Humor Risk
Harpo played the hero, a detective named Watson who "made his entrance in a high hat, sliding down a coal chute into the basement". Groucho played an "old movie" villain, who "sported a long moustache and was clad in black", while Chico was probably his "chuckling [Italian] henchman". Zeppo portrayed a playboy who was the owner of a nightclub in which most of the action took place, including "a cabaret, [which allowed] the inclusion of a dance number". The final shot showed Groucho "in ball and chain, trudging slowly off into the gloaming". Harpo, in a rare moment of romantic glory, gets the girl in the end. This film is lost.
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📋 Film Details
| Year | 1921 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Director | Richard Smith |
| Runtime | 24 min. |
| Rating | TMDB: 9.0/10 (1 votes) |
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🎬 MovieFinder's Take
This lost Marx Brothers short serves as an early laboratory for their signature chaos, with Harpo's physical comedy and Groucho's verbal barbs already taking shape in a cabaret setting.
What lingers after reading the synopsis is the ghost of a performance, a blueprint for anarchy that would soon redefine screen comedy. — MovieFinder Editorial
Director: Richard Smith
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A cabaret's twilight, a top hat in the coal dust, a chain dragging behind a departing villain.
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