ERIKETA COST
Staff Writer
Hail! Hail Freedonia! Land of the Brave and Free!
This phrase can be heard around Fredonia this time of year, and the Marx Brother film, “Duck Soup,” can tell you why.
The film debuted in 1933.
“Duck Soup” takes place in an imaginary country called Freedonia, in which members of the community suffer financial problems.
After this film aired, the mayor of Fredonia, N.Y., Harry B. Hickey, was offended that the town name was used in the movie.
He sent letters to Groucho Marx and Paramount Pictures expressing his feelings.
Groucho Marx’s advice to the mayor was simply to, “Change the name of the town. It’s hurting our picture.”
Fredonia student Douglas Canham uncovered this story in 1987, and decided to turn it into a recognized and celebrated event.
With some help from his friends and other professors, the Freedonia Marxonia festival was born.
The event was held until 1990 and was picked back up in 2009.
Canham and the Hahn Family Foundation both support the event today.
Librarian Cynthia Yochym has been coordinating the organization of the event for about 5 years.
This year’s theme is “Influence of the Marx Brothers.”
The event will take place on Oct. 4 and Oct. 5, with an exhibit that will be open until Oct. 21.
“This year’s exhibit will focus mainly on the Marx Brothers’ influence on comedy, but it also mentions present-day references to the Marx Brothers in areas such as science, music, marketing and politics,” Yochym said.
“Students can come away with an awareness that the work and personas of these comedic movie stars of the past still resonate today. Their role in popular culture began in the 1920s and continues to the 2010s.”
Every year the event features guest speakers and activities.
This year, the Comedy Center is coming to Chautauqua county community.
Executive director of National Comedy Center Journey Gunderson will be at Fredonia Reed Library on Oct. 5 at noon for an interview and lunch.
But the festival doesn’t just affect the campus.
The villagers of Fredonia attend events at the Opera House each year.
“Members of the community have attended the various Freedonia Marxonia activities in past years — the opening reception, film screenings, the noontime interview and presentations at the 1891 Fredonia Opera House,” Yochym said.
“In fact, last year we were very pleased that two people from Massachusetts heard about Freedonia Marxonia and came to every event. Our partnership with the Opera House has helped in reaching-out to the community,” she said.
This year, comedian Frank Ferrante will be bringing his show, “An Evening with Groucho Marx” to the Fredonia Opera House.
“I hope students at Fredonia will come see the show and experience the humor of one of the world’s funniest people,” said Ferrante.
“My show is a tribute to him — part stand-up comedy, musical, storytelling, and every performance is different since there is so much comic improvisation,” Ferrante said.
Ferrante mentions how comedy that dates back to the 20s can be timeless.
“I believe students will see how timeless and exhilarating Groucho’s style is. He is very contemporary and inspired the current crop of comedians. What may be interesting to students is that ‘An Evening With Groucho’ began as a senior project when I was a student at USC over 30 years ago. And it is the reason I still work in the theater.”
The festival will open with a visit from Fredonia Student Opera Theater Association and Fredonia’s chapter of the American Choral Director’s Association to sing “Hail Freedonia.”
Other events throughout the week will include an art contest, a screening of the movie “Duck Soup,” a visit from guest author Matthew Hahn to discuss his book “The Animated Marx Brothers” and a Freedonia Marxonia exhibit.