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Animal Crackers (musical)
''Animal Crackers'' is a musical play with music and lyrics by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby and a book by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind. The musical starred the Marx Brothers. Original production ''Animal Crackers'' opened on Broadway on October 23, 1928, at the 44th Street Theatre, and closed April 6, 1929, running for 191 performances. The musical was produced by Sam H. Harris, staged by Oscar Eagle, and starred the four Marx Brothers and Margaret Dumont in the Brothers' second Broadway hit. Hermes Pan appeared as a chorus boy. The play was filmed in 1930 with most of the principal leads repeating their roles from the stage production, and most of the musical numbers cut. After ''The Cocoanuts'' ran for almost three years at the Lyric Theatre, the "anarchic" ''Animal Crackers'' became the third and last Broadway show for the Marx Brothers (''I'll Say She Is'' was the first). It would be their last stage show, after which they focused on film. Vaudeville's heyday was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bert Kalmar
Bert Kalmar (February 10, 1884 – September 18, 1947) was an American songwriter, who was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970. He was also a screenwriter. Biography Kalmar, a native of New York City, left school at an early age and began working in vaudeville. He appeared on stage as a magician, comedian and dancer before switching to songwriting, after a knee injury ended his performing career. By this time, he had earned enough to start a music publishing company, Kalmar and Puck, where he collaborated with a number of songwriters, including Harry Puck (1891–1964) and Harry Ruby.Kalmar profile. ''AllMusic''. Retrieved: April 29, 2013. The publishing firm also operated under the name Kalmar, Puck, Abrahams, Consolidated, Inc., the other named partner being |
The Cocoanuts
''The Cocoanuts'' is a 1929 pre-Code Musical film, musical comedy film starring the Marx Brothers (Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, and Zeppo Marx in his first starring role). Produced for Paramount Pictures by Walter Wanger, who is not credited, the film also stars Mary Eaton, Oscar Shaw, Margaret Dumont and Kay Francis. It was the first sound film to credit more than one director (Robert Florey and Joseph Santley), and was adapted to the screen by Morrie Ryskind from the George S. Kaufman Broadway theatre, Broadway The Cocoanuts (musical), musical play. Five of the film's tunes were composed by Irving Berlin, including "When My Dreams Come True", sung by Oscar Shaw and Mary Eaton. Plot ''The Cocoanuts'' is set in the Hotel de Cocoanut, a resort hotel, during the Florida land boom of the 1920s. Mr. Hammer runs the hotel, assisted by Jamison. Harpo and Chico arrive with empty luggage, which they apparently plan to fill by robbing and confidence game, conning the guests. Weal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Groucho Marx
Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, stage, film, radio, singer, television star and vaudeville performer. He is generally considered to have been a master of quick wit and one of America's greatest comedians. He made 13 feature films as a team with his siblings the Marx Brothers; he was the third-born of the brothers. He also had a successful solo career primarily on radio and television, most notably as the host of the game show ''You Bet Your Life''. His distinctive appearance, carried over from his days in vaudeville, included quirks such as an exaggerated stooped posture, spectacles, cigar, and a thick greasepaint mustache and eyebrows. These exaggerated features resulted in the creation of one of the most recognizable and ubiquitous novelty disguises, known as Groucho glasses: a one-piece mask consisting of horn-rimmed glasses, a large plastic nose, bushy eyebrows and mustache. Early life Julius H ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Captain Spaulding
Captain Jeffrey T. Spaulding is a fictional character in the Broadway musical ''Animal Crackers'' and the film of the same name. He was originally played by actor Groucho Marx, one of the Marx Brothers, in both productions. Despite his middle name being Edgar, he is known as Jeffrey T. Spaulding; his first name is also spelled as "Geoffrey" in parts of the film. Spaulding had a theme song entitled "Hooray for Captain Spaulding", composed by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, which all of the guests sing upon his arrival. This song would go on to be associated with Marx for the rest of his life in public; it was the theme for his television series ''You Bet Your Life'' and was often played when he was introduced as a guest on television shows. At Marx's Carnegie Hall concert in the early 1970s, accompanist Marvin Hamlisch played the song as Marx made his entrance onstage. Role in ''Animal Crackers'' Spaulding is a famous explorer on return from a trek across Africa to be the guest of ho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zeppo Marx
Herbert Manfred "Zeppo" Marx (February 25, 1901 – November 30, 1979) was an American comedic actor, theatrical agent, and engineer. He was the youngest and last survivor of the five Marx Brothers. He appeared in the first five Marx Brothers feature films, from 1929 to 1933, but then left the act to start his second career as an engineer and theatrical agent. Early life Zeppo was born in Manhattan, New York City, on February 25, 1901. His parents were Sam Marx (called "Frenchie" throughout his life), and his wife, Minnie Schönberg Marx. Minnie's brother was Al Shean, who later gained fame as half of the vaudeville team Gallagher and Shean. Marx's family was Jewish. His mother was from East Frisia in Germany and his father was a native of Alsace, France, and worked as a tailor. Name As with all of the Marx Brothers, different theories exist as to where Zeppo got his stage name: His older brother Groucho said in his Carnegie Hall concert in 1972 that the name was derived fro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Margaret Irving
