the why axis

dolphinshark:

MEDIUM WELL

(Music in Other Media)

Chico Marx¹ - “Silver Threads Among the Gold (Animal Crackers Version)”

Music was always a part of the Marx Brothers’ act going back to their days in vaudeville, so when they made the jump to the big screen, it remained as much a part of the show as Groucho’s one-liners. The Marx with the most musical association is, of course, Harpo², but Chico also often performed music in their films.

The above clip is from Animal Crackers, one of their first films, and it offers a great lesson in how to play music live. In terms of pure technical proficiency, Chico does a very good job. By that I mean that the tune he’s playing sounds nice. But, his physical performance undoubtedly adds something to the piece. He throws tons of flourishes into his hand movements as he plays.³ This highlights the whimsical nature of the song he plays, and makes it downright funny. 

The lesson to be learned here, of course, is that live performances can add to music through physical motion and implications made from body language. While “sounding good” is a part of live music, it is perhaps the lowest bar to clear. It is much more impressive (and much more difficult) to do what Chico does here—improving a piece through visual, physical means.⁴

-TWG

1. Remember not to pronounce his nickname like “Chico and the Man.” His name isn’t from the Spanish for “boy” but from his womanizing tendencies. Therefore, his nickname is pronounced “chick-o” as in he liked “chicks.”

2. Harpo taught himself to play the harp and as a result played in a very nontraditional style. When he learned this he was a little embarrassed by his unconventional style, until an actual harpist started coming to him to learn his techniques to add to their classical repertoire.

3. My favorite of which is the way he uses a finger-gun to “shoot” out high notes. How cool is that?

4. Did you notice that I made it through the whole piece without mentioning Zeppo until right now? Poor, poor Zeppo.

***SUPERSECRET BIH EDIT: Gummo.