Twentieth Century Zanni

Today I watched The Cocoanuts, the first of the Marx Brothers movies from all the way back in 1929. I am currently working on my thesis for Cat University, which I intend will be about the transformation of traditional Commedia dell'arte theatre to cinema and then to TV and the form it exists in today.

The Cocoanuts is useful in two ways - firstly because it is such an old movie that not only is it in black and white but also it was made not long after mannys learned how to talk on camera (the invention of the so-called 'talkies') in 1927.

Secondly, before the Marx Brothers made movies they did a theatrical version of The Cocoanuts, so it can be seen as a direct transition piece between the two mediums; from transient live performances to permanent recordings.

To justify the movie as a work of Commedia dell'arte we must look at the characters and see how they map to the Commedia archetypes. The easiest are Bob and Polly who are obviously the innamorati. Polly's mother Mrs Potter is clearly of the vecchi, while the villainous Harvey and his partner Penelope only masquerade as members of that class.

The Marx Brothers are, as always, playing their own archetypal characters with minor variations to fit them to the plot of the individual story. They are, of course, the zanni. Chico and Harpo clearly fit to this, both by being being lower class petty criminals and from the way they come to the assistance of the separated lovers and are instrumental in their reunion.

Groucho, as hotel manager, seems to be in a position of authority, but the hotel is so unsuccessful that circumstances, combined with his own frustrated social-climbing character, contrived to place him with the zanni.

The film is very very silly and I loled many times while watching it. The funny scenes are broken up with scenes of mannys singing and dancing, as well as Chico and Harpo playing musical instruments, but these bits are not long so they do not end up being too boring. There is one funny song though and that is the one where the manny has lost his shirt.

I found the slapstick bits are very funny, with my favourite bit being the scene where the mannys are going in and out of two adjoining rooms a lot very fast. Groucho and Chico's lines were often very funny too, I especially liked the "why a duck" bit although poor Chico never did find out why and I don't suppose we will ever know.