Writer's Block: Let's try this again

[scarfman]

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I want to see Ghostbusters remade with Marx Brothers impersonators. Groucho as Venkman, Chico as Spengler, Harpo as Stantz, Zeppo as Zeddemore, Margaret Dumont as Dana. All you'd have to do to the script is remove Stantz' lines.

"I have lots of people waiting to abuse me."

"That-a would have worked if-a you hadn't-a stopped me."

Comments

[retro-rider55.livejournal.com]

Well, Gene Siskell said of it "The Three Stooges meet Poltergeist; Moe gets the girl..."

[purpleranger.livejournal.com]

Gummo as Louis Tully? But who would play Walter Peck, or Janine?

[scarfman]

The supporting players in Marx Brothers movies were always studio contract players: a pompous character actor as the villain, usually an ingenue and a leading man for a spot of romance (except once when Zeppo got to be the romantic lead). In modern terms, for the villain, someone like Kurt Fuller (who was a villain in Ghostbusters II) or Jeffrey Tambor. For the ingenue and the romantic lead you'd pull two unknowns with soap opera and/or musical theatre experience.

[purpleranger.livejournal.com]

The thing with Ghostbusters is that Venkmann was the romantic lead, so you would have "Groucho" taking that part.

And if your're going to be using Marx Brothers impersonators, you might as well use all of the Marx Brothers. The only major male role left is Louis, so wouldn't you agree that a Gummo impersonator would be appropriate?

[scarfman]

The thing with Ghostbusters is that Venkmann was the romantic lead, so you would have "Groucho" taking that part.

I did say Groucho as Venckman, and Margaret Dumont as Dana. But Marx Brothers movies also had (at least from Irving Thalberg on) a separate ingenue-and-young-male-romantic-lead couple. Those are who'd be cast as Tully and Janine.

And if your're going to be using Marx Brothers impersonators, you might as well use all of the Marx Brothers.

No, because Gummo and Zeppo each filled the same dramatic/comedic niche and never appeared together. And it wasn't even that essential a dramatic niche (at least from Irving Thalberg on). Why would you need two fifth wheels? What team of Marx Brothers impersonators even has a Gummo?

(See now, this is the kind of argument I wish people would give me over T*R*E*K. Though I've never promised to be persuaded.)

[purpleranger.livejournal.com]

I would have to think that there is some group of Marx Brothers impersonators out there that is so completist, so OCD, that they would have both a Zeppo and a Gummo. Who and where that group is, I have no idea.

On a slightly related note, I'm sure you remember that in one episode of BTVS, Cordelia told Xander that he was "The Zeppo" of the Scooby Gang. And I'm sure you remember some fans online suggesting that if Xander was the Zeppo, Cordelia had to be the Gummo. If that's the case, who are the Groucho, Chico, and Harpo? I'll suggest that Buffy would be the Margaret Dumont.

[scarfman]

I don't recall the Zeppo metaphor being stretched any farther than Cordelia's obvious intent as a synonym for "fifth wheel". I don't think it does stretch any farther.

[omorka.livejournal.com]

On the one hand, I would mourn the loss of Ray's lines like you wouldn't believe. On the other hand, him as the Harpo character - that works entirely too well.

Second the "who's Janine?", though.

[scarfman]

The supporting players in Marx Brothers movies were always studio contract players: a pompous character actor as the villain, usually an ingenue and a leading man for a spot of romance (except once when Zeppo got to be the romantic lead). In modern terms, for the villain, someone like Kurt Fuller (who was a villain in Ghostbusters II) or Jeffrey Tambor. For the ingenue and the romantic lead you'd pull two unknowns with soap opera and/or musical theatre experience.