Sunny Sun Bear Ain't a Grouch-o
But he can deliver the zingers like nobody's business
Look at this contented Malay sun bear, walking on his hind legs and eating a carrot like a boss. He’s a resident of the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center (BSBCC), located on Borneo Island in the Malay Archipelago. Sun bears are vulnerable-classified species native to the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia and the BSBCC Japan fund-raises and promotes awareness in support of the animals and refuge. And when they eat carrots, they bring to mind certain cigar-chomping comedians…
Yes, all those wisecracking jokes from our sun bear friend were originally uttered by Groucho Marx, king of the wry zingers who entertained audiences for nearly 70 years with his fast-talking wit and slapstick humor. Before his debut in 1947 behind the mic—and later in 1950 in front of the television camera—for the game show You Bet Your Life, Marx was a well-known and beloved comedic actor.
Groucho Marx started his career in vaudeville in 1905, his brothers joining him a few years later in 1909 to create the group act The Three Nightingales. The Marx Brothers, as they would eventually be known, would later star in movies, some based on earlier successful Broadway shows (The Cocoanuts in 1929 and Animal Crackers in 1930). Their films Monkey Business (1931), Horse Feathers (1932), Duck Soup (1933) and A Night at the Opera (1935) were also commercial successes.
Groucho, the most recognizable of the Marx Brothers with his wisecracking hustler persona, grease-painted eyebrows and mustache (which he grew out by the time of the game show), ever-present cigar and exaggerated chicken-walking lope, also worked solo in a small number of less-successful movies, as a radio comedian, and as a show host. By far, his most well-received hosting gig was his work in You Bet Your Life, a position he held for eleven years. The show was the brainchild of producer John Guedel, who had witnessed Marx’s appearance on a variety show he produced for radio, one which was hosted by Bob Hope. An aggravated Marx had been forced to wait for 40 minutes in the show’s green room, perhaps a reflection of his flagging popularity, so when he was finally introduced he ad-libbed his way through his segment with sardonic jokes, largely ignoring his scripted lines and going well over his allotted time. The audience loved the off-the cuff dialogue, as did Guedel, who approached Groucho about the possibility of hosting a quiz show. Marx at first declined, demurring that game show hosting was the last refuge of washed-up stars, but with Guedel’s assurance that the show would primarily be a vehicle for Groucho’s comedic improvisation, he relented.
You Bet Your Life appeared first on ABC radio (1947-1949), then went to CBS (1949-1950) and finally to NBC. It started as radio-only, but from 1950 to 1960, it was produced for both radio and television, with the television format slightly different, taking advantage of Groucho’s reactive physical humor, primarily in the form of wry and knowing facial expressions. At the end of 1960, the show was produced for a television-only format until it was cancelled after the 1961 season. By the mid-1950’s, it had gained a huge following, becoming the one of most popular shows on television.
The format was relatively straightforward—a pair of guests, sometimes celebrities but more often lesser-known people or those selected from the audience, would be invited to appear. Marx would ask guests quiz questions (correct answers resulting in a cash reward) after interviewing them, working his wordplay and ad-libbed jokes into the conversation and attempting to steer the guests into saying a “secret word,” which would win them additional money. Owing to the show’s largely unscripted format, outside of a few lines that writers would give to guests for Marx to work in a joke if necessary, airings were taped in advance. This would allow editing to be done later to tighten up interviews so as to eliminate uninteresting portions and, just as importantly, as a way to cut out any risqué content before show’s aired, a network concern where the notorious say-anything loose-cannon Marx was involved. This makes You Bet Your Life the first television show taped before a live studio audience, a milestone frequently misattributed to I Love Lucy.
The source for the sunny sun bear video is below.
Ta, Martini. Groucho for the win!
I saw him on the Ursine Comedy Tour with Yogi and Baloo. They were going to call it the Bear Claw Tour, but audiences kept asking for free donuts.