Topic: Go West (1940) - The Marx Brothers

[metaldams]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032536/?ref_=ttmd_md_nm

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t-wmCZWlnoY

Trailer

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DOUC_D2DAn8

Train Sequence

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LOe2bTVLRxk

Opening train station scene




      For you guys not familiar with this movie or even The Marx Brothers, while the entire movie is not on YouTube, some great scenes are and they are linked above.  The trailer is linked as well, so at least maybe more people will have something to comment on.

      Sometimes challenging the accepted narrative is fun.  We're supposed to believe the best films were at Paramount, the first two MGM's were the best at that studio but not quite the Paramounts, and then things went completely downhill.  There is some truth to that in my opinion, but not 100%.  My personal opinion of GO WEST challenges that narrative, because I actually rank this higher than THE COCOANUTS and A DAY AT THE RACES and feel this is a wonderful film, certainly better than the films directly before and after it.

      AT THE CIRCUS starts out with ten minutes mostly dedicated to the romantic couple, giving us such nauseating moments as "Two Blind Loves."  GO WEST, on the other hand, gives us ten minutes of pure Marx Brothers shystering, which can be found linked above.  It's great seeing all three brothers working together, and the exchanging a ten for nine ones bit never gets old.  I also love the coonskin cap with the tail covering Harpo's face and just find the entire scene to be a lot of fun.  A really good start.

      As for the romantic couple, not anywhere near as annoying as last film.  Their first scene is a little annoying for sure, talking about the ways they "hate" each other, and there is a bit in the middle of the film where the boys visit the leading lady strictly to learn of her plight and help her, but beyond that, they aren't too intrusive.  There are no sappy musical numbers here.  Oh, there are musical numbers, but when the villainess with the alto voice has her number, we're at least entertained by interjected Groucho one liners and him leering at her, and the song sung out on the wagon at least has Groucho and Chico joining in, with Groucho even playing some guitar.  A fun little moment.

      As usual, Chico and Harpo get their musical bits.  Chico does a nice bit where he rolls the piano keys with a ball and even plays a little bit of "Listen to the Mockingbird," Stooge fans....and to continue our ongoing theme of race and comedy that seems to be showing up on here much as of late, for the third MGM film in a row, Harpo again attracts a non-white audience, this time a Native American flavor.  The part where Harpo honks his horn while the chief "Ug's" along makes me laugh real loud with the commentary from Groucho as he breaks the fourth wall, gets an extreme close up, and talks about the meeting of intellectual giants.

       As far as pure slapstick goes, the train finale, also linked above, may be the best bit in a Marx Brothers films.  Though always uncredited, Buster Keaton was a gag man at MGM at the time.  I get the impression the brothers did not like Keaton and vice versa based on what I've read, and while I can't always point out for sure what's a Keaton gag on these MGMs and what isn't, this train sequence has got to be Keaton.  This thing smacks of THE GENERAL, which is Keaton's most highly regarded film.  The idea of unjoining different parts of the train to block people that are behind on the tracks and using the wood from the train cargo as fuel for the train itself is directly lifted from THE GENERAL, and the sight of the train being destroyed at the end with the brothers still riding in it is quite a rewarding one.

      Just want to randomly throw out there that "Time wounds all heels" is a Groucho line from this film that I use in regular real life talk.

      Overall, GO WEST is a great Marx Brothers film and certainly their most underrated.

9/10

[Seamus]

      Sometimes challenging the accepted narrative is fun.  We're supposed to believe the best films were at Paramount, the first two MGM's were the best at that studio but not quite the Paramounts, and then things went completely downhill.  There is some truth to that in my opinion, but not 100%.  My personal opinion of GO WEST challenges that narrative, because I actually rank this higher than THE COCOANUTS and A DAY AT THE RACES and feel this is a wonderful film, certainly better than the films directly before and after it.

Glad to see you kick off your review with this challenge to conventional Marx Brothers wisdom, because I only recently came around to this very same conclusion.  I'd always slotted GO WEST in the same general category of mediocrity as AT THE CIRCUS, based on my first viewings of those movies years ago.  But upon re-watching it for the first time about two months ago, I was legitimately surprised by how good it is.  My earlier opinion might have been colored by the fact that I watched most of their movies pretty close together the first time around, and my immediate preference for the freewheeling Paramount movies made me resistant to the structured MGM formula of their later stuff.  So I was happy to discover that I'd been underrating this one, because GO WEST is pretty terrific (we'll see if AT THE CIRCUS gets a similar re-evaluation when I finally get around to seeing that one again).

The opening scene with Groucho getting fleeced by the other two is one of their all-time greats.  It's a rare extended sequence featuring all three borthers, which is not only interesting in and of itself, but it also means that we're treated to eight snappy minutes of both verbal patter and visual gags coming at us simultaneously.  It's the kind of scene you'd get if you put the "racing tips" scene from RACES and Harpo's scenes with Edgar Kennedy in DUCK SOUP through a blender.  It's also a fun demonstration of the general working relationship between the brothers that we see in every movie - Groucho and Harpo working their two opposite styles of comedy, barely interacting directly with each other, with Chico acting as the bridge between them.  Most of the time we either get a verbal double-act with Groucho and Chico, or Chico acting as set-up man for Harpo's sight gags.  It's not often we get a long scene with both of those dynamics happening at once, and they pull it off beautifully.

