
Four of the Three Musketeers
The Marx Brothers on Stage
Robert S. Bader(Author)
Northwestern University Press
Published on 30. September 2016
Book
Hardback
584 pages
978-0-8101-3416-4 (ISBN)
Description
Before film made them international comedy legends, the MarxBrothers developed their comic skills on stage for twenty-fiveyears. In Four of the Three Musketeers: The Marx Brothers onStage, Robert S. Bader offers the first comprehensive history ofthe foursome's hardscrabble early years honing their act in frontof live audiences.
From Groucho's debut in 1905 to their final live performancesof scenes from A Night in Casablanca in 1945, the brothers' stagecareer shows how their characters and routines evolved beforetheir arrival in Hollywood. Four of the Three Musketeers drawson an unmatched array of sources, many not referenced elsewhere.Bader's detailed portrait of the struggling young actorsboth brings to vivid life a typical night on the road for the MarxBrothers and also illuminates the inner workings of the vaudevillebusiness, especially during its peak in the 1920s.
As Bader traces the origins of the characters that would latercome to be beloved by filmgoers, he also skillfully scrapes awaythe accretion of rumors and mythology perpetuated not only byfans and writers but by the Marx Brothers themselves. Revealing,vital, and entertaining, Four of the Three Musketeers will take itsplace as an essential reference for this iconic American act.
From Groucho's debut in 1905 to their final live performancesof scenes from A Night in Casablanca in 1945, the brothers' stagecareer shows how their characters and routines evolved beforetheir arrival in Hollywood. Four of the Three Musketeers drawson an unmatched array of sources, many not referenced elsewhere.Bader's detailed portrait of the struggling young actorsboth brings to vivid life a typical night on the road for the MarxBrothers and also illuminates the inner workings of the vaudevillebusiness, especially during its peak in the 1920s.
As Bader traces the origins of the characters that would latercome to be beloved by filmgoers, he also skillfully scrapes awaythe accretion of rumors and mythology perpetuated not only byfans and writers but by the Marx Brothers themselves. Revealing,vital, and entertaining, Four of the Three Musketeers will take itsplace as an essential reference for this iconic American act.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Evanston
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 48 mm
Weight
1300 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-8101-3416-4 (9780810134164)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Robert S. Bader is the editor of Groucho Marx and Other Short Stories and Tall Tales and a writer and producer for television.