ESSENTIAL CINEMA: PRE-CODE TREASURES THE COCOANUTS Directed by Robert Florey & Joseph Santley USA, 1929, 1h 36min, 35mm The Marx Brothers’ first feature preserves the anarchic interplay of their stage shows, as well as the some of the more risque elements. For years, Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo Marx had been traveling the vaudeville circuit, perfecting their comic routines in a number of different loose revues. The energy of this performance style is present in all their film work, but never with quite the rawness, vitality and rudeness that you will find here. You’ll laugh a lot. ABOUT THIS SERIES Scholar Dr. Caroline Frick joins us for a celebration of Hollywood films from the period of Hollywood history now known as the pre-code era. During this time, the studios had not yet made arrangements to self-censor their films for moral purity. As you might imagine, these movies are much wilder and more fun than the ones that followed a few years later, after the censorship code had been enacted. The first screening of each film will be followed by an audience discussion. Tickets: https://www.austinfilm.org/screening/the-cocoanuts/