Guest Review - Hail, Hail, Euphoria! Reviewed by Mike Funt

Today's guest review is by my friend, former co-worker, voice artist and comedian Mike Funt. Mike's website is here.

Let me start by saying that I know The Marx Brothers. I mean I know The Marx Brothers. I have been a fan since I was six years old. I have seen all of The Marx Brothers films too many times to count, and I have read a dozen or so Marx biographies. Not only that, but I spent the better part of the beginning of my acting career portraying Groucho: on stage, at theme parks, for parties, you name it. I assume that is why I was asked to guest on this review. The presumption being that I will bring a level of credibility—or at the very least scholarship—to this whole thing, an irony considering the subject matter.

Roy Blount, Jr.’s new book Hail, Hail Euphoria, however, is not a Marx Brothers biography. Nor is it a book about the making of the film Duck Soup as the subtitle “Presenting the Marx Brothers in Duck Soup The Greatest War Movie Ever Made” might suggest. Nor is it even really a criticism of the film. It reads like the transcript of a DVD commentary because…well, essentially, that’s what it is.

The reader is treated to Blount’s thoughts as he watches the movie in real time. Along the way he throws in bits of trivia about the brothers, about the director Leo McCarey, and about the making of the film. There are comparisons with the original script treatment by Kalmar and Ruby as well as with the original script--titled originally Firecrackers, and later Cracked Ice--which are nothing if not interesting. Also included are tangential stream of consciousness thoughts about comedy, filmmaking, and movie history. These can be a little hard to follow at times as a footnote will refer to a tangent of a tangent to the point that one wonders when we will get back to the film this book is supposed to be about.

I must admit this is the first book by Roy Blount, Jr., that I have read, and this may all be a part of his writing style. In which case fans of his will find it quite wonderful. (I know him mostly as a frequent guest on NPR’s game show Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me.) I will say this. I read this book all in one sitting and would not recommend reading it otherwise. Given the nature of the story-telling style, it seem like it would be harder to follow stretched out over days of bedside reading.

Overall, I found the book quite entertaining. Though, I must say even the most casual student of the Marx Brothers will be hard pressed to find any new information or novel anecdotes. It is, however, a quick and fun read. Especially, I imagine, if you read it along with a viewing of the movie. If nothing else you’ll come away with a reminder of how good comedy can be and how timely 77 years later a satire on the war between Sylvania and Freedonia-- and the incompetent and corrupt leaders who orchestrate it--still is.

Hail, Hail Euphoria is published by It Books, an imprint of Harper Collins.