Harpo speaks! New recordings reveal mute Marx brother chatting with audience

The comedy legend, who adopted his silent persona because of stage nerves, did occasionally address his audience, as revealed by a new archive release Groucho was the cigar-chomping wit with the improbable moustache, Chico was the piano-playing rustic grifter and Zeppo played the straight man and the lover. But as any Marx Brothers fan knows, Harpo was the pantomime, who cracked up the audience without saying a word, dressed in his tattered raincoat and curly wig. His persona was childlike and mischievous but also musical – he let his harp and his taxi horn do the talking. But now we get to see, or rather hear, a new side to Harpo Marx. A very special recording has been unearthed of Harpo in 1964 speaking to an audience, in character. Arthur “Harpo” Marx was born Adolph Marx in New York in 1888. He started performing with his brothers in 1910, and his nickname probably came about because of his instrument of choice – he was an entirely self-taught musician. By 1915, due to his nerves a...

On the Edge review – gripping study of France’s overstretched mental health system

A documentary following the only staff psychiatrist in a Paris hospital reveals both the indifference of society and a doctor’s devoted care

Within the corridors of a psychiatric ward in Beaujon hospital in Clichy, Paris, tensions run high. Every day, a steady stream of patients pours in, while resources are stretched pitifully thin. Through jagged handheld cinematography, Nicolas Peduzzi’s gripping and passionate documentary reflects the facility’s breakneck pace. Amid a flurry of frantic calls and rolling stretchers, a calm presence emerges: here comes Dr Jamal Abdel-Kader, the only staff psychiatrist in the building.

The camera trails after Abdel-Kader’s hurried steps as he splits his day between various departments, from the emergency rooms to the intensive care units. Despite his colossal workload – a result of crumbling infrastructure and lack of government budget – he devotes his full attention to each individual patient. Some are only in their late teens when they attempt self-harm and even suicide. Others have already spent a lifetime trapped in a cycle of addiction and depression.

Continue reading...

from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/1YV73ZK
via IFTTT

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Miracle Club review – Maggie Smith can’t save this rocky road trip to Lourdes

‘I lost a friend of almost 40 years’: Nancy Meyers pays tribute to Diane Keaton

Malaika Arora scolds 16-year-old dancer for inappropriate gestures: “He is winking, giving flying kisses”