The Marx Brothers in “Slap Happy!”

Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Marx Brothers’ 1st Movie…

…the Now-Lost Silent Movie Humor Risk, Filmed in 1921…

…with an All-New Short Social Good Script…

Slap Happy!

The First Script Written for Them as a Team in Over 27,500 Days (75 Years)!

By

Andrew Fumento AKA Andrew Bailey

[Editor’s note: The script for Slap Happy appears below.]

Someone asked me if I could be an honorary Marx Brother, what name would I choose — I responded, “Dunno.”

My dad Rocco was a film and writing professor who taught at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (from where I would later graduate). I was his youngest “student” ever when I attended his Thursday night film classes and screenings at age 10 — the same age my son Georgie is now. I grew up on the Marx Brothers, and as uncomfortable as that might have been, they never complained — neither did I.

The Marx Brothers — one of the greatest comedy teams ever featured (listed in order of birth) Chico, Harpo, and Groucho (who’s birthday just happens to be today, October 2 when I posted this — what are the odds?!) — along with Zeppo at the time — made their first movie, Humor Risk, in 1921.