A Night at the Opera (1935) directed by Sam Wood
Otis B. Driftwood (Groucho Marx) has attached himself to Mrs. Claypool (Margaret Dumont), a widowed millionaire who wants to get into high society. Driftwood's plan is for her to donate to the opera. He knows Gottlieb (Sig Ruman), an opera producer who wants to hire a star to go to New York. Gottlieb has his eye on Rudolfo Lassparri (Walter King), an arrogant star who is abusive to his dresser (Harpo Marx) and romantically pursues young singer Rosa (Kitty Carlisle). Rosa actually likes the young tenor Barone (Allan Jones) who does not have enough reputation to be a star. Driftwood goes to the opera house to hire the best singer. He runs into Fiorello (Chico Marx), who is pals with Barone. Driftwood makes a contract to hire Fiorello's guy, not realizing the tenor is not Lassparri. Everyone gets on a boat for America, including stowaways Fiorello, Barone, and the dresser. Antics ensue on the boat and in New York as the young couple tries to be a success and the Marx Brothers try to stay out of jail.
This movie is a small departure for the Marx Brothers in that the plot is a lot stronger and ties in better to the routines. The contract signing scene is the classic "Sanity Clause" routine. Other famous routines are the overpacked stateroom on the boat (Groucho has a small room and too many people squeeze in) and an apartment-switching scene. Chico and Harpo get to perform musical numbers on piano and harp. The movie has some opera numbers too, giving some respect to the art while skewering the pomposity found in opera. Groucho goes through his standard wooing and mocking of Dumont that is less funny ninety years later. She handles it so well. Overall, the movie is a delightful, madcap time.
Highly recommended. This and Duck Soup are their best films.
A Day at the Races (1937) directed by Sam Wood
In Upstate New York, the Standish Sanitarium (this is the old meaning "sanitarium"--a place where sick people convalesce, not an insane asylum) is failing economically. Judy Standish (Maureen O'Sullivan) is about to default on their debt. Even with the help of Tony (Chico Marx), she can't get enough people to come there--all the town's visitors want to go to the race track and casino nearby. Judy's boyfriend Gil (Allan Jones) is a singer at the casino, earning some money. He has sunk his life savings in a horse that he's sure will win enough to save the sanitarium. The trick is to keep the sheriff from seizing the horse because of Gil's debts (feeding and housing a horse is not cheap). Tony overhears the wealthy convalescent Mrs. Upjohn (Margaret Dumont) singing the praises of Dr. Hackenbush (Groucho Marx), a Florida doctor who got her into her hypochondriac state. Chico sends an invitation to Hackenbush, who is actually a horse doctor. Hackenbush gladly comes and hopes to cash in with the job and Mrs. Upjohn. Meanwhile, the track owner is scheming to get the sanitarium and turn it into a hotel. Chaos ensues when Hackenbush arrives and has to bluff his way through the sanitarium and the race track.
This movie ticks all the Marx Brothers boxes. It has the ridiculous romantic relationship between Groucho and Margaret Dumont, who are both on top form. It has musical performances by Chico and Harpo. It has gratuitous musical numbers, including an extended Jazz scene with an almost entirely African-American cast. It has a classic comedy routine between Groucho and Chico. It has an absurd pantomime between Chico and Harpo. The movie is delightfully madcap from beginning to end.
Highly recommended--this is a top-tier Marx Brothers film.
Room Service (1938) directed by William A. Seiter
Groucho is Gordon Miller, a stage producer who can't get his production going due to lack of money. He and the company have been staying in his brother-in-law's hotel, racking up a huge bill. The hotel brings in a hardliner to get the books straightened out, which spells trouble for Miller and company. The comedy antics flow from there.
The movie has a fun premise but is hampered by being limited almost entirely to the hotel room sets. While it has funny moments, it's not the brothers' best work. Lucille Ball has a supporting role and does quite well against the veteran comedians.
Mildly recommended.
