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Synopsis:
A huckster (Groucho Marx) hired by a would-be socialite (Margaret Dumont) to help her enter high society convinces her to invest $200,000 in an opera production, whose snooty manager (Sig Ruman) hires an arrogant opera star (Walter Woolf King) as his lead singer. Meanwhile, a talented tenor (Allan Jones) in love with the singer (Kitty Carlisle) coveted by King strives for his big break, helped by Chico and Harpo Marx.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Comedy
• Let’s-Put-On-a-Show
• Marx Brothers Films
• Opera
• Sam Wood Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary argues that this “most famous and popular film” by the Marx Brothers “isn’t on the level of Duck Soup (few comedies are) but is still a comic masterpiece”; however, I’ll admit I’m one of those who actually prefer this more narratively-driven outing (indeed, it’s probably my favorite of their entire oeuvre). Peary notes that “while the individual comedy scenes are as zany as anything in the Marx Brothers'” output, “the overall picture is more structured”, and — thanks in large part to the assistance of Irving Thalberg, who was hoping to help the brothers reach a more mainstream audience — “the storyline makes more sense”. He calls out some of the film’s “many hilarious sequences”, starting with the classic “opening in which Groucho explains to Dumont that he’d kept her waiting for two hours in a restaurant because he was dining at the next table with a woman who reminded him of her”. (This scene — which was originally preceded by a three-minute musical number on the streets of Italy — always has me immediately in stitches; what a wham-bam start to the film!) He goes on to list, among others, the scene in which “Groucho and Chico agree on a contract by ripping it to shreds” (equally hilarious); the film’s “most famous scene” (in which “everyone imaginable crowds into Groucho’s tiny stateroom”); and the classic “opera finale”, during which true Marxian mayhem ensues.

Having seen this classic several times now, I only have minor complaints to register. While the first half of the film offers practically non-stop merriment (this is where the majority of the best scenes occur), the second half is less laugh-out-loud hilarious. Meanwhile, Dumont’s archetypical foil has been better served elsewhere; other than the wonderful opening sequence, she doesn’t really get enough of a chance to interact with Groucho, and she far too quickly becomes unsympathetic. Finally, the entire subplot between Carlisle, Jones, and King is (naturally) rather pedestrian, and definitely slows down the comedic pacing — though it could be argued that this helps to space out the comedic mayhem. A final note: now that I’ve finished reviewing all the Marx Brothers films in Peary’s book, I must admit that I don’t think I’ve ever had a harder time succinctly synopsizing the plots of a given set of “narratives” — in part, I think, because the characters played by the three brothers don’t really possess discrete titles or roles. I mean, what type of livelihood would you assign to any of them here? Groucho comes closest to being able to draft a resume, as a sort of “high society agent”, but how exactly would you label Chico or Harpo’s roles (here and in other films), other than “friendly assistants”? Indeed, it seems that they always managed to maintain their anarchical “otherness” even in the midst of supposed societal sanity.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• The hilarious opening scene between Groucho and Dumont:
  

  “When I invite a woman to dinner I expect her to look at my face. That’s the price she has to pay.”

  

• The “party of the first part” contract scene: “You can’t fool me — there ain’t no Sanity Clause!”
  
• The classic “stuffed stateroom” scene
  
• The zany closing opera debacle
  
  
  

Must See?
Yes, as a genuine comedy classic. Nominated by Peary as one of the Best Films of the Year in his Alternate Oscars.

Categories

• Genuine Classic

(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• Greatest Films Review
• TCM Articles

Synopsis:
When the agent (Philip Wood) for a high-end investor reneges on backing a play written by a penniless playwright (Frank Albertson), the play’s producer (Groucho Marx) and his two associates (Chico and Harpo Marx) arrange for an irate hotel manager (Donald MacBride) to secretly foot the bill until opening night.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Ann Miller Films
• Comedy
• Let’s-Put-on-a-Show
• Lucille Ball Films
• Marx Brothers Films
• Play Adaptations

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary is utterly dismissive of this unusual Marx Brother outing (their only film for RKO Studios), “based on a Broadway play by John Murray and Allen Boretz that was adapted by Morrie Ryskind for the comedy team”. (Of course, one wonders why it’s included in his book at all, given how much he dislikes it — but I digress.) At any rate, he argues that “it’s shattering hearing Groucho say one unfunny line after another, and seeing the three [brothers] act almost civilly”. He further complains that “there’s no sharpness to Groucho’s delivery, [and] no chaos initiated by Harpo”; however, Harpo DOES get to maintain his standard persona throughout, and is given at least a few brief moments in the limelight — most notably during what Peary calls out as the best scene in the film, in which the brothers “simply gorge themselves on the first meal they’ve had in days”.

Ultimately, it seems as though Peary disapproves of the Marx Brothers’ attempt to move outside of their usual schtick — and my rebuttal is that I think they were brave to do so. Unfortunately, the play itself — while not terrible — isn’t all that scintillating, and director William Seiter’s pacing is far too slow for a screwball comedy. Thus, what could have worked as a perfectly legitimate alternate venue for Groucho et al. is instead a rather tepid (though watchable) affair. What I found myself missing most was Groucho’s zany wordplay with Chico and others. For example, Chico says to Groucho at one point, “You haven’t got a leg to stand on” — a statement absolutely ripe for word play, but which Groucho simply accepts at face value. Too bad Ryskind’s rewrite couldn’t have allowed for the team to fling back more creative responses at each other…

Note: Watch for both Lucille Ball and Ann Miller (only 15 years old!) in early supporting roles.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Donald MacBride as Mr. Wagoner
  

