Brain Donors
Encyclopedia
Brain Donors is an American
comedy
movie released by Paramount Pictures
, loosely based on the Marx Brothers
comedy, A Night at the Opera
(coincidentally the Brothers' first film they did after leaving Paramount). The film co-stars John Turturro
, Mel Smith
, and Bob Nelson
in the approximations of the Groucho, Chico, and Harpo roles, with Nancy Marchand
in the Margaret Dumont
dowager role.
The project was filmed as Lame Ducks; however, when the film's producers (David and Jerry Zucker
) left for another studio, Paramount scrapped the publicity campaign, changed the title, and withdrew the film after its initial screenings. Brain Donors attracted attention on the home video market, which has resulted in a cult following
according to its screenwriter, Pat Proft
.
Oscar Winterhaven Oglethorpe, a ballet
company is founded in his name by his widow, Lillian (Nancy Marchand
). The formation of the ballet company leads to ambulance-chasing attorney Roland T. Flakfizer (John Turturro
) vying against Oglethorpe's former attorney Edmund Lazlo (John Savident
) to be director of the company. Lazlo is chosen to be director of the company after signing the greatest ballet dancer in the world, "The Great Volare" (George de la Pena
) to dance for the company. Flakfizer, however — with assistance from his two associates Rocco (Mel Smith
) and Jacques (Bob Nelson
) — earns a spot as co-director by wooing the wealthy widow
and by signing the company's leading ballerina (Juliana Donald
, billed as Juli Donald) and her dancer boyfriend Alan Grant (Spike Alexander). The ensuing struggle between Flakfizer and Lazlo leads to comic hijinks, including a badger game
involving a chorus girl (Teri Copley
), and an opening-night performance ludicrously sabotaged by Flakfizer and his cohorts.
as Roland T. Flakfizer
Bob Nelson
as Jacques
Mel Smith
as Rocco Melonchek
George de la Pena
as Roberto Volare
John Savident
as Edmund Lazlo
Nancy Marchand
as Lillian Oglethorpe
felt that the film was "an audacious attempt actually to make them like they used to - with no apologies, no nostalgia. It's no masterpiece, but neither was every Marx Brothers movie." In her review for the New York Times, Janet Maslin
wrote, "Brain Donors will stop at very little to get its laughs, and Mr. Turturro has just the right silliness for the occasion."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
movie released by Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, loosely based on the Marx Brothers
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
comedy, A Night at the Opera
A Night at the Opera (film)
A Night at the Opera is a 1935 American comedy film starring Groucho Marx, Chico Marx and Harpo Marx, and featuring Kitty Carlisle, Allan Jones, Margaret Dumont, Sig Ruman, and Walter Woolf King. It was the first film the Marx Brothers made for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer after their departure from...
(coincidentally the Brothers' first film they did after leaving Paramount). The film co-stars John Turturro
John Turturro
John Michael Turturro is an American actor, writer and director known for his roles in the films Do the Right Thing , Miller's Crossing , Barton Fink , Quiz Show , The Big Lebowski , O Brother, Where Art Thou? and the Transformers film series...
, Mel Smith
Mel Smith
Melvin Kenneth "Mel" Smith is an English comedian, writer, film director, producer, and actor. He is most famous for his work on the sketch comedy shows Not the Nine O'Clock News and Alas Smith and Jones along with his comedy partner Griff Rhys Jones.- Early life :Smith's father, Kenneth, was born...
, and Bob Nelson
Bob Nelson (comedian)
Bob Nelson is an American stand-up comedian and actor.-Biography:Nelson specializes in rubber-faced comedy characters, much as Red Skelton did in his heyday...
in the approximations of the Groucho, Chico, and Harpo roles, with Nancy Marchand
Nancy Marchand
Nancy Marchand was an American actress, whose career encompassed both stage and screen. She appeared in various theatre productions throughout the early 1950s, before being offered roles on film and television....
in the Margaret Dumont
Margaret Dumont
Margaret Dumont was an American comedic actress. She is remembered mostly for being the comic foil to Groucho Marx in seven of the Marx Brothers films...
dowager role.
The project was filmed as Lame Ducks; however, when the film's producers (David and Jerry Zucker
Jerry Zucker (film director)
Jerry Zucker is an American movie director known for his role in directing comedy spoof films, and the hit film Ghost....
) left for another studio, Paramount scrapped the publicity campaign, changed the title, and withdrew the film after its initial screenings. Brain Donors attracted attention on the home video market, which has resulted in a cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
according to its screenwriter, Pat Proft
Pat Proft
Patrick "Pat" Proft is an American comedy writer and actor.Proft was born in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, the son of Marguerite and Bob Proft. He began his career at Dudley Riggs' Brave New Workshop in Minneapolis. In the mid-1970s, he began writing for television and films...
.
