Chico Marx

[MrWesdotcom]

Check out the fezzes the people are wearing. Looks like Chico's playing for the Sons of the Desert!

[iamweapon]

the gunshot notes are great.

[silentsecret7]

He played piano for silent films. He had to learn these pieces without having to look at the keys so he could watch the film to adjust to what was going on. You people who think he isn't actually playing are simply uninformed of how films were done during the silent film days.

[idealjaler]

PERFECT PERFECT PERFECTTTTTTT!!!!!

[Dfrankjazz]

He was truly an amazing player... and for those who want to learn more about Chico Marx style.. check out this Marx Brothers Master Class w/ me Dave Frank!

HUGELY fun, entertaining, and educational, this one-of-a-kind class analyzes the unique piano styles of Chico and Harpo via video clips from their classic movies. A MUST for Marx Bros. fans!

To view class, type in Dave Frank Marx Brothers on youtube.

[trucoteca28]

what's the name of this song??

[TomBarristerX]

@trucoteca28 It's "Moonlight Cocktail", by Lucky Roberts and Kim Gannon. The recording by the Glenn Miller Orchestra was tops on the charts for a few weeks in 1942.

[MyREDTAIL]

You have to put him right up there with Liberace as a world class piano player

[MelonHeadFilmz]

saw the story of mankind yesterday. Film was OK and Groucho was given several good quips to say to the indian chief. I felt Chico's performance was somewaht inadequate, giving him only 1 line and a brief appearance. Harpo didn't get enough time either.

[conderwittich]

@MelonHeadFilmz

Jepp, they even had a piano-scene in the film and they did not let Chico play it! What a waste of talent...

[bumblebeefightergirl]

Hahaha, love his attitude at the end.

[idealjaler]

INCREDIBLE

[splashdown50]

I don't know why I love this scene so much.......but I love the framing and how the camera pans a little starting at about :39....and of course the music and performance...lol.......

[SueBeaWho]

yeah splashdown and i just LOVE the look on his face!!! And I can see why the girls just loved him in real life, he exudes this certain sex appeal - call me crazy you all but i had those feelings for him as a young teen before i knew what i was feeling lololol

[SueBeaWho]

Chico is my FAVE and he had been playing the pianer since about 12 or younger! He could have done it live just like that as that is how he made a living as a youth (in brothels) before he finally decided to join his brothers. He played his "shotgun" schtick so many times in his life he could have done it blind-folded AND bouncing up and down on the piano bench. He ain't famous to this day for nutin' (honey) :-D

[bookkeeper57]

Absolutely talented, like the rest of his brothers. Unfortunately, a womanizer and destructive gambler who put his family at risk too.

[musicISmyLIFE635]

i'm not saying you're wrong ( so please don't take this the wrong way) but as far as I know Harpo was the only one who played in a brothel for money. But hey, if i'm wrong i'm wrong. no hard feelings

[HeraldMB]

I think they both played in those places, lol. Would they ever have imagined this would still be discussed so many years later? Hehe

[mikewoollett]

Chico got the job in the brothel first. One day he couldn't make it so Harpo filled in (both looked similiar when they were young). The madam only become suspicious when Harpo's repetoire consisted of "Waltz Me Around Again Willie" played in different times-according to Harpo in his autobiography "Harpo Speaks".

[klasydj]

WHAT A GUY!!!

5*****

[indianasteammusic]

This is for njattack. The name of the song I believe is Moonlight Cocktail, it was written by Glenn Miller, and the movie that this scene came from was A Night In Casablanca.

[addictedtomargot]

i read it in one of the many biographies lol i have to say i don't know for sure whether or not it's synched, however i would have thought it's live bc later in that scene harpo plays and you can easily notice how his playing is late after slapping his butt... hehe! i love harpo! besides, they're stage performers, they're good at doing stuff on the spot haha but that's just what i think...

[addictedtomargot]

the reason he doesn't look at the keys is because that was his specialty when he started out in vaudeville, he would play with a blindfold and a sheet over his hands

[sudo2u]

Addictedtomargot, No kidding? How does one find out about this stuff? And does it look "live" or synched to you?

[JacobDragyn]

@sudo2u I imagine the piano was live, though they probably synced shots from other takes to a single master take. The orchestra was likely added later, though I don't know.

[classorisso]

i wish i could play like him. he's dope. go ahead italian duke!

[bchfront]

Yeah, maybe, but while you're either lauding or knocking Chic, remember that Groucho always said that he was the one who brought them together with Thalberg, which gave the rest of us, "A Night at the Opera" (P.S.: Today's comedians are "so cool" they could, by their very-presence, keep lamb chops from spoiling -- but whatever happened to talent?) R.J.

[NickZules]

Horowitz could never do this.  Why isn't Chico taken more seriously as a pianist?

[mirkerri]

He pretty much lost everything he ever made to gambling...He was damn good but could never pull it together long enough to be taken seriously...Damn shame!

