For a few minutes on Saturday afternoon, hundreds of people wanted to look alike.
They gathered in the gymnasium at Gold Creek Community Church, young and old, tall and short, slim and large, male and female, and for just a few fleeting moments, all of them donned Groucho Marx masks – bushy moustache and eyebrows, large nose and round glasses – that were supplied by the church.
The occasion was an attempt by the church to get into the Guinness Book of World Records for most people wearing Groucho Marx costumes at one time in one place.
“The thing is we may make it, we may not make it,” said Andy O’Shea, a church member who emceed the event. “It’s an attempt. How fun is that?”
The world record is 1,437 people wearing the costume. It was set by the Toukley Junior Rugby League Club of Australia on June 4, 2005, during a TV taping for Guinness World Records. Gold Creek, however, came up well short of the record. It had 453 people in costume.
So why did the church go for the record?
“Why not?” said Joy McBride, a church member who helped organize the effort. The attempt on Saturday, Sept. 9, was part of the church’s Creek Days community event.
McBride said she was looking for a group activity that would be “something interesting, for people of all ages to get together, meet each other, have fun.” So she went onto Guinness’ Web site and searched for group activities. Under the mass participation category, she “somehow stumbled” upon the Groucho Marx costume record.
At noon, those in the gym donned their costumes, including several uniformed Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office Explorers and a person dressed as McGruff the crime dog.
The costumes didn’t neatly stay on all the participants.
“My ears are too big,” said Ed Dopp, who held his costume against his temples.
The event also featured Marx Brothers movie clips on two video screens, as well as a Groucho Marx trivia contest, where children tested their knowledge of the humorist’s life. Every participant received a box of animal crackers, which was the title of a 1930 Marx Brothers’ film.
Groucho Marx made 26 movies, 15 with his brothers, in the first half of the 20th century. He and his brothers were one of the era’s top comedy teams, especially in the 1930s, and Groucho Marx was known for witty one-liners that were imitated in Bugs Bunny cartoons. In the 1940s and 1950s he hosted the show “You Bet Your Life” on radio and television.
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