Must See?
No; this one remains a Marx Brothers curiosity but not must-see viewing.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• DVD Talk Review (scroll down)
• TCM Article
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
A pugnacious detective (Dana Andrews) accidentally kills the estranged husband (Craig Stevens) of a woman (Gene Tierney) whose father (Tom Tully) becomes the prime suspect, then tries to pin the blame on an underworld crime boss (Gary Merrill).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Dana Andrews Films
• Detectives and Private Eyes
• Falsely Accused
• Gary Merrill Films
• Gene Tierney Films
• Karl Malden Films
• Otto Preminger Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary accurately labels this “one of Otto Preminger’s best melodramas”, noting that it’s a “stylish, atmospheric film” with “a solid script by Ben Hecht”, “marred only by a trite, overly simplistic ending and the fact that the cops so easily convince Tierney’s father that he’ll be judged guilty”. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Andrews more convincing than he is here, playing a “brutal cop known for running roughshod over suspects” — an embittered man who, “influenced by sweet Tierney”, eventually “replaces [his] hostile feelings with a conscience”. The cast of supporting players is also notably fine, with even the tiniest of bit roles perfectly cast and executed (see stills below). Meanwhile, I would argue that Hecht’s script is even better than solid — it’s taut and gripping from beginning to finish, without any wasted scenes or dialogue, and based on a genuinely intriguing premise. From the opening scene — in which Andrews is confronted by his superiors, and warned that he’d better shape up or risk more than just demotion — to his accidental killing of Stevens and subsequent attempts to cover up his actions while wrongly fingering a reviled nemesis, we realize we’re witnessing refreshing shades of gray in what amounts to a suspenseful morality play.

The final statement in Peary’s review, however, simply defies all belief: “Romance between leads would be more effective if Tierney were as pretty as she’d been in 1944’s Laura.” ?????!!!!!!! What in the world is he talking about? While Tierney’s performance here isn’t particularly noteworthy (she’s the one exception to my claims above), she’s as beautiful as always — and since when did relative shades of attractiveness play any part in the effectiveness of an on-screen romance? Honestly.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Dana Andrews as Mark Dixon
  
• Fine supporting performances all around
  
  
  
  
• Joseph LaShelle’s cinematography
  
• Ben Hecht’s smart, taut script

Must See?
Yes, as one of Preminger’s finest films, and an excellent noir all-around.

Categories

• Good Show
• Important Director

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• DVD Savant Review
• TCM Article

Synopsis:
A world-renowned African explorer (Groucho Marx) is feted by a society woman (Margaret Dumond), who is eager to show off a valuable painting which various people — including her own daughter (Lillian Roth) — are intent on replacing with a forgery.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Bourgeois Society
• Comedy
• Marx Brothers
• Musicals
• Play Adaptations

Response to Peary’s Review:
Animal Crackers was the Marx Brothers’ second movie, and — like their debut film, The Cocoanuts — also a filmed version of one of their hit Broadway musicals. Peary notes that when it was re-released in 1974 “amid great fanfare” (Paramount had allowed its licenses to expire, so it hadn’t been shown in theaters since the 1950s), “critics were so happy to see another Marx Brothers picture that they overpraised it”. He argues (and I agree) that “overall it’s a disappointing film, where the innocuous art-theft plot gets in the way of the comedy”. With that said, I disagree with Peary that the film “come[s] to a dead halt when Chico plays the piano” (I’m actually tickled by Groucho and Dumont’s reactions to his repetitive rendition of his theme song, “I’m Daffy Over You”); or when “romantic leads Hal Thompson and Lillian Roth… sing a duet” (Thompson IS instantly forgettable, but Roth — “the pretty actress-singer who’d become an alcoholic” and was later portrayed by Susan Hayward in 1955’s I’ll Cry Tomorrow — is positively infectious, and well worth waiting for whenever she appears on-screen).

In the remainder of his review, Peary calls out numerous “comedic highlights”, including “Groucho leading the guests in a rousing ‘Hooray for Captain Spaulding’, which would become his television theme song” (though all I could think about during this ditty was how much it sounds like it belongs in a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta), and “Groucho recalling his trip to Africa” (‘The first morning saw us up at six, breakfasted, and back in bed at seven — this was our routine for the first three months’)”. While Peary notes that it’s “a nice change of pace watching Dumont play scenes with Harpo and Chico, and not just Groucho”, I’ll admit I’m less a fan of their particular routines here — though it is a delight to see the finale of the infamous bridge scene, in which it’s revealed that Harpo has stolen Margaret Irving’s heels (nb: he shows up wearing a dress later on as well). Pun lovers, by the way, will be in absolute heaven while watching Animal Crackers; just wait until you hear the one about removing tusks in Tuscaloosa…

Note: See the “Re-Release” section of Wikipedia’s article to read more about the film’s celebrated emergence from obscurity.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Plenty of appealingly surreal scenarios
  
• Groucho dictating a letter to Zeppo
  
• Chico playing his trademark song, “I’m Daffy Over You”
  
• Margaret Dumont as Mrs. Rittenhouse
  
• Lillian Roth as Arabella
  
• Seemingly endless amusing puns and clever wordplay:
  

  Capt. Spaulding: How much would you charge to run into an open manhole?
  Ravelli: Just the cover charge.
  Capt. Spaulding: Well, drop in sometime.
  Ravelli: Sewer.
  Capt. Spaulding: Well, we cleaned that up pretty well.

Capt. Spaulding: One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don’t know.

Must See?
Yes — as one among many “must-see” early Marx Brothers classics.

Categories

• Genuine Classic

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• FilmSite Review
• TCM Article