Giraffes on Horseback Salad

I love bizarre things. The weirder, the better. If it's surreal, it's my cup of tea. But I have to say that this graphic novel has got to be the most unusual thing I happen to have ever seen, no read, in my entire life!

Giraffes on Horseback Salad is a forgotten (and never used) Marx Brothers script written by Salvador Dali! One part movie. One part history exhibit. It's a forgotten part of Hollywood History. 

Created on the cusp of the Second World War, Dali was finding ways to understand the chaos that was engulfing his naive Spain and beloved ports of call along Eastern Europe. In this story, Harpo Marx plays Jimmy, a Spanish expat, whom is considered a business genius. Unhappy in love, Jimmy comes across the Surrealist Woman and finds a kindred spirit. Now in love, Jimmy wins the heart of the lady. But his old girlfriend sees the Surrealist Woman's presence as an act of war. Now the forces of order must duke it out with the devotees of the unusual and dreamlike with all of reality hanging in the balance.

This project was a true labor of love from a group of Marx Brothers fans. Those who love the antics of Chico, Harpo and Groucho might be the only ones who enjoy this book. Well and those that love Dali. I happen to be in both camps. But my God, I had some real issues with this book. 

For the most part, I tried to be impartial as best I could. Dali was no Hollywood screenwriter. Besides, history proves that Dali's attempts to bring his artistic visions to the silver screen were met with less than stellar results. Giraffes on Horseback Salad was based on a rough, and I mean ROUGH, draft. In 1937, Dali submitted his proposal to the Marx Brothers and MGM Studios. Only Harpo appreciated. So for over 80s years, this project languished in archives and legend. But there was one thing I just couldn't overlook...

Harpo speaks!!!

I sat in on a interview with G.I. Joe's Larry Hama. He recalled that when studios were working on the first Joe film, Hama had only one stipulation. Producers could do anything they wanted with Hama's creation of Snake-Eyes as long as he didn't talk. Well, I feel the same way about Harpo Marx.

Harpo has always been a sort of pantomime clown. In the numerous films, skits and other appearances, the only way Harpo would or could communicate was with a squeak horn. Yet, in this book/movie, Harpo's character of Jimmy extremely verbose and it just doesn't seem right. In Mel Brooks' Silent Movie the only character that speaks at the very end is the renowned French Marcel Marceau with a witty 'That's All Folks!' Giraffes on Horseback Salad being a surrealist comedy, if Dali had Harpo talk at the very end, I'd be okay with it. Alas, that does not happen.

Giraffes on Horseback Salad was full of informative back story. The artwork was straight out of a Salvador Dali sketchbook. And some of the jokes were vintage Marx Brothers. But as a complete read, this book was quiet uneven. If you feel lead to give this a read, be sure to keep in mind just what you are in store for- utter madness from two masters of the surreal.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.