October 20, 1939 –
The ninth Marx Brothers film, At the Circus, debuted on this date.
Buster Keaton worked on the film as a gag man. His career was on the downside, and he was forced to work for scale. His complex and sometimes belabored gags did not work well with The Marx Brothers’ brand of humor and was a source of friction between the comedian and the brothers. When Groucho called Keaton on the inappropriateness of his gags for the team, Keaton responded, “I’m only doing what Mr. Mayer (“MGM” chief Louis B. Mayer) asked me to do. You guys don’t need help.”
The Haus of Dcaligari 