo. He did not play a funny
man like the other three. He played a good-looking young man.

VOICE TWO:

Groucho Marx looked funny. He had large black eyebrows³ and a hairy mustache. But they were
painted on his face. He spoke⁴ very quickly. And he walked in a funny way. He played people
with funny names, like Rufus T. Firefly. Otis B. Driftwood. And Doctor Hugo Z. Hackenbush.

Groucho was not a very nice person in the movies. He often insulted⁵ or made fun of rich or
important people. He made fun of doctors, college officials, opera singers, diplomats⁶ and
government officials. He even insulted his son, played in this example by Zeppo.

((CUT ONE: GROUCHO INSULTS⁷ SON)) From top:
Chico, Groucho
and Harpo.
ZEPPO: Dad, let me congratulate you. I’m proud to be your son.

GROUCHO: My boy, you took the words right out of my mouth. I’m ashamed to be your father. I’d have
horsewhipped you if I had a horse. You may go now. Leave your name and address for the girl outside and if
anything turns up, we ’ll get in touch with you. Where are you going?

ZEPPO: Well, you just told me to go.
GROUCHO: So that’s what they taught you in college. Just when I tell you to go, you leave me. You know you

can’t leave a schoolroom without raising your hand, no matter where you’re going.
ZEPPO: Anything further, father?
GROUCHO: Anything further, father? That can’t be right. Isn’t it “anything father, further”? The idea!
I


married your mother because I wanted children. Imagine my disappointment when you arrived!
VOICE ONE:
Chico Marx talked as if he was born in Italy. He spoke English that was not correct. Many other funny men spoke

as though they came from other countries. They were making fun of themselves and other immigrants⁸ who did
not speak English well. Chico also made funny jokes about words and expressions that sound alike⁹ but have
different meanings. For example, in one movie a woman sings with a very high falsetto voice. She says “I have
a falsetto voice.
”
Chico then says, “Well, my last student had a false set of teeth.
”

Chico also was known for performing what was called the comedy of the absurd¹⁰. He talked about things that
were so untrue or unreasonable¹¹ that they were funny. Here is an example. Chico is supposed to spy on someone
called Rufus T. Firefly. Chico reports his progress to the man who asked him to spy on Firefly. To “shadow”
someone is to secretly follow that person.

((CUT TWO: CHICO AS SPY )
)
CHICO: Well, you remember you gave us a picture of this man and said follow him?
MAN: Oh, yes.
CHICO: Well, we get on the job right away. And in one hour, even less than one hour, we lose the fix. That’ s

pretty good work, eh?
MAN: I want a full, detailed¹² report of your investigation¹⁴.
CHICO: All right. I tell you. Monday we watch Firefly’s house. But he no come out. He wasn’t home.

Tuesday we go to the ballgame, but he fool us. He no show up. Wednesday, he go to the ballgame, but we fool
him. We no show up. Thursday was a double -header, nobody show up. Friday it rained all day. There was no
ballgame. So we stayed home. We listened to it over the radio.

MAN: Then you didn’t shadow Firefly!
CHICO: Oh, sure, we shadow Firefly. We shadow him all day.
MAN: What day was that?
CHICO: It was Shadowday (Saturday)! That’s some joke, eh, Boss!
Chico also played the piano in a funny way. Chico did to music what he did to the English language. He made

fun of it.
((CUT THREE: CHICO PLAYING PIANO)
)
VOICE TWO:
Harpo Marx had curly¹⁵ yellow hair, but it was not really his hair. It was false hair, called a wig¹⁶. He never said
a

word in any of the movies. Instead, he acted out what he wanted to say. He could make people laugh without
saying a word. People always knew what he was thinking. He made funny sounds with horns and whistles to
express his thoughts and feelings.

In one movie, a kind policeman tries to give him some advice to stay away from bad people. As the policeman
shakes Harpo’s hand, you can hear pieces of silver that Harpo has stolen fall out of his clothes.
((CUT FOUR: HARPO AND THE POLICEMAN)
)
POLICEMAN: You better come with me, young fellow.


GROUCHO: Don’t take him away, officer.

