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As Good As It Gets

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Okay, bot as good as the Marx Brothers' earlier efforts, especially A Day At The Races and A Night At The Opera. Has hints of the brilliant slapstick they were capable of, but is mostly confusing, and unfocussed.

OK, yeah, it's a mess, and there's no glory in the messiness either. Eventually it loses its balance altogether and degenerates into something resembling a variety show, with the comedy subjugated to, God help us, "The Tenement Symphony" - which soon enough gives way to a SECOND harp solo, a cardinal sin. The chase scene at the end, while quite fun in its way, is hyper-extended, ill-motivated, and entirely word-free, hence a waste of their talents. And the unexpected onslaught of racial stereotyping in the middle third is just one example of the throwing-sh*t-against-the-wall distractions and gadgeteering that clutter things up. But at this remove, the gadgets and their attendant art-deco design are fascinating in and of themselves, as is the big production number, especially that super-hip rockabye deadpan woman. While they're terribly integrated, Chico's piano number and Harpo's super-eclectic trio with himself are, in and of themselves, as enjoyable as any of their interludes that I've seen. And when the comedy we're all there for is actually going on, the boys are as sharp, fresh, and at-home in their shtick as ever, with Groucho making a welcome return to ironic self-referentiality, not to mention Margaret Dumont. And the impressive swath that Harpo removes from a vamp's dress can't have pleased the Hays Office.

RUMOR has it that Irving Thalberg, the 'Boy Wonder' Honcho of MGM, really dug the Marx Brothers. Even while they were over at Paramount, where the 4 Brothers made their first 5 films; the young Studio Head planned on how to make the very best bit of madcap Marxian Cinematic Lunacy.Following the poor showing of their politically oriented spoof, DUCK SOUP (Paramount, 1933), the Marx Boys found themselves persona non gratis at that Adolph Zukor/Jesse Lasky/Famous Players Lot. It was at this time that Mr. Thalberg got his wish when he brought the Boys to MGM. They came over but as the 3 Marx Brothers, sans youngest brother, Herbert (alias Zeppo).NEXT; they set out to make that ultimate Marx Brothers romp, A NIGHT AT THE OPERA (MGM, 1935). The improved method was achieved by the use of testing out the material to be filmed and timing the laughs; as the one knock on the previous Paramount product was that one laugh would drown out the set up for the next.THE new method worked. The team with Chico, Harpo and Groucho received a new lease on life. They would be at Metro for about as long as had been their stay over at Paramount. Every thing was just honky dory for the team.AND then, the frail and chronically ill Mr. Thalberg died the following year of 1936. Their dealings with MGM were then all negotiated through new Studio Head and founding partner, Louis B. Mayer. Whereas Thalberg had been artistically inclined, cinematically motivated and was among the Brothers biggest fans; the gruff Mr. Mayer was strictly for the bottom line, practical, pragmatic and (allegedly) hated the Marx Brothers. Groucho, Chico and Harpo continued to work at the Studio; but there seemed to be a steady decline after the second MGM picture, 1937's A DAY AT THE RACES.BY the time the Marxian Laugh Express had arrived at THE BIG STORE, the team had done a total of 10 movies: 5 at Paramount, 4 at MGM and their solo shot with a previously written play with ROOM SERVICE (RKO Radio Pictures, 1938). Their act was well enough known now to make a Marx Outing by formula. So, they did do that thing! THE BIG STORE starts out with setting up a sort of precursing of that which would come later: like, Chico's being a poor, but honest and lovable piano teacher; in cahoots with one young Singer/Song Writer/Good Guy, Tommy Rogers (Tony Martin); who just happens to be inheriting half interest in a big, major downtown type Department Store.THE Present Manager of the store, one crooked and ill-tempered Mr. Grover just happens to be planning a nefarious plot to get control of the store by any means possible. Do you get the drift? THE Picture mixes in a great deal of musical numbers, big ensemble songs and songs for Mr. Martin, his female lead, Virginia Grey (as Joan Sutton); as well as some others, such as Virginia O'Brien and a group called Six Hits and a Miss.NOT to be thought of as being strictly a 'crepe hanger' we must say that even this is not the best Marx Brothers outing; it does contain a lot of excellent bits and should not be boycotted by any means. Some excellent comic interaction is done between Chico & Harpo with one Italian immigrant, Giuseppe (Henry Armetta). We also are witness to a parade of on screen ethnicities; done up in the typical stereotypes of the day. Italians, Blacks, Swedes, American Indians and Chinese family groupings are part of the innocently meant and harmlessly received by the audiences of the day.OTHER critical cast members included in THE BIG STORE'S Directory are William Tannen, Russell Hicks, Anna Demetrio, Paul Stanton, Bradley Page, Edgar Dearing and Al Hill.AND lest we forget the most important Lady to any Marx Film; for what would Groucho do if a movie of the Brothers did not include Miss Margaret Dumont; for the Grouch's horrid dalliances? PROMOTIONAL spots for this movie were done in a most unorthodox manner. There was a very serious sounding promo/trailer/preview of coming attractions which began with a very somber announcement from veteran character actor, Henry O'Neill, which stated that the Marx Brothers were retiring from the movies and this new picture, THE BIG STORE would be their farewell to the cinema, the Boys' swan song! APPARRENTLY there was some truth contained in this trailer as this marked the abrupt jettisoning of the Marxes from MGM and the Big Hollywood Studio system. From 1941 to the first post World War II year of 1946, Groucho, Chico and Harpo each operated as solo performers; doing personal appearances, guesting in Radio and even making some movie guest shots. Groucho, especially, did well on the Old Time Radio and later on the new medium of Television. Chico organized his own Big Band and went that route to keeping busy.IN the above mentioned year of 1946, the Threesome was lured once again to go in front of the cameras with A NIGHT IN CASABLANCA (Loma Productions/United Artists, 1946); which was a post War Comedy and spoof of Warner Brothers' Humphrey Bogart/Ingrid Bergman Blockbuster, CASABLANCA (1942); followed by LOVE HAPPY (Artists Alliance/United Artists, 1949). By this juncture, the old Marx Brothers routine had become a pale imitation of a caricature of its old self..AS a Film or more particularly as a Marx Brothers starring vehicle, we must give THE BIG STORE ** ½.POODLE SCHNITZ!!

By 1941, Groucho didn't want to make any more movies. The Brothers continued to do so just to keep oldest Brother Chico afloat, due to his gambling habits.Someone commented earlier about Virginia O'Brien, the deadpan singer in the "rockabye" sequence. The deadpan delivery was her "shtick", and predated a similar approach taken by Keely Smith some years later. Legend has it that the first time a spotlight fell on Ms. O'Brien for an on-stage solo, she froze, an delivered her song with a pre-Botox facial paralysis. The audience thought it was part of the act and roared approvingly with laughter. From then on, Ms. O'Brien sang no other way. (She also sings a few bars of the Jerome Kern song, "A Fine Romance" in the semi-bio, "'Til The Clouds Roll By".) The big store is best remembered (and viewed) for the rousing "Sing While You Sell" piece about 38 minutes into the movie.