Also enjoyed the scene with Groucho and Chico getting hammered on mint juleps with the ladies while Harpo cracks the safe in the next room, partly for the novelty of seeing the Marx Brothers do drunk humor.

I agree that the romantic sub-plot isn't terribly intrusive or irritating in this one, although Groucho's very out-of-character reassurance to the leading lady  that he and his brothers "also serve as best men...at weddings" is an awkward reminder that we're watching an MGM movie.  Possibly the least convincing line Groucho's ever delivered.

The train finale feels like it should be in someone else's movie, but it's so much fun it doesn't matter.

I think I'd actually agree with your placement of GO WEST over COCOANUTS and RACES, surprising as it is to find myself saying it.  In fact, I'm finding myself warming to the MGM movies more these days, having re-watched OPERA and RACES last week on TCM so soon after my reappraisal of GO WEST.  I notice that this one and AT THE CIRCUS were both written by Irving Brecher, which makes me even more curious to go back and revisit AT THE CIRCUS.

[metaldams]

I think I'd actually agree with your placement of GO WEST over COCOANUTS and RACES, surprising as it is to find myself saying it.  In fact, I'm finding myself warming to the MGM movies more these days, having re-watched OPERA and RACES last week on TCM so soon after my reappraisal of GO WEST.  I notice that this one and AT THE CIRCUS were both written by Irving Brecher, which makes me even more curious to go back and revisit AT THE CIRCUS.

Definitely visit AT THE CIRCUS, but don't go in not expecting another GO WEST.  AT THE CIRCUS has much more sap, the script is very scattered (Margaret Dumont's character does not appear until about two thirds of the way through), and the finale, while fun, isn't quite the train sequence.  Let me know your opinion either way, I'm curious as to what you think.

[Seamus]

Definitely visit AT THE CIRCUS, but don't go in not expecting another GO WEST.  AT THE CIRCUS has much more sap, the script is very scattered (Margaret Dumont's character does not appear until about two thirds of the way through), and the finale, while fun, isn't quite the train sequence.  Let me know your opinion either way, I'm curious as to what you think.

It'll almost be like watching it for the first time, because I honestly can't remember a single scene from CIRCUS, other than a vague recollection of the "cigar" scene and Groucho being terrorized by a gorilla (which already strikes a wrong note).

By the way, has anyone read this memoir by the writer of GO WEST and CIRCUS?  Looks pretty interesting, think I'll be picking it up.  Brecher worked with a lot of comedy heavyweights, so should be a fun read.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Wicked-Wit-West-Screenwriter/dp/1934730327

[Larrys#1]

Like Metaldams, I think this is a very good movie. It's no Duck Soup or Monkey Business, but it's a nice step up from their previous two movies. My favorite part is the beginning where Chico and Harpo swindle Groucho out of all his money. The whole "9 dollars change" thing was hilarious and had me laughing out loud the entire time. And then Chico goes on to tell Groucho that they need to give him another dollar because it's the law to pay tax. And Groucho replies, "No, I couldn't afford it." That was a great scene performed by all three Marx Bros.

Musical numbers seem to be kept to minimum here. There were a couple of musical numbers, but very short. There is a romantic subplot, but they're only brief moments.

8.5/10

[Dr. Mabuse]

The best of the Marxes' final three MGM releases and, yes, even better than the overlong "A Day at the Races." Unlike "At the Circus" and "The Big Store," the brothers were able to test some of their material in front of live audiences. This is evident during the classic opening sequence in which Harpo and Chico fleece Groucho — rather than the other way around. "Go West" also features one of the Marxes' most memorable climaxes as they tear down a running train in order to fuel it. Otherwise, the film is a hit-or-miss affair, with some terrific Harpo routines and a few regrettable scenes in which Groucho's stature is painfully diminished. It's a pity that the screenwriters did not have a better understanding of the Marxes' comedic personas.

7.5/10

[HomokHarcos]

I realize I hadn't finished reviewing these Marx Brothers movies. I hope to get to that and reviewing the Abbott and Costello movies.  By this time the Marx Brothers seemed to be getting the B movie treatment at MGM. Of course, it's hard for me to think of this movie without comparing it to Laurel and Hardy's Way Out West, which has a similar plot. I think Go West is not as good, the Marx Brothers helping out others for good just doesn't fit them very well. The finale was very entertaining and Keaton likely was behind it. I still think this is my favorite of the later MGM movies they made.

I did like this song, even though Groucho's vocals aren't the best.

[Dr. Mabuse]

My favorite of the later MGM movies they made.

Hands down.