Plot
After the death of tycoon and philanthropistPhilanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
Oscar Winterhaven Oglethorpe, a ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
company is founded in his name by his widow, Lillian (Nancy Marchand
Nancy Marchand
Nancy Marchand was an American actress, whose career encompassed both stage and screen. She appeared in various theatre productions throughout the early 1950s, before being offered roles on film and television....
). The formation of the ballet company leads to ambulance-chasing attorney Roland T. Flakfizer (John Turturro
John Turturro
John Michael Turturro is an American actor, writer and director known for his roles in the films Do the Right Thing , Miller's Crossing , Barton Fink , Quiz Show , The Big Lebowski , O Brother, Where Art Thou? and the Transformers film series...
) vying against Oglethorpe's former attorney Edmund Lazlo (John Savident
John Savident
John Savident is a British actor, best known for playing the part of Fred Elliott in the soap opera Coronation Street from 1994 to 2006. And also was a frequent guest on Soccer AM alongside fellow actor Jack 'The Rigger' Spooner....
) to be director of the company. Lazlo is chosen to be director of the company after signing the greatest ballet dancer in the world, "The Great Volare" (George de la Pena
George de la Peña
George de la Peña is an American ballet dancer, musical theatre performer, choreographer, actor, and teacher. He was born in New York City, New York, U.S....
) to dance for the company. Flakfizer, however — with assistance from his two associates Rocco (Mel Smith
Mel Smith
Melvin Kenneth "Mel" Smith is an English comedian, writer, film director, producer, and actor. He is most famous for his work on the sketch comedy shows Not the Nine O'Clock News and Alas Smith and Jones along with his comedy partner Griff Rhys Jones.- Early life :Smith's father, Kenneth, was born...
) and Jacques (Bob Nelson
Bob Nelson (comedian)
Bob Nelson is an American stand-up comedian and actor.-Biography:Nelson specializes in rubber-faced comedy characters, much as Red Skelton did in his heyday...
) — earns a spot as co-director by wooing the wealthy widow
Widow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
and by signing the company's leading ballerina (Juliana Donald
Juliana Donald
Juliana Donald is an American actress who starred in films and has made guest appearances on television shows...
, billed as Juli Donald) and her dancer boyfriend Alan Grant (Spike Alexander). The ensuing struggle between Flakfizer and Lazlo leads to comic hijinks, including a badger game
Badger game
The badger game is an extortion scheme, often perpetrated on married men, in which the victim or "mark" is tricked into a compromising position to make him vulnerable to blackmail....
involving a chorus girl (Teri Copley
Teri Copley
Teri Copley is an American actress. She was best known for her roles on the American television series We Got it Made and I Had Three Wives. She posed nude for Playboy for the November 1990 issue....
), and an opening-night performance ludicrously sabotaged by Flakfizer and his cohorts.
Cast and characters
John TurturroJohn Turturro
John Michael Turturro is an American actor, writer and director known for his roles in the films Do the Right Thing , Miller's Crossing , Barton Fink , Quiz Show , The Big Lebowski , O Brother, Where Art Thou? and the Transformers film series...
as Roland T. Flakfizer
Bob Nelson
Bob Nelson (comedian)
Bob Nelson is an American stand-up comedian and actor.-Biography:Nelson specializes in rubber-faced comedy characters, much as Red Skelton did in his heyday...
as Jacques
Mel Smith
Mel Smith
Melvin Kenneth "Mel" Smith is an English comedian, writer, film director, producer, and actor. He is most famous for his work on the sketch comedy shows Not the Nine O'Clock News and Alas Smith and Jones along with his comedy partner Griff Rhys Jones.- Early life :Smith's father, Kenneth, was born...
as Rocco Melonchek
George de la Pena
George de la Peña
George de la Peña is an American ballet dancer, musical theatre performer, choreographer, actor, and teacher. He was born in New York City, New York, U.S....
as Roberto Volare
John Savident
John Savident
John Savident is a British actor, best known for playing the part of Fred Elliott in the soap opera Coronation Street from 1994 to 2006. And also was a frequent guest on Soccer AM alongside fellow actor Jack 'The Rigger' Spooner....
as Edmund Lazlo
Nancy Marchand
Nancy Marchand
Nancy Marchand was an American actress, whose career encompassed both stage and screen. She appeared in various theatre productions throughout the early 1950s, before being offered roles on film and television....
as Lillian Oglethorpe
Reaction
Richard Harrington in his review for the Washington Post wrote, "It's all very busy, and in Zucker style there seem to be 10 jokes per minute, but most fly fast and fall flat." Mick LaSalle's review for the San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
felt that the film was "an audacious attempt actually to make them like they used to - with no apologies, no nostalgia. It's no masterpiece, but neither was every Marx Brothers movie." In her review for the New York Times, Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for The New York Times. She served as the Times film critic from 1977–1999.- Biography :...
wrote, "Brain Donors will stop at very little to get its laughs, and Mr. Turturro has just the right silliness for the occasion."