Margaret Irving (January 18, 1898 – March 5, 1988) was an American stage and film actress. Biography Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1898, Irving is best remembered today for her roles as Aunt Gus in the 1950s sitcom '' The People's Choice'' and as Mrs. Whitehead in ''Animal Crackers'' (1930) starring the Marx Brothers, a role she originated on the Broadway stage. Her other films included ''San Francisco'' (1936), '' Captain Calamity'' (1936), '' Follow Your Heart'' (1936), ''Charlie Chan at the Opera'' (1936), ''Mr. Moto's Last Warning'' (1939), and ''In Society'' (1944). She was married to William Frederick James. She died in 1988 in San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ..., at the age of 90. Filmography References External lin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Louis Sorin
Louis Sorin (September 23, 1893 – December 14, 1961) was an American actor. Biography Louis Sorin was born in New York City. He appeared in 15 films between 1929 and 1961. He also acted on stage, including appearing on Broadway in more than 20 productions between 1923 and 1952. Sorin is probably best known to modern audiences for his performances as Roscoe W. Chandler in The Marx Brothers 1930 film ''Animal Crackers'', a role he created on the Broadway stage, and as Mr. Manicotti in the ''Honeymooners'' episode "Mama Loves Mambo" (1956). From 1942 to 1945, Sorin portrayed Pancho on the radio series ''The Cisco Kid''. Sorin died in New York in December 1961 at the age of 67. Partial filmography * '' Lucky in Love'' (1929) *''Mother's Boy'' (1929) *''Glorifying the American Girl'' (appeared with Eddie Cantor in last skit, 1929) *''Animal Crackers An animal cracker is a particular type of cracker, baked in the shape of an animal, usually an animal either at a zoo or a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert Greig
Robert Greig (December 27, 1879 – June 27, 1958) was an Australian-American actor who appeared in more than 100 films between 1930 and 1949, usually as the dutiful butler. Born Arthur Alfred Bede Greig, he was the nephew of Australian politician and solicitor William Bede Dalley. He was commonly known as "Bob". Career Greig was born near Melbourne, in 1878. He married fellow actor Beatrice Denver Holloway in 1912. After a successful career in Melbourne, he and his wife sailed for the United States, and he made his Broadway theatre, Broadway debut in 1928 in an operetta, ''Countess Maritza''. His next production was the Marx Brothers' comedy ''Animal Crackers (musical), Animal Crackers'', in which he portrayed "Hives" the butler. He reprised the role in the Animal Crackers (1930 film), 1930 film version, which was his movie debut and set the pattern for much of his career, as he was often cast as a butler or other servant.Erickson, HaBiography (Allmovie)/ref> He performe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oh By Jingo!
"Oh By Jingo!" (also "Oh By Jingo! Oh By Gee You're The Only Girl For Me"), is a 1919 novelty song by Albert Von Tilzer with lyrics by Lew Brown. The song was featured in the Broadway show " Linger Longer Letty", and became one of the biggest Tin Pan Alley hits of the post-World War I era. While the song lyrics say it is set in "the land of San Domingo", no geographic nor anthropological accuracy is found nor intended in the silly lyrics, set in a generic "exotic" and "primitive" location. The song was much imitated over the next decade. The song appeared several times in film and television: it was performed by Betty Hutton in the film '' Incendiary Blonde'' (1945); by Debbie Reynolds and Bobby Van as a specialty number in the Esther Williams MGM vehicle, ''Skirts Ahoy!''; sung in the ''I Love Lucy'' TV show (Season 4, ep. 2, "Mertz and Kurtz", October 11, 1954); and sung by Hugh Laurie in P. G. Wodehouse's ''Jeeves and Wooster'' (Season 4, ep. 5). References * ''Who Wrote t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Three Little Words (song)
"Three Little Words" is a popular song with music by Harry Ruby and lyrics by Bert Kalmar, published in 1930. The Rhythm Boys (including Bing Crosby), accompanied by the Duke Ellington orchestra, recorded it on August 26, 1930 and it enjoyed great success. Their version was used in the 1930 Amos 'n' Andy film ''Check and Double Check,'' with orchestra members miming to it. The film was co-written by Kalmar and Ruby along with J. Walter Ruben. The song also figured prominently in the film '' Three Little Words'', a 1950 biopic about Kalmar and Ruby. Other recordings *Jacques Renard - (1930) * Ipana Troubadors - (1930) *Frank Crumit - (1930) *Ethel Waters - (1931) *Claude Hopkins - (1934) *Django Reinhardt - recorded on June 14, 1938. *Ella Fitzgerald recorded the song in 1941 * Sid Phillips and his Orchestra recorded the song in London on September 25, 1950 with a vocal by Johnnie Eager. It was released by EMI on the His Master's Voice label as catalog number BD 6077. *Al Hir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hooray For Captain Spaulding
"Hooray for Captain Spaulding" is a song, composed by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby originally from the 1928 Marx Brothers Broadway musical '' Animal Crackers'' and the 1930 film version. It later became well known as the theme song for the Groucho Marx television show ''You Bet Your Life'' (1950–1961), and became Groucho's signature tune and was usually played when he was introduced on various talk shows and the like. The modern version of the situation comedy radio show ''Flywheel, Shyster, and Flywheel ''Flywheel, Shyster, and Flywheel'' is a situation comedy radio show starring two of the Marx Brothers, Groucho and his older brother Chico Marx, and written primarily by Nat Perrin and Arthur Sheekman. The series was originally broadcast in t ...'' uses this song for its opening theme. The line, "I think I'll try to make her" was cut from the movie, being considered too risqué. In 1951, Groucho recorded the song for release by Decca Records. Chorus The song is a se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
