Groucho & Chico Go To Jail
I cannot find any subsequent info on this case, which I had never heard of before. Did the Marx Bros. win on appeal? I certainly don't think they ever went to jail.
Original article here.
Comments
I checked newspapers.com, which needs a subscription (but got one), and articles there say they both got fined $1000 instead of the jail sentence, and they appealed. I don't know what happened on the appeal.
Posted by Alex on 05/05/17 at 07:57 AM
They lost the appeal. https://books.google.com/books?id=xWfp8LsM8_gC&pg=PA77&lpg=PA77&dq=marx+brothers+copyright+conviction&source=bl&ots=wsdoAKe1R8&sig=jsAk1SC2XO6WTfQ9o2B737E9RJ8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwijzYLdhdnTAhVF1mMKHXwKBxYQ6AEILjAB#v=onepage&q=marx brothers copyright conviction&f=false
Posted by Vernon Balbert on 05/05/17 at 10:17 AM
Excellent sleuthing, Alex and Vernon! Thanks!
Posted by Paul on 05/05/17 at 12:14 PM
I'd give the brothers the benefit of the doubt and conclude that with the pressure of having new material on hand for appearances, that an outside idea proposed previously, rejected and forgotten would reappear at a later time, within the authors mind as an original idea.
I'm reminded of George Harrison ("My Sweet Lord") and Men At Work ("Land Down Under") involved in plagiarism suits which were both decided of the plaintiffs. The Men At Work suit was interesting in that it involved a melody line of the iconic Kookaburra song associated with Australia.
I'm reminded of George Harrison ("My Sweet Lord") and Men At Work ("Land Down Under") involved in plagiarism suits which were both decided of the plaintiffs. The Men At Work suit was interesting in that it involved a melody line of the iconic Kookaburra song associated with Australia.
Posted by KDP on 05/05/17 at 04:46 PM
The google books link refers to page 77 of The Marx Brothers: A Bio-bibliography, a book by Wes Gehring
Posted by RM Mentock on 05/08/17 at 08:35 AM
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Category: Crime | Humor | Comedians | 1930s