I should advise up front there are NO monkeys in this motion picture.
Zero. Nada. Zilcho.
A complete absence of monkeys or any other simian life forms.
I should sue.
Anyway...
I have long been a fan of the idea of the Marx Brothers. Anarchist comedians with little or no regard for the proprieties of society. They will say or do anything that pops into their heads as long as it amuses them. If anyone else is confused, frustrated or irked by this behavior, well, that's not the Marx Brothers' problem.
My first exposure to the Marx Brothers' humor was in episodes of M*A*S*H when Hawkeye would riff on Groucho Marx.
Hawkeye: Nurse?
Nurse: Did you call me, Doctor?
Hawkeye: Why would I call you Doctor? You're the nurse.
Being a fan of the idea of the Marx Brothers is one thing. Being a fan of the reality of the Marx Brothers is something else.
Marx Brothers films are an acquired taste.
Last fall, Andrea and I watched A Night at the Opera and we enjoyed the experience just fine.
A couple of nights ago when I had trouble sleeping (as I frequently do these days), I watched Monkey Business.
The Marx Brothers are stowaways on an ocean liner bound for America. They are hiding in empty barrels in the cargo hold. After being discovered, the Marx Brothers lead the ship's captain and his crew on a merry chase around the ship.
Then the ship hits an iceberg.
Whoops. Sorry, wrong movie.
Then the movie hits something resembling a plot.
It seems two rival gangsters are onboard and they're up to... stuff. Maybe also some junk as well.
OK, it's 3 in the morning. I'm a bit foggy on the details.
So too are the Marx Brothers.
One gangster hires Chico and Harpo to be his body guard while the other gangster is using Groucho and Zeppo as thugs. I am not entirely sure if any of these four guys has any real clue to what these gangsters are up to. They're just going along with the gag until something funnier comes along to get their attention.
So the boat gets to the America and after a madcap scene of complete and utter chaos where each of the four Marx Brothers impersonate Maurice Chevalier, everybody gets off the boat and the movie ends.
Well, no it doesn't. The plot (such as it is) also gets off the boat. One gangster is throwing a party for his daughter and the other gangster is going to kidnap this young woman.
Groucho and the gang are also at party. Why? Because its their movie, that's why.
At the party, there are extended bits where Chico plays the piano very, very well and Harpo plays a harp very, very well. Apparently, it is a contractual obligation for Chico and Harpo to have a seen dedicated to their considerable music skills. These sequences occur in every Marx Brothers I have seen.
Eventually, the kidnapping is foiled and the plot (such as it is) is resolved and the movie ends.
I didn't enjoy it.
I am alone in this regard.
Monkey Business is considered one of the Marx Brothers' best and funniest films.
So what the hell is my problem then?
Maybe watching the Marx Brothers at 3 AM is not a good idea.
Maybe watching any movie made in 1931 at 3 AM is not a good idea.
There is a certain rhythm to old movies that takes some getting used to. Working on the assumption that you'r not going to see this movie over and over again or can pause or replay in the comfort of your home, characters in old movies would hold for the laugh. In a Marx Brothers movie, this means Groucho says something clever then mugs for the camera for a minute waiting for the laughter in the movie theater to ebb.
But I think my problem with Monkey Business runs a bit a deeper than me just not settling into the pattern of movie making in 1931. While Groucho and his fellow stowaway brothers are eluding capture by the ship's officers, the plot involving the two gangsters is shoehorned in. The Marx Brothers have almost no investment or involvement in whatever is going on with those gangsters. Except maybe Zeppo is in love with the daughter of one of the gangsters.
Which leads to another question: Why is Zeppo?
In a 4 man band, Zeppo is a 5th wheel. There is a reason why the classic configuration of the Marx Brothers will eventually distill to Groucho, Chico and Harpo.
Monkey Business has its moments. Groucho in the gangster's stateroom popping in and out of the closet, bantering with the gangster and his moll is classic Groucho material and very funny.
But Monkey Business as one of the Marx Brothers' best and funniest films? Sorry, I'm not seeing it.
And I didn't see any monkeys.
I should sue.
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