Episodes

  • 84 “Traveling Sohlo” featuring Brad Sohlo

    84 “Traveling Sohlo” featuring Brad Sohlo
    Sep 3 2025
    Alexander Woollcott authority Brad Sohlo returns to explore the celebrated critic’s influence on Harpo’s life and career—and the equally vital role Harpo played in Woollcott’s. Brad also shares stories from his visit to Woollcott’s Neshobe Island retreat, where Harpo and fellow Algonquin Round Table regulars gathered to unwind, rough it, and battle it out over croquet.
    Show More Show Less
    43 mins
  • BONUS EPISODE: Horse Feathers Unredacted

    BONUS EPISODE: Horse Feathers Unredacted
    Aug 11 2025
    A complete collection of listener submissions from episode 83, "Horse Feathers Reeducated". Because of time constraints and overlapping content, not every comment made it into the original episode. Now, you can enjoy the full, uncut versions of every clip we received—packed with great stories and fascinating insights. Enjoy!
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 57 mins
  • 83 “Horse Feathers Reeducated” featuring The Marx Brothers Council

    83 “Horse Feathers Reeducated” featuring The Marx Brothers Council
    Jul 28 2025
    Council members weigh in on one of the Marxes’ greatest films. Hear about a botched screening, why Jennings might be the dumbest gambler in history, and one member’s detailed dissent on Chico’s piano solo. You’ll also get mixed takes on the football finale, learn who holds the title of show business’s most ridiculed performer, and find out how Halle Berry’s name managed to enter the conversation.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 15 mins
  • 82 “Bob & Noah & Matt & Elliott” featuring Elliott Gould

    82 “Bob & Noah & Matt & Elliott” featuring Elliott Gould
    Jun 18 2025
    Screen icon Elliott Gould joins the guys for a heartwarming and at times profound conversation about his friendship with Groucho. From deli lunches to hospital antics to reflections on Mae West, Erin Fleming, and the meaning of legacy, Elliott offers deeply personal stories with warmth and wit. You’ll even learn what Groucho considered Elliott’s greatest performance.
    Show More Show Less
    28 mins
  • 81 “Ten Annotated Years”

    81 “Ten Annotated Years”
    May 27 2025
    We're celebrating the tenth anniversary of Matthew Coniam’s “The Annotated Marx Brothers: A Filmgoer's Guide to In-Jokes, Obscure References and Sly Details”. In this retrospective, we explore how the book came to be—and how it ultimately became something quite different from what the title might lead you to expect. What sets it apart from other books on the Marxes? Is an updated edition on the horizon? And does Matthew still hate “Duck Soup”? These and other pressing questions will be lightly dodged before we inevitably try to sell you a copy.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 18 mins
  • 80 “Strange Interludes” (“The King and the Chorus Girl” & “Time for Elizabeth”)

    80 “Strange Interludes” (“The King and the Chorus Girl” & “Time for Elizabeth”)
    Apr 30 2025
    Friend of the podcast Kathy Biehl joins the guys to explore Groucho's only two produced scripts, the 1937 film "The King and the Chorus Girl", and the 1948 play "Time for Elizabeth" - which was later adapted for TV, featuring himself in the lead role. The crew delves into how these collaborations with Norman Krasna mark a conscious shift from Groucho’s signature humor, pondering what might have driven him to this new direction. They’ll guess which lines bear Groucho’s unmistakable stamp, and weigh in on his acting chops in Elizabeth. By the end, you’ll have the answer to the big question: Did Groucho need the funny?
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 25 mins
  • 79 “Monkey Business Rekippered” featuring The Marx Brothers Council

    79 “Monkey Business Rekippered” featuring The Marx Brothers Council
    Mar 28 2025
    With listener insights, we take another look at the film that marked the Marxes’ Hollywood debut and stands out as the only one featuring a manicurist we can name. This episode highlights the distinctiveness of Monkey Business, as comments explore how it stands apart from both their earlier work and later films. We’ll dive into praise for Thelma Todd and even Zeppo, alongside the random nitpicks Marx fans are famous for. Joe Adamson, Scott Alexander and Eddie Deezen are among those contributing. Jay Hopkins would have as well, if he could figure out how to do it.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 20 mins
  • 78 “What is Your Opinion of Art?” featuring Pat McCaughey

    78 “What is Your Opinion of Art?” featuring Pat McCaughey
    Feb 26 2025
    By all accounts, the brothers acquired their iconic names in 1914 while playing cards with a performer named Art Fisher…but does this story hold water, or even milk? To get to the bottom of this, we welcome master Marx researcher Pat McCaughey...and without spoiling anything, let’s just say, “it’s complicated”. We also reflect on the importance of the stage names and whether the brothers would have been successful without them. Later, Bob and Pat detail obstacles they’ve encountered while searching for the identity of the "Night at the Opera" manicurist.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 1 min