COFF & Goodman Theatre Attempt To Break Groucho Marx World Record 7/21

The City of Chicago's Outdoor Film Festival (COFF), in partnership with the Goodman Theatre, invites you to break a Guinness World Record^TM. Be part of the largest group of people ever to wear Groucho Marx's iconic look-black glasses, bushy eyebrows, greasepaint mustache, and signature schnoz- at the same time at Tuesday's (7-21-09) presentation of the American classic movie Duck Soup in Grant Park.

The record to break "of the most people wearing Groucho Marx glasses" is 4,077. The record was set during a fundraiser in Springfield, Missouri, on July 9, 2007. Starting at 5pm, get your free Groucho glasses at Grant Park-and be ready to don the famous look for 10 consecutive minutes at 8:00pm. This event, including the Groucho glasses, is FREE and open to the public. Groucho himself may even stop by for the occasion.

This event primes Chicago for Goodman Theatre's fall revival of Animal Crackers - the family friendly musical theater event based on the original Marx Brothers Broadway hit and film classic -running September 18 - October 25. Stage and screen star Joey Slotnick plays Captain Jeffrey T. Spaulding, the role originated by Groucho Marx. For tickets and information, visit www.GoodmanTheatre.org.

Who Is Groucho Marx? Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (October 2, 1890- August 19, 1977) was an American comedian and film star famed as a master of wit. He made 13 feature films with his siblings, the Marx Brothers, of which he was the third-born. Source: Wikipedia

DUCK SOUP is a 1933 Marx Brothers comedy film first released by Paramount Pictures in 1933. It starred the "Four Marx Brothers" (Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and Zeppo). It was the last Marx Brothers film to feature Zeppo, and the last of five Marx Brothers movies released by Paramount. Compared to the Marx Brothers' previous Paramount films, Duck Soup was a box-office disappointment, although it was not a "flop" as is sometimes reported. The film opened to mixed reviews. After the film fulfilled their five-picture contract with the studio, the Marxes and Paramount agreed to part. While critics felt it did not quite meet the standards of its predecessors, critical opinion has evolved and Duck Soup is widely considered to be a Marx Brothers masterpiece. Source: Wikipedia

About ANIMAL CRACKERS Hooray for Captain Spaulding! When a celebrated sculpture goes missing from Mrs. Rittenhouse's fancy house party in honor of African explorer Captain Spaulding, her guests set out to find the thief in a series of madcap antics and exploits. Animal Crackers first opened on Broadway in 1928 and became a 1930 feature film starring the four brothers Groucho, Chico, Harpo and Zeppo; the songs "Hello, I Must Be Going" and "Hooray for Captain Spaulding", both written by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, became recurring themes for Groucho. Goodman Theatre's revival features Joey Slotnick (Ethan Cohen's Offices off-Broadway and Lookingglass' Our Town) as well as Molly Brennan as "The Professor," Harpo Marx's role (Second City's Fatty Arbuckle's Spectacular Musical Review, 500 Clown's Theatrical Essays); Jonathan Brody as Emanuel Ravelli, Chico Marx's role (Broadway's Spamalot); and Ed Kross as "Horatio Jamison," Zeppo Marx's role (American Theatre Company's Stalag 17 and films Ocean's 12 and The Road to Perdition). Ora Jones (the Goodman's Proof and Steppenwolf's The Violet Hour) portrays Mrs. Rittenhouse. Henry Wishcamper directs. Source: Wikipedia and Goodman Theatre

Rated one of the best outdoor events of the summer, the Chicago Outdoor Film Festival (COFF), presented by COMED and produced/ programmed by the Mayor's Office of Special Events, celebrates 10 years of bringing you great classic American films. Join us for seven Tuesdays in Grant Park, July 14 - August 25, 2009. For more info, visit the web: chicagooutdoorfilmfestival.us

Special thanks to our sponsors: ComEd, Metromix, CTA, The Lite WLIT 93.9 and Turner Classic Movies (TCM).