| Groucho Marx: The Comedy of Existence Contributor(s): Siegel, Lee (Author) |
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ISBN: 0300244541 ISBN-13: 9780300244540 Publisher: Yale University Press OUR PRICE: $14.40 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: February 2019 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Biography & Autobiography | Entertainment & Performing Arts - Performing Arts | Comedy - Performing Arts | Film - History & Criticism |
| Dewey: B |
| LCCN: 2019295728 |
| Series: Jewish Lives |
| Physical Information: 0.7" H x 5.5" W x 8.2" (0.80 lbs) 176 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - 20th Century - Ethnic Orientation - Jewish |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: A trenchant examination of an iconic American figure that explores the cultural and psychological roots of his comic genius Born Julius Marx in 1890, the brilliant comic actor who would later be known as Groucho was the most verbal of the famed comedy team, the Marx Brothers, his broad slapstick portrayals elevated by ingenious wordplay and double entendre. In his spirited biography of this beloved American iconoclast, Lee Siegel views the life of Groucho through the lens of his work on stage, screen, and television. The author uncovers the roots of the performer's outrageous intellectual acuity and hilarious insolence toward convention and authority in Groucho's early upbringing and Marx family dynamics. The first critical biography of Groucho Marx to approach his work analytically, this fascinating study draws unique connections between Groucho's comedy and his life, concentrating primarily on the brothers' classic films as a means of understanding and appreciating Julius the man. Unlike previous uncritical and mostly reverential biographies, Siegel's "bio-commentary" makes a distinctive contribution to the field of Groucho studies by attempting to tell the story of his life in terms of his work, and vice versa. |