POLICEMAN: All right. I’ll let him go this time. But I want to give you some advice. You’re running around
with the wrong kind of people. Why don’t you go home?
CHICO: He got no home.
POLICEMAN: Go home for a few nights. Stay home. Don’t you know your poor old mother sits there, night

after night, waiting to hear your steps on the stairs?
CHICO: He got no stairs.
POLICEMAN: I can see a little light burning in the window.
GROUCHO: No you can’t. The gas company turned it off.
POLICEMAN: Now, what I’m telling you is for your own good. And if you listen to me, you can’t go wrong.
As you might have guessed from his name, Harpo Marx was famous for playing the musical instrument called the

harp². He made beautiful music like this on the harp in several movies.
((CUT FIVE: HARP MUSIC)
)
VOICE ONE:
The three Marx Brothers --Groucho, Chico and Harpo --made fourteen movies together. The movies made fun

of officials in many areas of society, like colleges, hospitals, or the government. The Marx Brothers made most
of their movies during the nineteen-thirties. This was during the great economic Depression. Many Americans
had no jobs and not much hope. Many people went to the movies to try to forget their troubles. The Marx
Brothers thought people might like to see funny things happen to rich and important people.

VOICE TWO:
The Marx Brothers’.. first two movies were “The Cocoanuts”.. and “Animal Crackers¹⁷.
”

 

*

These were based on earlier shows that they starred in on Broadway in New York City. Some of

,PDJH

their most famous movies are “Horse Feathers,” “Duck Soup,”.. and “A Night at the
Opera.”..

In “Horse Feathers,”.. the Marx Brothers make fun of colleges. Groucho is a professor and the
president of Huxley College. He wants to improve the college by having a successful football
team. Here, he talks to other college officials.

((CUT SIX: HORSE FEATHERS))

GROUCHO: Now I say to you gentlemen that this college is a failure. The trouble is, we’re neglecting¹⁸ football
for education.

COLLEGE OFFICIALS: Exactly, the professor is right.

GROUCHO: Oh, I’m right, am I? Well, I’m not right. I’m wrong. I just said that to test you. Now I know
where I’m at. I’m dealing¹⁹ with a couple of snakes. What I meant to say was that there is too much football and
not enough education.

COLLEGE OFFICIALS: That’s what I think.

GROUCHO: Oh you do, do you? Well, you’re wrong again. If there was a snake here, I’d apologize. Where
would this college be without football? Have we got a stadium?

UDSKLF


COLLEGE OFFICIALS: Yes.
GROUCHO: Have we got a college?
COLLEGE OFFICIALS: Yes.
GROUCHO: Well, we can’t support both. Tomorrow we start tearing down the college.
COLLEGE OFFICIALS: But, professor, where will the students sleep?
GROUCHO: Where they always sleep
–
in the classroom!
VOICE ONE:
Some critics say “Duck Soup,
”
is one of the greatest comedies ever made. Groucho is the leader of a country

called Freedonia. He declares war on a nearby country. The movie makes fun of war, diplomats and dictators²⁰.
Other critics say “A Night at the Opera,
”
is their finest film. Groucho tries to get a rich woman to invest¹³ in an

opera company. The movie has many funny parts. One of the most famous is when fifteen people are crowded
into a very small room on a passenger ship.
VOICE TWO:
Experts say the Marx Brothers movies were extremely popular for several reasons. The brothers had been

performing together since they were children. They shared a sense of what was funny.
In addition, they all loved music. Most of their movies include music. When a song begins in their movies,

everything else stops. When Harpo plays his harp, his face shows how much he loves what he is playing. Then,
when the music is over, the Marx Brothers immediately start being funny again.
The Marx Brothers’
movies were like vaudeville shows. They contained something for everyone. There was

comedy, speeches, music and songs. Often Groucho sang a funny song. Here is an example, called “Hello,
I
Must be Going.
”
((CUT SEVEN: HELLO, I MUST BE GOING)
)
VOICE ONE:

The Marx Brothers performed together and then separately for more than seventy years until the last one died in
the late Nineteen-Seventies. Their comedy influenced many other present day comedians²¹ including Woody Allen
and Robin²² Williams. Critics have called the Marx Brothers the most influential²³ comedy team of the twentieth
century.

(((THEME))
)
VOICE TWO:
This Special English program was written by Shelley Gollust. It was produced by Caty Weaver²⁴. I’m Steve

Ember.
VOICE ONE:
And I’m Mary Tillotson. Join us again next week for another PEOPLE IN AMERICA program on the Voice of

America.

