MARX MADVERTISING - SELLING THE MARX BROTHERS TO 20TH CENTURY AMERICA - BOOK ONE: THE PARAMOUNT ERA

Chico, Harpo, Groucho, and Zeppo Marx, collectively known as the Marx Brothers, were a comedy team who achieved massive success on stage and on screen. To celebrate their legacy, which ran from 1905 to 1959, Richard S. Greene has written a heartwarming book that explores the many ways they were marketed to American audiences. His book, 'Marx Madvertising - Selling The Marx Brothers to 20th Century America - Book One: The Paramount Era', also contains more than seven hundred and fifty rare and compelling images of newspaper advertisements, film posters, lobby cards, and other forms of promotional material that highlight the Marx Brothers' time at Paramount Pictures and their later years after leaving MGM. What now follows is a selection of these images I was kindly allowed to share. Please enjoy.

The film poster for the Marx Brothers' first feature-length film, 'The Cocoanuts', which was released in 1929 and directed by Robert Florey and Joseph Santley. Adapted from the brothers' 1925 Broadway play of the same name, the film version features music by Irving Berlin and co-stars Oscar Shaw and Mary Eaton.

An original lobby card for the Marx Brothers' second feature-length film, 'Animal Crackers'. It was released in 1930, directed by Victor Heerman, and based on the brothers' 1928 Broadway play of the same name. The card depicts a scene from the film showing Harpo Marx's character, The Professor, being stopped by a stern policeman.

A vintage print advertisement for the Marx Brothers' third feature-length film, 'Monkey Business'. Released in 1931 and directed by Norman Z. McLeod, this was the brothers' first film written directly for the screen rather than being adapted from a pre-existing Broadway stage show.

The film poster for the Marx Brothers' fourth feature-length film, 'Horse Feathers', which was released in 1932 and directed by Norman Z. McLeod. During production, Chico Marx was in a devastating car crash that shattered his kneecap and broke multiple ribs. This forced the shooting to be delayed for more than two months, and by the time filming resumed, the writers heavily reworked the script so that Chico could sit down or lean against a prop in nearly every single one of his scenes. His limited mobility also required a body double to be used during the climactic football scenes.

A vintage print advertisement promoting 'Horse Feathers'. When the Hays Code was implemented in 1934, the film was re-edited in the following year to align with production code standards. Consequently, several minutes of footage were permanently removed, including parts of the apartment scene with Thelma Todd involving blocks of ice; a short gag from the speakeasy scene showing Harpo Marx's character, Pinky, bowling at beer bottles with a grapefruit; and an entire scene where the brothers play poker while the college burns to the ground.

The film poster for the Marx Brothers' fifth feature-length film, 'Duck Soup', which was released in 1933 and directed by Leo McCarey. Not only was this the last film the brothers made for Paramount Pictures, but it was also the last film starring Zeppo Marx, who then left the act to become a highly successful Hollywood talent agent and inventor.

An original lobby card used to promote 'Duck Soup'. The card highlights the film's famous musical sequence, 'These Are the Laws of My Administration', featuring Groucho Marx's character, Rufus T. Firefly, outlining his chaotic and corrupt rules for running the fictional country of Freedonia.

An original lobby card for the Marx Brothers' twelfth feature-length film, 'A Night in Casablanca', which was released in 1946 and directed by Archie Mayo. Even though they appeared in two more films together, 'Love Happy' and 'The Story of Mankind', this one is widely considered their last film as a cohesive comedy act. In fact, the only reason they all agreed to star in the film was because the brothers wanted to help Chico Marx pay off his massive, mounting gambling debts.

A vintage full-page magazine advertisement from January 1947 promoting General Electric (G-E) Lamps, featuring a rare, photographic portrait of Groucho Marx. Throughout the 1940s, General Electric ran a massive nationwide marketing campaign targeting bulbsnatching, which at the time was defined as the habit of moving bulbs around the house that led to empty sockets and dull lighting. The practice was playfully deemed a household crime as it could cause accidents and severe eyestrain.

The cover of '1000 Jokes' magazine, issue eighty-six, which includes a stylized caricature of Groucho Marx looking up at a worried white duck who's suspended from a piece of string. The duck has a sign around his neck with the word 'DINNER' on it. This is a visual reference to Groucho's then-smash-hit television quiz show, 'You Bet Your Life', where a toy duck would drop down from the ceiling to award cash to a contestant whenever he or she mentioned the secret word. The magazine was published by Dell Publishing and has a cover date of June to August 1958.

'Marx Madvertising - Selling The Marx Brothers to 20th Century America - Book One: The Paramount Era' is a 490-page book written by Richard S. Greene and published by BearManor Media. It comes with a foreword penned by Harpo Marx's son, Bill Marx, and you can purchase a copy via Amazon by clicking here.