On August 19th, 1977, the world lost Julius Henry Marx, one of the finest mischief makers who ever lived. Upon his passing, the man best known to legions of fans by the nickname "Groucho" left behind a truly incredible career, one that spanned vaudeville, radio, television, and the silver screen. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more consummate man in all of show business, for this was not only someone who kept busy til the end, but also a guy who knew the value of a good poker face. Not everything Groucho starred in was a success, but he was too much of a pro to let his displeasure be seen on camera; if he was going to be in a dud, he did everything he could to be the highlight of said turkey. This strategy certainly paid off in the case of Love Happy and Copacabana, two semi-obscure '40s musicals filmdom might have totally forgotten about, were it not the presence for a certain bespectacled shyster scheming in the wings.

COPACABANA (1947)
 
A Brazilian songstress (Carmen Miranda) pulls double duty after her agent/boyfriend (Groucho Marx) asks her to pose as a French chanteuse. Copacabana was Groucho's first major vehicle away from the support of his brothers, although he didn't stray too far from his comfort zone for the occasion. While he wears his signature crumpled suit and greasepaint mustache for one lone musical number, the fast-talking, cigar-chomping flirt he plays might as well have had the get-up on for the entire flick. But outside of allowing Groucho to launch into his typical, rascally routine (which, in all fairness, is still pretty funny), Copacabana was also meant to showcase Miranda, who sought to flex her comedic muscles and show viewers that she could do more than shimmy about in crazy costumes. There's a swell rapport that develops between her and her co-star, but the all-encompassing blandness that infects nearly every other aspect of the picture constantly works to undermine their chemistry. The script never makes the most of its "one person has to be two people at the same time" conceit, the romantic B-story involving Gloria Jean's secretary crushing on Steve Cochran's club manager has no pep, and the tedious (not to mention way too frequent) song-and-dance scenes have a gift for squeezing all the flavor out of Miranda's exotic Brazilian beats. Groucho's antics aside, Copacabana doesn't have very much going for it; it's an unmitigated and unmemorable heap of fluff that only the most dedicated of Marx completists need bother seeking out.

LOVE HAPPY (1949)
 
When priceless jewels falls into the hands of a wily tramp (Harpo Marx), the curvaceous crook who stole the goods (Ilona Massey) sets out to retrieve them at all costs. The last film to feature the iteration of the team that had been raising an on-screen ruckus since 1935's A Night at the Opera, Love Happy is considered by many to be the weakest Marx Brothers adventure. By all accounts, not even Groucho himself was thrilled at having gotten wrangled into this farce, which should be clear from his detached involvement in the story. Rather than interact with the ongoing comic chaos, his private eye character is content to narrate the proceedings from the comfort of his office, until an obligatory appearance in the climax. But while Love Happy's hijinks can seem like a pale imitation of the havoc so effectively wreaked in earlier Marx productions, that isn't to say that the film has no raucous pleasures to claim. With Groucho mostly taking a back seat and Chico assuming his usual supporting duties, this is Harpo's time to shine, and man, does he seize the moment. At the same time everyone is fretting about missing jewelry or sorting out their love lives, Harpo entertains us by just living in his own world, his rebellious spirit (and bottomless coat pockets) never ceasing to slap smiles on our mugs. If all the narrative nonsense about some theatrical troupe's efforts to mount a musical revue starts putting you a sleep (which it likely will), there's no need to worry, for a madcap chase or endearing slice of silent comedy is usually close by as a pick-me-up. It's true that Love Happy is far from the most fitfully funny addition to the Marx Brothers canon, but the guffaws the movie does garner help it avoid being a more woeful way for the boys to go out on than it easily could've been.

(Copacabana and Love Happy are available on Blu-ray from Olive Films.)