[thisusernameistaken2]

Because he's a comedian.

[swordsman68]

Mainly because he liked to chase girls, drink and have/be fun to be around. VIVA LA MARX!

[njattack]

Anyone know the name of the song?

[goldenagenut]

Why were all musical scenes prerecorded back then? Was the recording technology not up to it? Seems like with radio of the time it would have been. Obviously some actors couldn't play and needed the dubbed in music but in cases like Chico and Harpo who could easily handle the music, why did they still pre-record it?

[cliffiez]

to this very day they prerecord everything in a film...why? There were many reasons to in the past- but today- there is a thing called Cinema stereo...regular stereo is two speakers or 4 speakers or 6...but always an even number...left or right...it's two channel sound...where as cinema stereo is three channel sound...Left, right and mid tone- for music that is..for dialogue there's a ton of different reasons. but just so you know most dialogue is dubbed in during the looping in post

[Patanjoe123]

you are my grandpa.. aren't you?

He ALWAYS gives the most random but interesting facts.

Its funny :)

[tickletum]

Absolutely fantastic, thanks for posting.

[ragtimefan1]

All musical numbers in movies after the early 1930s were prerecorded. This does not mean that Chico couldn't play the piece.  He certainly could. The tune is Moonlight Cocktail. It was written by Luckey Roberts (adapted from his rag Ripples of the Nile)and it was a hit for Glen Miller.

[sudo2u]

Ragtimefan1... you sound very informed. Are there any internet sources about this that you know of? Sure looks like its live to me. Lip synching is one thing but just look at his fingers and the music.

[squanto2]

If you can play this well, syncing is no problem.

Watch the slide trombone player, he ain't playing.

[squanto2]

How the hell did you know all of that?

Thanx for the info!

[rockville34]

You are correct about the slide trombone. It is shown as playing, but you do not hear it. Oh, well. Chico is still great.

[wakkakumei]

Could we get off the argument of whether or not this was prerecorded, please? It's a great, catchy piece, and Chico's more than skilled enough to pull it off, and let's just leave it at that.

(This also happens to be my favorite piano bit from all of the Marx Brothers movies. Just thought I'd throw that in there.)

[Daranski]

No chance this is pre recorded!! This is fantastic

[squanto2]

Look at the sublime confidence that Chico (*Leonard*) exudes. Whether he's syncing

or not (and I think he is) does not matter.

It's obvious that he can play that piece.

I wish I knew what that song is called.

It rocks.

[54mor1544c]

he is absolutetly not syncing.

[squanto2]

He is syncing. Check out the slide trombone, no way that's live. Not back then. I am pretty sure that setting up microphones and mixing something like this to make it sound this good required syncing. It is the same today, even with the technological advancements available.

This does not detract from my enjoyment.

Chico Marx was/is the man.

[PaulPaddickFan]

Oh come now...this cant be pre recorded!

chico is like one of the best piano players ever!

[ShockDoc]

Not to burst anyone's bubble, but the reason he's so letter perfect and not looking at the piano is because the track is prerecorded.

[sudo2u]

Are you absolutely sure,ShockDoc? That's not how films were made back then. They DID have to do take after take many times, though.

[ShockDoc]

Yes, I'm sure it's prerecorded. Among other reasons, you can hear a string section prominent in the mix, but none is seen in the orchestra. Prerecording became common in the early 30s. Still, it takes nothing away from Chico's talent, it was a way to save money by avoiding multiple takes if someone wasnt note-perfect.

[sudo2u]

ShockDoc,look behind the other piano player and see the fiddle player.

[ShockDoc]

You're right. But I still think it's prerecorded.

[Blazingkeys]

I've watched some of these clips on here, and the one from Horse Feathers makes it most obvious that they're prerecorded (left hand is heard when it's not playing, etc.). Still, Chico obviously played the piano this well, and most likely played anyways during the video recording.

[jimdevo]

Chico was so brilliant. I rank him as one of the greatest pianists ever. He makes it look easy.

[sudo2u]

I appreciate all you guys' comments. I've had several of my clips removed by 'management' so I'm hoping this little gem gets to stay.

[Guitarman5150]

I remember as a kid fliping thru channels on saturday or sunday afternoons and stopping on a Marx Bros. movie and laughing so hard thru the whole thing.

[jhsaul]

Amazing! Chico probably was one of the best performers EVER

[n9netrgr]

the good old days....

[TomBarrister]

It's from "A Night in Casablanca", and the piano work is the second movement from the "Beer Barrel Polka".

[TheBeatlesrox]

it must have been very uncomfortable to play while bouncing up and down. lol

I love Chico!!! he was truly amazing!

thank you for the clip!

[Fishmorph]

I believe it is from "A Night in Casablanca" based on the costumes of the orchestra.

[Erinesque]

Which movie is this from? I'm trying to get caught up on all the Marx Brothers movies I've missed.

[NezHEAD66]

He's brilliant. =]