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The Unknown Marx Brothers | 
 enlarge | Director: David Leaf
Actors: Leslie Nielsen, Margaret Dumont, Harpo Marx, Bill Marx, George Schlatter
Studio: Winstar
Category: DVD
List Price: $9.98
Buy New: $4.99
You Save: $4.99 (50%)
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Rating:  20 reviews
Sales Rank: 25442
Format: Black & White, Color, Dvd-video, Widescreen, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
DVD Layers: 1
DVD Sides: 1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 126 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.6
ISBN: 1572522097
UPC: 720917300429
EAN: 9781572522091
ASIN: 1572522097
Theatrical Release Date: 1993
Release Date: September 5, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new, factory sealed. Fast shipping!
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Originally broadcast on PBS in 1993 and narrated by Leslie Nielsen, this comprehensive documentary charts the career of the Marx Brothers--Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and sometimes Zeppo--from their beginnings on the vaudeville circuit to their final appearances on popular TV programs and commercials of the 1950s and early '60s. Featuring interviews with many surviving family members, friends, and close associates, the film covers the brothers' early stage careers in great detail, including the origins of their stage names and rare film footage of a sketch from one of their most popular comedy plays. Also fascinating is a long-lost film clip of Harpo in a silent film from 1925--four years before the Marx Brothers made their screen debut in Cocoanuts. The Marx Brothers' film career is not the central focus here. Rather, the film shows us the brothers offscreen (through rare home movies and newsreels) and especially after their retirement from movies. Revealing and affectionate toward its subjects, this is a must-see for any Marx Brothers fan. The DVD includes several hilarious outtakes from Groucho's quiz-show career as host of You Bet Your Life, and a "Zoom-links" feature that offers additional film clips at given points throughout the documentary. --Jeff Shannon
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| Customer Reviews: Read 15 more reviews...
 Great October 4, 2007
Stacey Smith (Downers Grove, Il USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This DVD was awsome... it told the whole lives of the Marx brothers! The only thing that I would change, would be to talk more about Zeppo. He was apart of the Marx bros too and it would have been nice to hear more about his life! It's not the same without Zeppo! But otherwise it's a great DVD!
Three- I Mean Four- I Mean Five (Maybe Six) Funny Brothers March 15, 2007
Samantha Kelley (USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The Marx Brothers rank among the best comedians of all time. Their brand of humor is timeless, proven by their popularity surge with a new generation in the 1960s. Today, they are as fresh as ever. This documentary, narrated by Leslie Nielsen, celebrates their beginnings, their films, and their lives after fame. Commentors include film historians and family members, mostly children.
You'll learn about the way the siblings grew up and entered show business, how they found comedy, why Chico played piano and Harpo played the harp, how they met their wives, behind the scenes jokes, and show business after feature films. We see many clips from rare sources such as home movies, talk show appearances, and many bits from Groucho's quiz show You Bet Your Life.
Unfortunately, many of the clips from the films of the brothers are rather fuzzy even though better material is available. Ironically, many of the outtakes are quite clear. The beginning of the film can be quite confusing as well because information about each Marx brother is sliced together. Without a nametag for the commentators who refer to each brother simply by "my father" or "my uncle," it is next to impossible to determine who they are talking about without extensive outside knowledge. Another flaw is with the content itself. Just as history tends to do, the film slowly forgets about Zeppo and Gummo. They are mentioned briefly in the beginning when talking about the nicknames, but especially at the end, they are ignored.
 Horrible version of a great documentary January 8, 2007
clutchhitter (Boca Raton, FL USA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
When I ordered this from PBS on VHS years ago it was 2 hours and 6 minutes and I watched it over and over again, one of the best Hollywood documentaries I had ever seen.
This DVD version is 40 MINUTES SHORTER !!!
What a rip-off...save your money and buy the VHS, hopefully THAT hasn't been demolished in recent years.
 Dissapointing November 5, 2006
allismile0 (Washington, DC)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Very little of the documentary seems to focus on the years before they started making films. They speak very little about Gummo, or why Zeppo left the act after Duck Soup. There seems to be an imbalanced amount of focus on the "You Bet Your Life" period for Groucho.
There is some very interesting scenes of early test shots of one of their Broadway plays that was never made to film, as well as test shooting for a television show that was never made. Also, there are some fascinating facts about their lives; but as documentaries go this one is poorly edited and incomplete.
High marx! February 12, 2006
Phil S. (USA)
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
For longtime fans this is absolutely essential, especially for those of us who enjoy researching those missing pieces of the puzzle - the "unknown" stuff. There are many segments here which will leave the most determined sleuth slack-jawed. We've read about many of these late career MB TV appearances and we are treated to lengthy excerpts - so many documentaries offer "slide show" bits and pieces.
I was unaware of most of these kinescopes and am delighted to be able to view even a few seconds of them. The Groucho guest shot on The Jack Benny Show is in very good quality; the writing and performance is excellent. Both comedy legends get to do their thing in a classy setting. A long clip features Milton Berle and Harpo and similarly we get two for the price of one. Harpo is so good soloing and clowning in front of Uncle Miltie's orchestra, that Mr. Television himself has a hard time not laughing during the piece.
I was fascinated to learn more about Groucho's struggle to keep a radio show in the '30s/'40s; and the origins and development of "You Bet Your Life". And to have George Fenneman on hand to reminisce is a great plus.
As an Amazon reviewer points out, the documentary would have benefitted by including more of Zeppo and Gummo, and by offering criticism of the movies. They made many movies but unfortunately perhaps only four can be considered classics. Considering the level of talent on this team, it's really astonishing that Hollywood seemed to make a conscious decision at one point force them to work with second-rate material and directors not really suited to them.
This offer is not as sophisticated as "In A Nutshell", in fact, Leslie Nielson's narration is curiously low-key, but this quiet, respectful program has enduring qualities. The children of Groucho, Chico, and Harpo, speak warmly of their parents. It's a nice touch that Harpo's son wrote original music for this package.
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