At the Circus (1939) directed by Edward Buzzell
Circus manager Jeff (Kenny Baker) needs to pay off $10,000 to Carter (James Burke) to own the circus free and clear. He'll get the money with with one more day of performances, but Carter wants the circus and gets some of the performers to conk Jeff on the head and steal the money. Luckily (though whether it is good or bad luck is up for debate) Antonio (Chico) works for the circus as an assistant and hires Attorney Loophole (Groucho) to handle legal affairs. Loophole does some private investigation to figure out who stole the money with the help of Antonio and Punchy (Harpo). Jeff wants to marry horse trainer/performer Julie (Florence Rice), but needs to clear up the debt before he can get married.
The plot is the usual excuse to string together routines and musical numbers, though the individual bits are more tied to the plot than usual. Jeff and Julie have a love song, Chico has a piano solo, Harpo has a harp solo, Groucho and Chico have a routine about badges to get on the circus train, and Margaret Dumont shows up at the end as a love interest/comic foil for Groucho. All the typical elements are on display with plenty of funny moments, including Groucho singing "Lydia, the Tattooed Lady." This is not their best work but it is entertaining.
Recommended.
Go West (1940) directed by Edward Buzzell, co-written by Buster Keaton
It's 1870 and the railroad is making its way across the United States (and the territories). Young man Terry Turner (John Carroll) wants to marry Eve Wilson (Diana Lewis) but their families have been feuding since his grandpa sold some worthless land to her grandpa in a swindle. He's trying to fix the situation by convincing the railroad to buy the land for their line. Other locals are set on selling their own land or swindling the lovers out of their land. Enter the Marx Brothers, obviously on the side of the young lovers. The usual antics ensue--sight gags, absurd conversations, solos by Chico on the piano and Harpo on the harp, musical numbers, etc.
The movie has a lot more plot to it than most other Marx Brothers films. The gags are well integrated into the story and the finale is a chase on a railroad train that was clearly inspired by co-writer Buster Keaton. A lot of the comedy stunts on the train are classic Keaton fair, done quite well by the Marxes. The film does not have any really great routines but is a lot of fun.
Recommended--this is the top of their second tier films.
The Big Store (1941) directed by Charles Reisner
Groucho is Wolf J. Flywheel, a private investigator and body guard. He is hired by Martha Phelps (Margaret Dumont) because she is worried about her nephew Tommy Rogers (Tony Martin). Tommy has inherited half of Phelps Department Store (Martha has the other half) but some crooks want him out of the way. The manager has been cooking the books and wants to stop Tommy from selling his share which will reveal the irregularities. Wolf has an assistant Wacky (Harpo) who runs around with him. Ravelli (Chico) works at a conservatory teaching piano, the same conservatory where Tommy learned music and where he wants to invest the money from the sale. Tommy is also dating Joan (Virginia Grey) who works in the music department of the store. The typical antics ensue.
The Marx Brothers formula is wearing a little thin by this point. A lot of the contrivances of the plot, which normally slip by unnoticed in the comedic chaos, stick out. The set-pieces (the automated bed department and the musical numbers) look big but don't deliver the laughs like in other pictures. They have a chase on roller skates through the store that is entertaining. Otherwise, this is an unremarkable outing for the Marxes.
Mildly recommended.
A Night in Casablanca (1946) directed by Archie Mayo
In what starts as a send-up of the Humphrey Bogart classic Casablanca, Groucho is hired as the manager of a hotel that has had a string of managers die in mysterious circumstances. It turns out that Nazis want to get control of the hotel so they can get some stolen WWII treasure out of there and over to South America. The undercover Nazi Henrich Stubel (Sig Ruman) has Harpo as his incompetent valet, always messing up his clothes and other things. Chico is a camel merchant who helps out at the hotel. There's a handsome young American Pierre (Charles Drake) who also wants to recover the treasure to clear his name of wrongdoing--the Nazis forced him to fly from Paris with the stuff and he contrived to crashland in Casablanca. He's been stuck ever since and has fallen for local girl Annette (Lois Collier).
Typical Marx Brothers antics ensue, with comic set pieces and musical interludes. The satire of Casablanca gets dropped pretty quickly once the Marx brothers start their routines. A big action set-piece ends the film, a bit of a change from their regular shtick. The film is entertaining enough but on the low end of their works.
Mildly recommended.
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