Julius H. Marx speech on Africa

[THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OZ]

All of us have our little weaknesses, something that even though it was harm-
less we HAVE to nitpick on. Well mine is Marx Brothers routines that are
"not presented correctly." A few days ago a favorite routine of mine was
presented in a questionable light (questionable to me of course). Although
I don't have the script in my Marx Bros collection (THE GROUCHO PHILE, THE
MARX BROTHERS SCRAPEBOOK, WHY A DUCK? GROUCHO AND ME, HARPO SPEAKS!, SON OF
GROUCHO, AND THE GROUCHO LETTERS) I do feel I remember it well enough to
relate it properly to you. For those of you have not guessed yet, Julius
H. Marx was also known as Groucho Marx.

"My friends, I am here to tell you of the wonderous continent known as Africa.
Well we left New York drunk and early on the morning of February 31. We were
15 days on the water, and three on the boat when we finally arrived in Africa.
Apon our arrivial we immediatly set up a rigorous schedule: Up at 6:00, break-
fast and back in bed by 7:00. Pretty soon we were back in bed by 6:30.

Now Africa is full of big game. The first day I shot two bucks. That was the
biggest game we had. Africa is primerally inhabited by Elks, Moose and Knights
of Pithiests (sp).

The elks live up in the mountains and come down once a year for their annual
conventions. And you should see them gathered around the water hole, which
they leave immediatly when they discover it is full of water. They weren't
looking for a water hole. They were looking for an alck hole (alcohol).

One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas, how he got in my pajamas, I don't
know. Then we tried to remove the tusks. That's a tough word to say, tusks.
As I said we tried to remove the tusks, but they were imbedded so firmly we
couldn't get them out. But in Alabama the Tusks are looser, but that is
totally irrelephant to what I was saying.

We took some pictures of the native girls, but they weren't developed. So
we're going back in a few years..."

The above was done in the play (and then movie) ANIMAL CRACKERS, by George S.
Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind. Groucho's part was that of Capt Jeffery Spaulding.

This bicentenial minute was brought to you by,

OZ
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