Love Happy *** (1949, Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Eric Blore, Ilona Massey, Marilyn Monroe, Vera-Ellen, Raymond Burr) – Classic Movie Review 9636

Harpo Marx takes centre stage for the Marx Brothers’ final movie together about mounting a Broadway show and foiling jewel thieves, in director David Miller’s 1949 black and white wisecracking comedy Love Happy [Kleptomaniacs].

Alas, there is too little of Groucho as Detective Sam Grunion, the narrator of the story, a detective pursuing lovely gem robber Madame Egelichi (Ilona Massey), though he does memorably get to meet Marilyn Monroe, while Raymond Burr as the bad guy Alphonse Zoto, Eric Blore as the fussy guy Mackinaw, and Vera-Ellen’s dancing help things along.

Love Happy is amiable fun, with Harpo especially amusing as the speechless kleptomaniac, who has stolen a sardine can that has the Romanoff diamonds, and Chico Marx still fun as Faustino the Great. But the movie should still have been much better with writers like Ben Hecht, Frank Tashlin and Mac Benoff, basing their screenplay on Harpo’s story.

Madame Egelichi and her henchmen will stop at nothing to get the diamonds back, and the Broadway part of the plot is that Harpo shoplifting is food to help the young hopefuls trying to stage a Broadway show on a shoestring.

Also in the cast are Eric Blore, Ilona Massey, Marilyn Monroe, Vera-Ellen, Raymond Burr, Marion Hutton, Melville Cooper, Paul Valentine, Leon Belasco, Eric Blore, Bruce Gordon, Edward Gargan, Lois Hall, Colin Keith-Johnston and Otto Waldis.

Love Happy [Kleptomaniacs] is directed by David Miller, runs 91 minutes, is made by Artists Alliance, is released by United Artists, is written by Ben Hecht, Frank Tashlin and Mac Benoff, , based on Harpo Marx’s story, is shot in black and white by William C Mellor, is produced by Lester Cowan and Mary Pickford, is scored by Ann Ronell and is designed by Gabriel Scognamillo.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9636

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