 

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1 vaudeville   

n.歌舞杂耍表演

参考例句：

• The standard length of a vaudeville act was 12 minutes.一个杂耍节目的标准长度是12分钟。
• The mayor talk like a vaudeville comedian in his public address.在公共演讲中，这位市长讲起话来像个歌舞杂耍演员。

2 harp   

n.竖琴；天琴座

参考例句：

• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。
• He played an Irish melody on the harp.他用竖琴演奏了一首爱尔兰曲调。

3 eyebrows   

眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
• His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 insulted   

侮辱，冒犯( insult的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I have never been so insulted in my life! 我一生中从未被如此侮辱过！
• These boys insulted a girl by spitting at her. 这几个男孩向一个女孩吐口水侮辱她。

6 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 insults   

侮辱，辱骂，侮辱性的言论( insult的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He shouted insults at the boy who had kicked him. 他大声辱骂那个踢了他的男孩。
• I will by no manner of means put up with such insults. 我绝不会容忍这种侮辱。

8 immigrants   

n.移民( immigrant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Illegal immigrants were given the opportunity to regularize their position. 非法移民得到了使其身份合法化的机会。
• Immigrants from all over the world populate this city. 这个城市里生活着来自世界各地的移民。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 alike   

adj.同样的，相像的；adv.一样地；同程度地　

参考例句：

• The twins are so alike that I can't tell which is which.这对双胞胎一模一样，我分辨不出谁是谁。
• All stories seemed dreadfully alike,no matter who told them.看来，不管谁讲，故事都是千篇一律的。

10 absurd   

adj.荒谬的，荒诞的，荒唐可笑的，不合理的

参考例句：

• It is ridiculously absurd to believe that the number 13 is unlucky.相信数字13是个不吉祥的数字是荒唐可笑的。
• It was absurd of you to do such a thing.你做那样的事是愚蠢的。

11 unreasonable   

adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的

参考例句：

• I know that they made the most unreasonable demands on you.我知道他们对你提出了最不合理的要求。
• They spend an unreasonable amount of money on clothes.他们花在衣服上的钱太多了。

12 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

13 invest   

v.投资；投入(时间等)；授予，赋予

参考例句：

• I have decided to invest in a new car.我已经决定买一辆新汽车。
• The best time to invest is now.现在是投资的最佳时机。

14 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

15 curly   

adj.卷曲的，卷缩的

参考例句：

• The little boy has curly hair.这小男孩长着一头卷发。
• She is tall and dark with curly hair.她高高的个子，黑皮肤，卷头发。

16 wig   

n.假发

参考例句：

• The actress wore a black wig over her blond hair.那个女演员戴一顶黑色假发罩住自己的金黄色头发。
• He disguised himself with a wig and false beard.他用假发和假胡须来乔装。

17 crackers   

adj.精神错乱的，癫狂的n.爆竹( cracker的名词复数 )；薄脆饼干；（认为）十分愉快的事；迷人的姑娘

参考例句：

• That noise is driving me crackers. 那噪声闹得我简直要疯了。
• We served some crackers and cheese as an appetiser. 我们上了些饼干和奶酪作为开胃品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 neglecting   

v.疏忽( neglect的现在分词 )；忽略；遗漏；疏于照顾

参考例句：

• She denies neglecting her baby. 她不承认没有照看好她的孩子。
• The boss hauled him over the coals for neglecting his duty. 他因失职而受到老板的谴责。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

19 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

20 dictators   

独裁者( dictator的名词复数 )； 专制者； 发号施令者； 专横的人

参考例句：

• These dictators have entrenched themselves politically and are difficult to move. 这些独裁者在政治上已经站稳了脚跟，很难推翻他们。
• Almost all of the countries in Latin America were controlled by dictators. 当时几乎所有的拉丁美洲国家都由独裁者统治。

21 comedians   

n.喜剧演员，丑角( comedian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The voice was rich, lordly, Harvardish, like all the boring radio comedians'imitations. 声音浑厚、威严，俨然是哈佛出身的气派，就跟无线电里所有的滑稽演员叫人已经听腻的模仿完全一样。 来自辞典例句
• He distracted them by joking and imitating movie and radio comedians. 他用开玩笑的方法或者模仿电影及广播中的滑稽演员来对付他们。 来自辞典例句

22 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

23 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

24 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。