Exactly. You watch the Marx Brothers alone on a TV, you ain't watching the Marx Bros. Watch it in a theater with a large crowd, and there's nothing more raucous or crazy. When I was a kid, I saw a double feature of "A Day at the Races" and "At the Circus". It wasn't my first Marx Brothers experience by any means - I was already a big fan - but it was my first time watching those two. The entire audience was in hysterics, and I had a great time. Even with "At the Circus" which is considered one of their weaker films. And it is. Not a great film, but the humor and chaos still came across. It's one of my fondest movie-going experiences.rain Bard wrote:Well, personally I enjoy Horse Feathers more than Duck Soup and the Circus more than City Lights, but I attribute this partly to the viewing conditions under which I've seen them- with comedies like these it can't be stressed enough how important it can be to see them with an audience to enjoy. Having seen Horse Feathers in a revival theatre and the Circus in a classroom setting, filled with young kids, surely enhanced the viewing experience for me.
Marx Bros. films, particularly the early ones, are direct offshoots of vaudeville made for the benefit of audiences who didn't live in big cities and it was a way to capture these antics on a permanent record. These movies weren't made for any grand purpose other than to make audiences laugh. And the films are paced as a vaudeville revue, taking a few seconds for the audience to regain composure from their laughter. Which is why an audience is crucial for the viewing experience.
It also helps to have a feel for Jewish humor.