Humor Risk

For the Cass McCombs album, see Humor Risk (album).

Humor Risk
The Marx Brothers in 1921. Pictured left to right: Zeppo, Groucho, Harpo, and Chico
Directed by	Dick Smith
Produced by	The Marx Brothers Al Posen Max Lippman Jo Swerling
Written by	Jo Swerling
Starring	Chico Marx Groucho Marx Harpo Marx Zeppo Marx Jobyna Ralston
Cinematography	A. H. Vallet
Distributed by	Caravel Comedies
Running time	2 reels
Country	United States
Language	Silent film English intertitles

Search Humor Risk on Amazon.Humor Risk, also known as Humorisk, is a lost unreleased 1921 silent comedy short film that was the first film to star the Marx Brothers (Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx and Zeppo Marx).

Plot

Information about the plot of the film is sparse. It is known that the brothers were working separately, rather than as a team, and did not incorporate their trademark comic personalities for which they later became known.

Harpo played the hero, a detective named Watson who "made his entrance in a high hat, sliding down a coal chute into the basement". Groucho played an "old movie" villain, who "sported a long moustache and was clad in black", while Chico was probably his "chuckling [Italian] henchman". Zeppo portrayed a playboy who was the owner of a nightclub in which most of the action took place, including "a cabaret, [which allowed] the inclusion of a dance number". The final shot showed Groucho "in ball and chain, trudging slowly off into the gloaming". Harpo, in a rare moment of romantic glory, gets the girl in the end.

Cast

Four of the five Marx Brothers are known to have been in this short film. It was a popular belief that Groucho was the villain in the film, but details on the other roles were later coming. As written in his book, Kyle Crichton states that Harpo was the detective/sliding down the coal chute. Until Matthew Coniam’s revelation, it was only known that Chico played an “Italian”. Coniam uncovered later that Chico was the henchman and the brothers worked separately. It is here that Zeppo was given the role of bartender/playboy. It is also known now that Harpo wore a deerstalker cap.

Leading lady

Jobyna Ralston is most often mentioned as the female lead, due in part to have been in this said shortleading film. In the surviving production still, a lady matches her most closely. However, some sources say that Mildred Davis—star and later wife of Harold Lloyd—was also in the film. However, this idea is negated by a researcher who suggested Groucho Marx (who cited her in his biography) was misremembering in his old age. It also doesn’t check out that sources agree that she was too young at the time. The websites Marxology and SilentEra both state that the leading lady could have been one of two other actresses, Esther Ralston or Helen Kane. Esther was another close resemblance to the girl in the production still, but she never mentioned working with the Marxes. Helen Kane was noted as a “boop-a-doop” girl, but none of the Marxes mentioned her, a hard red flag.

Supporting players of the Marx Bros. Stage plays reportedly “joined in the mayhem”. On one account, Dick Smith’s mother visited the studio and consequently sat down at a table during shooting, only to return the next 3 consecutive days for continuity.

Production

File:Humor Risk Marx Brothers.jpg

Only surviving production still, from the documentary The Marx Brothers in a Nutshell

Information on the location of the film is contradictory. Author Allan Eyles states that the film was shot at Fort Lee, New Jersey. Groucho writes in his autobiography: “Shot on the west side of New York.” He also states the film consisted of two reels. Marx also says that they were working at the Palace Theater and had to run across town to do a scene. Author Charlotte Chandler sums it up: “Shot in New Jersey, lost in New York.” But new research in 2002 has claimed that there was no studio at 49,10, and it was unlikely that a 2-reel comedy was shot in two different locations. To accompany this, author Richard Koszarski stated the Old Ideal studio in Hudson Heights was quite cheap, a sure sign the privately-funded film was making use of it. But this studio contradicts a lot of things, namely because it routinely switched aliases, to such things as “The Briggs Studio.” This was reportedly located at 1996 Boulevard East (West NY). Add these all together and you can pinpoint a location for the film. Furthermore, Matthew Coniam says that the film was shot at “Victor Studios.” Though he confirms it was at Fort Lee, Universal Studios documents their purchase of the lot in 1917 (making it informal to name it that in the 1920s). The “New Victor Studio” was opened in 1915 at 643 West 43 Street, New York. Dubbed “the cheapest studio” that makes the film a prime contender for the poverty-like crew.

