THE MAKING OF ‘THE COCOANUTS’

“The Cocoanuts” had opened at Broadway’s Lyric Theater on Dec. 8, 1925, and had run for 276 performances. Margaret Dumont had been in the original stage version but the other roles were recast for the film version, which began production on Feb. 4, 1929. The film had two directors, French-born Robert Florey and former dance instructor Joseph Santley. Groucho would later complain, “One of them didn’t understand English and the other didn’t understand comedy.” “The Cocoanuts” was filmed in Queens while the Marx Brothers were starring in “Animal Crackers” on Broadway in the evenings. “Talkie” films were so new that studios didn’t yet have soundproofing, so the directors preferred to film in early mornings in order to reduces outside traffic noise. The next Marx Brothers film, “Animal Crackers,” would also be filmed in Queens. Harpo’s red wig looks very dark in this film. As a result, he’d switch to lighter wigs for subsequent films. He’s not named in the credits, but at one point, he’s referred to as “Silent Red.” The scene in which Harpo eats a telephone and drinks from an inkwell wasn’t in the original stage production — it was dreamed up for the film. The phone was made of chocolate and the inkwell was filled with Coca-Cola. Playing Mrs. Potter — a widow staying at a Florida hotel whose wealth attracts the attention of the hotel manager, Groucho’s Mr. Hammer — was Margaret Dumont. She’d go on to appear in six more Marx Brothers films through 1941. Groucho admired the way she kept a straight face — usually by not understanding his rapid-fire jokes. He called her “a great foil.” The Marx Brothers were appalled by the final edit of “The Cocoanuts.” They offered to buy the film’s negative from Paramount so they could burn it. Paramount declined the offer and premiered the film in New York on May 24, 1929. “The Cocoanuts” turned out to be a big hit, grossing $1.8 million at the box office to become one of the most successful early “talkie” films.