Every comedian who has attempted to be zany, irreverent, or antiestablishment owes a debt to the comedy team that first set the standard. I’m talking about the Marx Brothers, of course. If you haven’t seen The Cocoanuts, Horse Feathers, Duck Soup, or A Night at the Opera, stop reading this immediately and head to your local video store.

The Unknown Marx Brothers can function in two ways—as enriching background material for Marx Brothers fans (which should include anyone who has seen just one of the brothers' films) or as an introduction to the famous comedy team.

Narrated by Leslie Nielsen, this retrospective documentary covers the lives of the Marx Brothers from their births through their careers by utilizing film clips, interviews with their children, some home movies, and some wonderful archived footage you won’t find anywhere else. The Unknown Marx Brothers will answer many of your questions about the team, including the most common one of all—are they really brothers?

The answer to that is a resounding “Yes!”

Now, for those still reading, here’s a bit of trivia that will stump nearly everyone. Most people will be able to name the three most famous Marx brothers, and many will be able to name the fourth (who appears in many of their movies). A few will be able to name the fifth, but almost no one, unless he has seen The Unknown Marx Brothers or has read this review, will be able to name the sixth.

That’s because the firstborn son died very early. The list follows with the real name listed first:

1) Manfred
2) Leonard (Chico)
3) Adolph/Arthur (Harpo)
4) Julius (Groucho)
5) Milton (Gummo)
6) Herbert (Zeppo)


The first part of The Unknown Marx Brothers covers a lot of background information. We learn that the Marx Brothers were probably destined for show business well before they were born: Their maternal grandparents from Germany were heavily involved with theater and infected their mother, Minnie, with the show business “bug.”

We also learn how each of the most famous Marx brothers was unique from the beginning: Chico was a compulsive gambler by the age of 12, Harpo was the mild-mannered “good son,” and the quiet Groucho watched his money carefully and read for long hours in the restroom, developing the vocabulary that would establish him as one of the greatest ad-libbers in history.

There are also some funny accounts of how Groucho and Zeppo got their nicknames (depends on which relative you ask). For example, the three theories for Groucho’s moniker concern a “grouch bag” used for money, a cartoon strip, and Groucho’s own natural disposition. We also learn how Harpo was inspired to work silently after some Chicago writers praised his pantomime work, but said that his vocalizations cheapened his shtick.

We expect that there will be a few clips from their movies, and The Unknown Marx Brothers delivers about the right amount, for we expect the “unknown” Marx Brothers. The films are readily available, and we are not disappointed with the actual selection of material.

Highlights include a historic remnant of the first revue the Marx Brothers ever performed on Broadway, and one that became a huge hit in the late 1920s—I’ll Say She Is. Some other highlights: Harpo’s visit to Moscow as the first comedian to entertain in the Soviet Union, Harpo’s appearances on The Spike Jones Show in 1954 and his appearance on The Today Show in 1961, Harpo’s absolutely surreal Labatts beer commercials, Groucho’s memorable 1955 appearance on The Jack Benny Show, and numerous clips from Groucho’s You Bet Your Life show.

If for nothing else, one sequence was worth the entire purchase of the DVD: 81-year-old Groucho appearing with America’s number-one rated comedian in the 1960s, Bill Cosby. Check out Groucho's exchanges with Cosby, during which the lovable curmudgeon shows little respect for the young comic. When Cosby directly asks Groucho “You know all the great comedians. How would you classify me?”—watch Groucho pause and ponder. He states “You? You’d come right after Nixon.”

I’m sure every great antiestablishment comedian (like a David Letterman or Conan O‘Brien) must have studied some of Groucho’s material. His sharp wit and timing allow him to get by with a lot of material others would never even attempt.

There are some wonderful exchanges between Groucho and his guests on the You Bet Your Life segments that had me in stitches. This will never quite capture the experience because you have to watch Groucho’s body language to “get” the joke. But watch as Groucho asks a very serious middle-age man what he has learned after 25 years in politics. The man simply replies “The old-fashioned way is still the best.”

Again, with Groucho’s perfect sense of timing and the looks on his face, the audience is lost in laughter for a good long time. There are a great many other laughs I won’t even attempt to describe; the Marx Brothers are meant to be seen and not described secondhand.

You’re sure to learn something new on The Unknown Marx Brothers. There are even different theories on what makes Groucho so cranky—is it his tight shoes, his chronic stomach problems, or his lifelong insomnia? Despite all the laughs, the focus is on educating the viewer about the lives and careers of this famous comedy team.

The Unknown Marx Brothers can serve as an introduction to the wacky team, but the main benefit will be for true fans. It’s a real treat to have all this rare footage compiled in one place, especially the early television material. Is The Unknown Marx Brothers nostalgia or is it educational?

The answer is “Yes!”