The Marx Brothers Encyclopedia

by Glenn Mitchell

A complete guide to this famous comedy family which reviews the history of their careers. It includes full details on all the Marx brothers' feature films from "Duck Soup" to "Love Happy", as well as their stage shows, guest appearances and televison productions.

Genres: Reference, Film, Biography, Nonfiction, Humor, Media Tie In

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[David]

Lots of fun details, some of which do not appear elsewhere (or, at least, in my memory of what I have read elsewhere!). Occasional errors -- like a series of plot points in Duck Soup ascribed to appearance in Horse Feathers -- have the usual effect of making me wonder how much of the unfamiliar material here is accurate--though, again, fairly comprehensive reading in Marx Brothers material seems to confirm that Mitchell is usually accurate when treating the familiar stuff. Like Joe Adamson's book on the brothers, this one sometimes serves as a way to dip into a little cheering Marxiana when one hasn't got the time to re-watch all the movies.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource for fans of The Marx Brothers. Contains detailed information about the production of all their films, television appearances, stage, and solo endeavors. Presented in A-Z format with photos throughout. Contains information on co-stars like Margaret Dumont and Louis Calhern. If it has to do with the Marx Brothers, it's in this book. A must have.

The Marx Brothers Encyclopedia (revised)
ISBN: 9780857687784
Titan Books
January 2012
309 Pages

Received review copy courtesy of Titan Books.

[Jack Carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Marx Brothers encyclopedia revised
Originally published in 1996, this revised version is a fun companion piece to the other Marx Brothers books out there. Like any encyclopedia, it is an alphabetized collection of facts, events, and people related to the Marx Brothers. Starting with “Abandoned Projects” and wrapping up with “You Bet Your Life,” it is filled with enough info to delight any Marx Brother fan. Well illustrated with photographs throughout, it is fun to flip through and land on different sections and be entertained by the concise and informative text pieces. While I was not entirely happy with some of the editorial decisions, like “The House That Shadows Built” being under Monkey Business instead of it getting its own synopsis or the inclusion of Eddie Cantor and Laurel and Hardy who, other than being contemporaries, had little to do with The Marx Brothers, and other people or events being lumped together when they deserved their own section, ultimately it is a worthy part of any Marx Brothers Library.

[Josh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Encyclopedias CAN be interesting. This one wasn't, though.

[Abraham Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice book about the Marx brothers.

[Mallory]

Impossible to find.