Marx Brothers films are the wackiest things ever put on screen. They might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I, for one, adore them. And while Animal Crackers (1930) and Horse Feathers (1932) are not as iconic as, say, Duck Soup (1933), they’re still as zany and full of hilarious gags and one-liners.
In Animal Crackers (dir. Victor Heerman), Mrs Rittenhouse (Margaret Dumont) hosts a welcome home party for the famous explorer Captain Spaulding (Groucho Marx), during which a valuable painting goes missing. You can see where this is going…
In Horse Feathers (dir. Norman Z. McLeod), Groucho Marx plays Prof. Wagstaff, the new president of Huxley College, who, influenced by his son Frank (Zeppo Marx), recruits two players to beat Darwin University in the upcoming football game. Misunderstandings ensue (you don’t say…) and he ends up hiring Baravelli (Chico Marx) and Pinky (Harpo Marx).
Like all Marx Brothers films, Animal Crackers and Horse Feathers are crazy, slightly outdated, and extremely funny. I don’t know about you, but, for me, watching their films consists mostly of trying to write down all the funny one-liners I can, you know, so I can use them in real life – we all do that, right? Animal Crackers boasts perhaps the most famous Marx Brothers line of them all (‘One night I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don’t know’), while the ‘I no got a car, I just got a chauffeur’ exchange in Horse Feathers might just be one of the most underrated they’ve ever done.
I’m not sure where these two rank in my personal Marx Brothers top 10, but fortunately I don’t have to make up my mind about that. That’s the beauty of their films. They’re so funny and, in a way, interchangeable, that you can watch them over and over again and just have a good time. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to practise my Marx Brothers lines.
The Old Hollywood Garden 
The mirror scene in Duck Soup. What fine slapstick. I’ll always remember it.
Then there’s a scene where one of the Marx Brothers plays the piano — no gimmicks, no jokes — just him playing the piano with people around. I’ll always remember it, too, for its simple and honest grace in the middle of a movie, otherwise known for its antics and mayhem. 😁
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Love that!
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I love the Marx Brothers, I love these movies. “Duck Soup” not so much. Throw in “Monkey Business” for a triple feature and I’m in heaven. “If a nightingale could sing like you …”
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I love Monkey Business and almost went with it!
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Great piece Carol. Love the Marx Brothers.their humor is never dated. My favorite is”duck soup. I think yours is “a night at the opera “ which is a classic. True comic geniuses.👍👍
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My favourite is Duck Soup as well, but the other ones are pretty close. A Night at the Opera is probably second.
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