Yes, we’re back with yet another slate of fun musical numbers from films that you may not have seen or even heard about. So, pay close attention as we set the Wayback Machine to a time when the big screen was routinely filled with song and dance.
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Next month marks the 35th anniversary of the premiere of Martin Scorsese’s “Goodfellas,” which is considered among the greatest gangster films ever made. But for every “Goodfellas,” there are plenty of other films about organized crime that were somewhat more eccentric – and in some cases, they offered an utterly warped consideration of the criminal world. If you are in search of films populated with off-kilter mobsters, then leave the gun and take the cannoli to this line-up of the 10 weirdest gangster movies to shoot their way across the big screen.
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BOOTLEG FILES 914: “Time for Elizabeth” (1964 television production starring Groucho Marx).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: It fell through the proverbial cracks.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.
In 1948, Broadway audiences were presented with “Time for Elizabeth,” a comedy co-authored by Oscar-winning writer Norman Krasna and Groucho Marx – yes, that Groucho Marx. The play was poorly received by critics and closed after eight performances. Oddly, Warner Bros. ignored the show’s commercial failure and paid the playwrights $500,000 for the screen rights – but the studio never got around to creating a screen version.
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BOOTLEG FILES 867: “Groucho” (1965 British television series starring Groucho Marx).
LAST SEEN: One episode is on YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: It was never released in the U.S.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Unlikely, considering 11 of the 13 episodes are considered lost.
One of the most popular American game shows of all time was “You Bet Your Life,” which appeared on radio from 1947 to 1960 and on television from 1950 to 1961. The program’s popularity had little to do with the game, which was a rather tame question-and-answer endeavor, but with the show’s witty host Groucho Marx. The heart of the show would involve Groucho interviewing and having fun with the contestants, punctuating the conversation with one-liners and gentle wisecracks.
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Some movie icons end their careers with memorable achievements while others leave behind an ignoble post-script to otherwise grand works. Film historian Geno Cuddy joins “The Online Movie Show” podcast to discuss the best and worst cinematic swan songs of all time.
The episode can be heard here.
BOOTLEG FILES 762: “The Hollywood Greats – Groucho Marx” (1979 episode of a British television series).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Fell through the proverbial cracks.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.
Zeppo Marx is one of the most mysterious figures in film history. He appeared with his brothers Groucho, Harpo and Chico in their first five feature films at Paramount (and in a segment of a promotional film for the studio), but the union within his zany siblings’ antics was always tenuous. He was barely on screen in their first film, “The Cocoanuts,” and snagged a single memorable segment with Groucho in “Animal Crackers.” Zeppo got more screen time as the romantic interest in “Monkey Business” and “Horse Feathers,” but by their final film “Duck Soup” he was back to being an elusive on-screen presence.
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BOOTLEG FILES 729: “Gabe Kaplan as Groucho” (1982 television special).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: On VHS and LaserDisc.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Out of circulation for many years.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.
In 1976, the producers of the popular sitcom “Welcome Back, Kotter” planned to have Groucho Marx make a cameo appearance in an episode called “Sadie Hawkins Day.” The script called for Gabe Kaplan to do an impression of Groucho, only to have the real Groucho come in and react to the unreasonable facsimile. Unfortunately, the 86-year-old comedy icon was in extremely frail health and it was decided that he would not go on camera. Instead, Groucho posed for publicity photographs with the show’s cast – but these were not released to the media and only surfaced many years later.
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