The author invites readers to spend time in the pleasure of Harpo’s cinematic company while comparing him to tricksters from folklore, myth and legend. The book demonstrates how Harpo, the sweetest, wildest, most magical Marx brother, accomplishes the archetypal trickster’s work. The book offers a two-part introduction: an Establishing Shot of Harpo in historical context and a Preview of Coming Attractions summarising his trickster traits in the films. Thirteen chapters then examine Harpo’s trickster persona closely in each Marx Brothers film: The Cocoanuts, Animal Crackers, Monkey Business, Horse Feathers, Duck Soup, A Night at the Opera, A Day at the Races, Room Service, At the Circus, Go West, The Big Store, A Night in Casablanca, and Love Happy. The author demonstrates his luck, foolishness, cleverness, mania, hunger, lust, stealing, shape-shifting, gender-bending, alliance with underdogs, attacks on the powerful, musicality, sympathy for animals, magic, and mischief. The final chapter weaves his trickster behaviours in the films into a composite impression that, the author concludes,
with a little luck, will resonate beyond the covers of this book and leak out into the world, making it a more just, flexible, resilient, amusing and magical place.