Synopses & Reviews
Nearly eighty years after its release, the Marx Brothers film
Duck Soup remains one of the most influential pieces of political satire in history. In
Hail, Hail, Euphoria!, bestselling author Roy Blount Jr. tells the history and making of
Duck Soup, examining the comedic genius of the Marx Brothers in their finest hour and nine minutes.
In Duck Soup, a slim, agile, quick-witted, self-assured young man is summoned to save a nation from financial ruin. As the nations new president, he brings together a team of rivals, a band of brothers. Those brothers are Pinky, Chicolini, and Lt. Bob Roland. Their leader? None other than Rufus T. Firefly.
The humor and idiosyncratic wit of Duck Soup are saluted by the authors own in this gem of a book, offering a behind-the-scenes tale of show business and brotherhood that only a true Marx Brothers aficionado could tell.
Review
“Roy Blount Jr. deconstructs the Marx Brothers magic.” Los Angeles Times
Review
“Readers will enjoy the stories behind this iconic film and the careers of the Marx Brothers.” Booklist
Review
“Hail, Hail, Euphoria! is the most lyrical, insightful, scholarly, illuminating and celebratory 144 pages Ive ever sat down with. This book is a stream of fun.” Wall Street Journal
Review
“Roy Blount Jr. knows from humor. In [Hail, Hail, Euphoria!], he sets out to remedy the lack of a scene-by-scene commentary on the Marx Brothers greatest movie, the sublimely nonsensical Duck Soup.” Washington Post
Review
“An essential read for Marx Brothers fans, those curious about the melding of war and humor in film, and browsers looking for a good read.” Library Journal
Synopsis
Bestselling author Roy Blount Jr. tells the story of theclassic Marx Brothers wartime satire Duck Soup. As always, Blount isinformed yet informal, tongue-in-cheek yet tempered, providing the perfectvoice to recount the irreverent antics of Harpo, Chico, Groucho, and Zeppo. Readers of HarpoSpeaks, The Essential Groucho,and Monkey Business and fans of Animal Crackers, A Night at the Opera and the Marx Brothers other timelesscomedies—as well as all fans of Blounts witty and insightful books like Alphabet Juice and Feet on the Street and listeners to NPRs weekly news quiz, Wait, Wait, Dont Tell Me—will becaptivated by the lyrical humorists compelling, behind-the-scenes storytellingof the 1933 classic film.
About the Author
Humorist, sportswriter, poet, performer, lecturer, dramatist, and author of seventeen books, Roy Blount Jr.s writing has appeared in numerous publications, including The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, and National Geographic. His work has also been anthologized in such collections as The Best of Modern Humor and The Ultimate Baseball Book. He lives in western Massachusetts and New York City.