This week Ian and Dave watch and discuss the Marx Brothers’ final MGM film The Big Store. We won’t bother to pretend that there is a possibility that Ian or Dave may have actually thought this was a great or even a good movie; they didn’t. It’s a so-so movie and here’s why…
We really enjoyed Virginia O’Brien’s appearance in the film. Here is a couple of fun appearances by her:
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I’m only a little way into the episode, but a note of correction: Loew’s Inc. owned MGM, not the other way around
It seems like The Big Store was the most played of the Marx Brothers films when I was a kid, KTVT Channel 11 must have run it two times for every one time Go West, A Night at the Opera or A Day at the Races was shown. But I watched it anyway every time it was on, and I loved it. This was how I was introduced to their comedy.
Concerning the prevailing theme of sleeping and beds throughout the Big Store, maybe it was Virginia Brien’s lullaby that put them all out? That soulless style of singing may have been something of a gag back then but I remember wondering what was up with her until I started dating girls that acted the same way.
With all of the celluloid slumber going on was it ever too late to rename the film, “The Big Snore”?
Great time listening, you guys are gold to me…
Include me in the list of people who can’t stand Virginia O’Brien. She was a one-trick pony whose novelty wore out very quickly (and who owed a lot of her career to her shtupping Louis B. Mayer).
Virginia O’Brien was my favourite part of the film. Glad to see those other clips you put up, David!
I enjoyed those clips too having never seen them before.
As for the Big Store, I can get it out of my head how dangerous those beds were, thanks for pointing that out again. I have a long drive ahead of me to Casablanca.
Great analysis of The Big Store! I hadn’t seen it in 20 years, but I’ve read a lot of opinions and comments about by others over the years. I watched again last night in anticipation of this Full Marx Sidecast (eh Dave!). Like Dave, I don’t remember seeing the opening scenes either– but I do remember seeing stills from them.
At the opening of the Sidecast, you read Groucho’s retirement statement, in which he describes Chico’s character chasing the girls… perhaps he was mixing Chico’s real-life habit as a womanizer with his screen character?
Thanks for the mention of “Million Dollar Legs” and Harpo’s wife Susan–Huzzah!
I loved Virginia O’Brien’s mesmerized– and mesmerizing performance. A real highlight.
I disagree with Ian’s take that Chico saying he knew Guiseppe from stomping the grapes in Naples somehow diminished the magic of his character… It was kind of cute and fine. However, the repeated stomping grapes dance he does every time he tried to calm Guiseppe was too much.
“Sing While you Sell” – I agree, great dancing by Groucho, but two lines have always bothered me… “You’ll sell no pan without Chopin” and a later reference to Verdi. Clever lines, but the song exhorts the employees to sing, but Chopin’s and Verdi’s music did not have lyrics–what were they supposed to sing?
Nice job Dave, working in “The Kid From Spain” again! Kudos! (but wait… no Wheeler and Woolsey?)
You guys are so entertaining- and informative. I don’t want this Sidecast to end!
Thanks Dave, and Thanks Ian,
Hail Freedonia!
Danny Joseph
PS: Sidecasts Rule!
Actually – The Professor DOES show up. He’s conducting The Tenement Symphony (In 4 Flats)
Nice job again, guys! Only 2 more Sidecasts to go!
Personally I thought Virginia O’Brien’s deadpan rendition of “Rock-a-bye Baby” to be the best thing in the picture; indeed it could be a candidate for the first rock ‘n’ roll song. She adopted the deadpan gimmick after developing stage fright during a play, and the audience thought it was part of the play. I think it was Louis B. Mayer who was in the audience and was impressed by what he saw. Virginia was one of those comedians about whom it can be said that a little goes a long way, which is why she never really made it in pictures.
But there are two other things about her, both connected to Groucho, that I should mention. First, she was a regular on his radio show “Blue Ribbon Town” (sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon), the last regular series he did before “You Bet Your Life.” Second, she and Groucho’s older daughter Miriam (Melinda wasn’t born yet) hung out together and Groucho came to treat her like family (as he did with Margaret Dumont and George Fenneman).
I remember watching O’Brien’s scene as a 13 year old Marx fan and wondering what that was all about. My Dad explained to me that so many comics back then had a thing they did, or “schtick” that kind of identified them and gave them ownership of their own brand of comedy. He likened it to how the comics were always portrayed in cartoons, usually focusing of each one’s “schtick”, like Joe E. Brown’s big mouth or Eddie Cantor’s huge saucer eyes.