Marx Brothers | Animal Crackers | Harpo plays the harp uninterruptedly

Marx Brothers.
ANIMAL CRACKERS (1930).
Harpo plays de harp uninterruptedly.
Loop.

[@alaenamcdonald1877]

Harpo was unbelievable - he played the harp like someone playing twenty-five guitars at once, and no one could figure out how he did it, all self taught. A truly overlooked musical genius!

[@RootinrPootine]

Damn dude. What a great loop. No seam. Amazing.

[@ellingtonhilligas]

"Happiness is coming home and seeing a child's face in every window" Harpo

[@kevinhealey6540]

You can't help but love the guy. Whenever he played the harp in a film, his persona changes totally from his character. He becomes 100% involved in it. He self taught himself the harp.

[@ogzombiebreakfast]

I walked down the aisle to this song, his playing, at my wedding in 2012. I've always wanted to write his son Bill and tell him what an effect his father had on me. Don't know why it's taken me so long.

[@darthsatanus]

bless Harpo's gentle heart & soul wherever he is now.

[@josephosheavideos3992]

Except for a filmed opera, this may the longest continuous musical passage in cinematic history. Fitting, it would come from the most talented musician ever to grace the silver screen.

[@MrLightsaberMan]

It's on a loop, it's in the description. It only last a few minutes in the film.

[@richard526]

He made a career at making people laugh as a clownish member of the Marx Brothers but he was, as far as I’m concerned , the greatest Harpist. In the world.

[@JadeLeaf1980]

It’s amazing how theatrical the harp is. His hands aren’t just playing music, they’re dancing. It’s so graceful.

[@rmcfete]

In Harvard Square long ago for one full year every Friday-Sunday they played nothing but the Marx Brothers and you would miss half the jokes because we were all laughing. That is until Harpo sat down then you could have heard a pin drop not one sound until he finished

[@rmcfete]

Tks it’s true I know because I was there every weekend

[@Orgcent21]

Didn’t think I could sit the whole twenty minutes on this but I just did

[@DannyJane.]

I do love harp music, so perhaps I'm a bit prejudiced; but the way he transforms into the serious musician always hits me in the feels. Suddenly the clown's face is gone and what remains borders on the truly angelic!

[@SasuNaruL0vR80]

you can tell by the look in his eye when he sits just how much he LOVES playing❤ and he played like no other and no other can play like him because he never learned how to "properly" play or tune a harp! Harpo was COMPLETELY self-taught and even when he was shown by harpists (after they started making movies) he couldn't relearn so he played his own self-taught way the rest of his life ❤❤❤ Rest in Peace, Arthur "Harpo" Marx: November 23rd, 1888 - September 28th, 1964.

[@chiefans]

Mesmerizing magic. He was an absolute master of comedy and music.

[@nsbd90now]

Kind of weird Harpo Marx videos are now showing up on my youtube feed... you can really see his intelligent artistic presence in this vid.

[@SouthBaySteelers]

To think that he was self taught…

[@mushroom4423]

I admire Harpo, his music on the harp is beautiful, he was a talented man. Long live Harpo Marx.

[@denicesanders4586]

He has been dead for over sixty years. Long live Harpo Marx?

[@dutchwolf5110]

He was the greatest

[@jessicathethreestoogesfan2635]

This is beautiful.

[@hippielady]

I adored him (and always will.)

[@MMitchellMarmel]

Nicely looped; nary a glitch to be seen! Well done! :D

[@billbickley2277]

Superb .................. Bill Bickley UK..........................................................................

[@emilygibbs8812]

'Alone' is my favorite.It makes me cry 😢, but in a good way.

[@JoelKreider]

Maaan… nice work on this one.

[@knibscratch]

I keep watched this wonderful Harpo video many times and for the life of me I can't find were the loop ends and starts again!

[@emilygibbs8812]

I think Harpo's the most positive musician in the world 🌎, even over Adrian Belew, and that's up there.🫂

[@frankcohen8662]

Is anyone recreating Harpo Marx wonderful pieces? -Frank

[@Enri45100]

Is this the same passage of the film repeated many times? Like in a loop.I can't be that he always plays the same.

[@premanadi]

Yes, it says in the description that it's a loop.

[@premanadi]

It's very curious - you can tell he is playing and they left in some wrong notes at :33-:34 and other places. But there is also clearly someone else playing at the same time - at :51 he lifts his hands off the strings but the harp playing continues for a moment.

[@sevron-rk5tz]

I read some where that a lot of his movie music was recorded outside the filming and during filming he would just do it for the action. Maybe that is why there was a bit of missed action while the music was on.

[@premanadi]

@@sevron-rk5tz The harp solos in the early films are played live, but later on they are obviously mimed. It became standard practice to mime or lip sync in movies. The question is who actually recorded the harp playing, Harpo or a professional player. It's kind of weird that they used a take with mistakes in it. But maybe that was just the best they could get.

[@pdp1145]

My all time fav piece by Harpo, and music doesn't get more enchanting than this, IMHO. I may be biased as my fav period for music is probably the 30's anyway, but it surely does reek of the 30's too, which is fine by me! Does anyone know the name of this tune? Is it something he composed himself? I'd love to hear it done any other way, but can't imagine any treatment topping this one.

[@premanadi]

The song is "Why Am I So Romantic," by Kalmar and Ruby, written for the musical Animal Crackers. It's sung by Lillian Roth in the film. You can find clips of her on KZbin.

[@darcybrummett7004]

This song sounds familiar!

[@emilygibbs8812]

His whisting is the shit.