Jo Swerling played key roles, raising most of the money. (It is also known that the Marxes each added 2 thousand dollars). Funding was also provided by the Marxes and cartoonist Alvah “Al” Posen (producer, in some sources), Nathan Sachs (who operated under numerous aliases, such as “Nat Saxe”), and Max Lippman. Posen is a dark horse, and the only details of his life are after his work with the military, he was in film advertising. He supposedly hid the tapes in his overcoat, begging theaters to show it. Yeatman Cheatham, on the other hand, was a jack of all trades and worked for a company in the Leavitt building. In one source, Oscar “Mike” Mirantz was in on the film in some way. A 1921 press release says that Yeatman Cheatham Alley was in with a lot of key spots. John William Collette was an early director, but quit due to health issues ahead of his 1922 death. Dick Smith took his place, with a credit roll in Chicago complete. His wife Vallet was involved, too, and the couple had a round of directing with the 1930 Marx film Monkey Business. Smith also has an ample amount of supporting roles with luminaries leading up to this. Al Posen can be confirmed as a cartoonist thanks to preservation work on his stuff at the Syracuse University Library. Nathan Sachs had previously partnered with Max Lippman on a law firm, having made a fortune in the oil business (key in funding the film) and worked with the Marxes long after Humor Risk. When Sachs died, Harpo and Chico were pallbearers.

Release

The film saw the light of day (some sources say as incomplete) at a children’s matinee in early December 1921. The soonest a trade paper mentioned the film was through Wid’s Daily (later Film Daily) on April 8, 1921. (Ahead of release). The news line states that the Marxes had just signed onto a comedy film series with Caravel Comedies. Caravel was created by the Marxes themselves when they wanted to make their cinema debut. It was never a "proper" business concern, but a post office box and ream. Actually, Caravel building is in fact the Leavitt Building, also the base for World Film Corporation and Casey Comedies and others. Each company occupied 7 of the building's 12 floors.

Over the film series was the title, “Comedies Without Custard” or “Comedies sans Custard”. (Caravel was located at 130 west 46 street). It was normal at this time to have 2-reeler comedies released in continual series, but it is obvious this one was a one-off. The next (and last surviving) headline was on April 16, 1921 on page 738 by Moving Picture World. Pioneer film corporation, based in the Leavitt building, made an offer on the film after the premiere, but chances are they didn't go through with it because it would still be in existence from the publicity.

Surviving Copies

Kyle Crichton claims the film was destroyed but for one rogue print. This was used by friends of the brothers (actual o imagined) for “jovial blackmail”. Marx Brothers researcher Hector Arce in turn claims that the only film print was burned (by Groucho) and the negative held in Posen’s closet. Upon this revelation, Posen organized a screening but the audience was given the letdown of no movie when the negative was in bad quality. This vanished forever when the Marxes slunk off and the canister was left at the studio overnight. Alexander Woollcott demanded a screening of the film at the end of 1924 when the Marxes became popular on Broadway with I’ll Say She Is! Harpo also tried to watch it, offering a large cash reward for its showing at the same time. Matthew Coniam ends it all when he says Reelcraft reportedly picked it up and filed it under another name, saying, “where could it be? That was the only film the brothers made that year.” Lippman also may be in possession of a copy, as his estate (which was locked in a bidding war as late as 1938) contained some dull, unmarked canisters.

Reelcraft sold the negatives at auction the next year and it may still survive, though they did release films state by state, retitling the films on the way with independent companies yet, so that makes for a more confusing question of where the film is.

Sequels

According to a Film Daily headline on April 11, 1921, two sequel comedies would have followed Humor Risk; Hick, Hick, Hooray and Hot Dog. Nothing else is known beyond this.

See also

• List of United States comedy films
• List of lost films

External links

• Humor Risk on IMDb Search this movie on
• Humor Risk at Silent Era
• Discussion at NitrateVille
• Humor Risk at Marxology
• Reconstruction at YouTube
• The Marx Brothers’ Lost Film: Getting to the Bottom of a Mystery at Brenton Film
• Caravel Comedies listing in Motion Picture Studio Directory and Trade Annual 1921

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