Love Happy

I disagree with the put downs of this film by some viewers, for a very simple reason: I enjoyed watching it and found it funny. Sure, the plot is a little weak, but who watches Marx Brothers films for the plot? Actually, the plot is stronger than in many of their movies.

Groucho's role is certainly weak, but this may be Harpo's finest film, which showcases his beautiful comic style. Chico does fine, too. And they both deliver some wonderful musical performances.

The scene near the end on the rooftop amid the Times Square advertising signs is delightful. There seems to be an obvious element of "product placement," though I don't know whether the filmmakers got paid for this, but that all adds to the peculiar humor of the scene.

It's been a very long time since I first saw the classic Marx Brothers films, at least as an adult who could appreciate them. Back then they were funny. But I can't say they crack me up these days, as the gags have gotten old.

So it was wonderful to find this Marx Brothers film I hadn't seen, and to laugh at them again. This is a funny film. Period.

It is a bit sad knowing this was their last film, also knowing the great young comedy writers who were about to get started in live television, including Mel Brooks and Woody Allen. If only their talent could have been turned to writing more scripts for the Marx Brothers. Instead, they wrote for Sid Caesar's television shows, which in some ways were the heirs to the Marx Brothers humor.

I think I will watch Love Happy again, soon. I want to watch Harpo's performance more closely. It seems to me he was the last of the silent film comedians, in the tradition of Chaplin and Buster Keaton, whose humor was all in their body language. And this was his last great work.

"Final" Marx Bros. Film is mostly a vehicle for Harpo with musical numbers and romantic subplot featuring Vera-Ellen and Paul Valentine. Groucho narrates the whole thing as a detective. The film cuts away to him several times before he joins the main story late in the picture. He's funny as expected, although most of his stuff feels tacked-on. Chico has a smaller part but still gets a couple of funny bits including a piano scene. The brothers share no scenes together as a trio but Harpo gets short bits with each separately. Marilyn Monroe appears with Groucho in one memorable scene. It's an entertaining movie. Don't go into it with the expectation that it's going to be a proper Marx Bros. Movie like their 30s classics. Just take it on its own terms and you might enjoy it. Vera-Ellen has a great dance number, Ilona Massey has amazing cleavage, and the supporting cast includes several fun characters. By the way, I watched this on blu-ray and while the picture quality is amazing, HD does the brothers no favors in hiding their age.

Love Happy is the final movie that features the three Marx brothers (Groucho Chico Harpo) in top billing and as the stars. Once again they do the occasional musical performances. This time Frank Tashlin co-writes the script (bringing, I'd imagine, some pure cartoonish brilliance to it, in fits and starts). And it's OK... ish. Actually Harpo is better than OK, but when isn't he? This isn't even his premier work and he's delightful to watch in scenes that should be rote like when the actress asks Harpo to be his manager and he mimes becoming a "big shot" with his feet up on a can of rubbish in a park, miming as well being on the phone with many agents. It's what he was made for as a performer, moments like this.

The main problem for me is a major lack of the brothers interacting with one another - Groucho barely appears in the first half for Pete's sake, and only through limited 4th wall breaks - yet there are a lot of legitimately entertaining musical numbers (really, there isn't a dull one, including a number where a woman sings about being frustrated with motherhood). There's once again another loony but half-baked crime plot, here involving stolen diamonds in a can of... sardines I think, Chico on piano, and a musical that is on thin ice as far as being produced. Objectively this isn't as good a movie as I'm rating it, but I'm being generous because when these guys do click in their scenes they are just that funny. In other words it's better than Room Service (oddly enough this has the storyline that it's closest to), but not by much.

It's also uncanny seeing Groucho without his grease-paint mustache as a movie character with the brothers.

Yes, this movie is sad; it's the end of an era. Bye bye, Marx Brothers; over half a century later, you still haven't been topped.

However, this movie is not sad in the sense of being pathetic. There's still some laughs here, and on balance, I think this is better than some of the previous Marx efforts ("A Night in Casablanca" and "At the Circus" in particular). Harpo is quite charming (who's not a Harpo fan?), and I remember finding the Central Park scene quite touching. The rooftop chase is a blast, too. Granted, those two scenes are standouts and the rest of the movie is weaker in comparison, but I never found it painfully weak.

Let's put it this way; even mediocre Marx is still okay by me.

Love Happy is the last movie where the Marx brothers appear together.Harpo is the biggest star of the movie.He gets in a trouble when he steals a sardine can that has Romanoff's diamond inside.Love Happy is good Marx movie.Groucho, Harpo and Chico are as good as they were in their younger days.And you can see Marilyn Monroe in a little part as Groucho's client.A must see for Marx fans, especially Harpo fans.