AFS Viewfinders Podcast: THE COCOANUTS Discussion w/ Caroline Frick

This month’s ongoing Essential Cinema series, Pre-Code Treasures, looks back at the unique period of time (roughly 1929-34) before the implementation of the Hays Code. Each week, we’re joined by film scholars to talk about the era and the film selection for the week.

On August 9, scholar, professor, and film archivist Dr. Caroline Frick joined us to discuss “a funky artifact of its time,” the Marx Brothers’ THE COCOANUTS (1929), one of the early talkies that explored the transition of Broadway and Vaudeville productions to film. Lead programmer Lars Nilsen and Dr. Frick (a self-proclaimed Marx Brothers enthusiast) discussed many aspects of the movie including the Marx Brothers deal with Paramount, how cinematography had to change to adjust for sound, and a possible Austin connection between the famed Marx Brothers.

You can listen to the full conversation here, iTunes, Spotify, or Stitcher.

Our Pre-Code Treasures film series continues through September 2nd (buy tickets here). Dr. Caroline Frick returns back to co-host this Thursday’s screening of Ernst Lubitsch’s THE SMILING LIEUTENANT in 35mm.

• Contributed by Claire Hardwick