I agree with Paul D. Zimmerman's assessment in The Marx Brothers at the Movies (1968):  "In its attitude toward plot, Go West combines the worst of both the early and the later films. . . . The supporting cast is weak. Margaret Dumont is conspicuous by her absence. The villains display neither the comic gifts nor the menace of the better Marx heavies. . . . Despite all this, Go West is full of great fun, fine sequences, and sustained moments of comic foolishness that compare favorably with some of the best the brothers did."

[metaldams]

Hands down.

I agree with Paul D. Zimmerman's assessment in The Marx Brothers at the Movies (1968):  "In its attitude toward plot, Go West combines the worst of both the early and the later films. . . . The supporting cast is weak. Margaret Dumont is conspicuous by her absence. The villains display neither the comic gifts nor the menace of the better Marx heavies. . . . Despite all this, Go West is full of great fun, fine sequences, and sustained moments of comic foolishness that compare favorably with some of the best the brothers did."

Great quote. 

Yeah, I rank this one higher than A DAY AT THE RACES.  While that film has very funny parts, it suffers from too much bloat.  Way too long.  GO WEST is leaner and the funny scenes are classics.  I can maybe see the Marx fan who doesn’t get Keaton not ranking this one as high.

[Dr. Mabuse]

Yeah, I rank this one higher than A DAY AT THE RACES.  While that film has very funny parts, it suffers from too much bloat.  Way too long.  GO WEST is leaner and the funny scenes are classics.

Agreed. No Marx Brothers film should run nearly two hours.  "Go West" clocks in at a breezy 80 minutes — a half-hour shorter than the needlessly lavish "A Day at the Races."

Though the 1939-41 budgets were hardly on a "B movie" level ("The Big Store" was the least expensive at $850,000), I like what Joe Adamson wrote in Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Sometimes Zeppo (1973):  "Perhaps the Marx Brothers weren't meant to travel first class."

[Allen Champion]

Just like Laurel and Hardy at Fox and MGM, the writers post RACES did not understand the Marxes.  And GO WEST proves it.  The opening scene is the only good one, and even there, Brecher thinks Groucho is Bob Hope--and it diminishes his character.  I do like the carriage scene--mainly because of the byplay betwixt Walter Woolf King and Harpo.  But the rest--ugh!  Even the celebrated runaway choo choo could have been done by the Ritz Brothers.    OPERA and RACES are still the Champs of the MGMs.

[HomokHarcos]

Just like Laurel and Hardy at Fox and MGM, the writers post RACES did not understand the Marxes.  And GO WEST proves it.  The opening scene is the only good one, and even there, Brecher thinks Groucho is Bob Hope--and it diminishes his character.  I do like the carriage scene--mainly because of the byplay betwixt Walter Wolf King and Harpo.  But the rest--ugh!  Even the celebrated runaway choo choo could have been done by the Ritz Brothers.    I pick THE BIG STORE as the best of the final three MGMs.   But A NIGHT IN CASABLANCA is better than all of them post RACES.

I didn't think of the Bob Hope connection, but yeah Groucho was basically turned into him.

[metaldams]

Oh schnap!

[Umbrella Sam]

Oh schnap!

Good catch, though knowing this website, I figured this would most likely come up. Elton got to spend some time with Groucho in 1972 and it’s been rumored he was the inspiration for the title, reportedly Elton’s response to one of Groucho’s many jokes.

[Freddie Sanborn]

Shoot the Piano Player was an early film by Francois Truffaut. https://flxt.tmsimg.com/assets/p1796_p_v8_aa.jpg

[NoahYoung]

I have always found GO WEST, and the other 2 final M-G-M films to be good, watchable Marx Bros. films. There are scenes in all three I like. The opening of this film is a favorite scene of mine. I haven't watched it in awhile, but after that scene, nothing memorable (to me) happens until the finale -- the train chase. I remember loving that chase when I was a kid. This and HORSE FEATHERS, if I remember correctly, were the first 2 Marx Bros. movies I had ever seen.

I'd rank these final 3 M-G-Ms s follows:
1) AT THE CIRCUS
2) GO WEST
3) THE BIG STORE

I think, however, that THE BIG STORE is a big step down from the other 2.

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

I'll try not to bring this up too often, but I think it does add something, especially in this case:  ( yet ) again, I managed to see almost all the Marx movies in college, in a real theater with a full audience.  What I especially remember from Go West occurs in the scene where Harpo and the Indian chief are conversing with Harpo honking and the chief ugging.  When it cuts to Groucho to make his crack about giant intellects getting together, I remember the laughter starting even before Groucho started speaking - in other words, the timing of the edit was so good that Groucho's line , funny as it was, was almost drowned out by the exquisite timing of the cut.  Just the sight of Groucho's face right at that second got a huge laugh.  I've never forgotten it.  Also, I have read that book about Irving Brecher, The Wicked Wit of The West.  It's enjoyable, he was a very witty guy even in his old age ( which is when the book was written ) and he has lots of great stories, but they imply that he wrote some of the very best Marx movies, which unfortunately isn't true.  It slightly taints the book, which I very much enjoyed anyway.