A sly business manager and two wacky friends of two opera singers help them achieve success while humiliating their stuffy and snobbish enemies.
(96 min) Released 1935-11-01
Directors: Sam Wood, Edmund Goulding (uncredited)
Stars: Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx, Kitty Carlisle, Allan Jones
Comedy | Music | Musical
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026778/
Home of the Freed/Brown hit Alone, sung by Carlisle and Jones, also played on harp by Harpo, his whistling is dubbed(!). Big ensemble dance to Cosi-Cosa, sung by Jones. Plus a lot of Il Trovatore and an aria for Carlisle from I Pagliaci are among the many soundtracks.
This is the sixth Marx Bros film, the first at MGM, one of only 2 shepherded by Groucho's dear Irving Thalberg (too-early death at age 37 in 1936, had been head of production at MGM since 1925, merger was in '24.) The additional substance he brought to the plot did not detract from the zaniness of the MB. (Of the 18 Thalberg talkies I've rated, only 7 earn below 7 stars. That's very impressive, especially since I wouldn't have been aware they were his films.)
This film has a hotel detective chasing the 3 extra occupants and their extra beds in Groucho's suite. I would have thought this was in the movie Room Service (1938), which is the one MB movie NOT in the Musicals genre. Just fast-forwarded through it, and no such gag there, but Harpo did put on all his clothes in layers, similar to here where he wore multiple costumes in layers.
Inventory time: Chico plays piano and negotiates with Groucho: check and check plus (the Sanity Claus is here). Harpo plays the harp. But he doesn't chase a girl (and hasn't since #2, Monkey Business (1931) if my notes are complete), and doesn't drop a lot of metal objects from his clothing. However, he does some magical climbing, especially up and down ropes and backdrops, even more magical than Douglas Fairbanks sliding down a sail with his knife in The Black Pirate (1926). I miss Zeppo a bit. Allan Jones is terrific.
Also here: the Stateroom Scene, Margaret Dumont, Sig Ruman, three aviators with long beards and a moth. Life is good.
MGM, dir. Wood & Goulding; 8+
