I learned one thing about comedy from him, which I think was very valuable. I remember it every time I’m writing comedy. Do you recall the famous line “Either he’s dead, or my watch has stopped” while Groucho was taking Harpo’s pulse? It was first a question: “Is he dead, or has my watch stopped?” Well, it was nothing. We were trying to analyze it, and Groucho said, “A question demands an answer. The audience is waiting for the answer. It’s the same as ‘Why does a chicken cross the road?’ That’s not the joke. The joke is ‘To get to the other side.’ They’re waiting for the answer. Let me make
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