1935, United States. Starring Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx, Kitty Carlisle, Allan Jones, Walter Woolf King, Sig Ruman, Margaret Dumont, Edward Keane, Robert Emmett O'Connor. Directed by Sam Wood. Available on DVD from Amazon

If Breathless is difficult for me to review because it is one of "those" films, and I don't often review those films, Marx Brothers movies are just as difficult for me to review because I have such an uncontrollable love of them. Any time I sit down to review one, about two paragraphs in, I just start giggling and decide to just go watch the movie again rather than write about it, since nothing I write could be any funnier or more insightful than what the film already presents in itself.

But our philosophy for the Grand Parade is completeness. We shall skip no title, no matter how difficult it is for me to scrawl down some words on the matter. And hell, if I can bring myself to review a movie like Embrace the Darkness II (wait, I promised I wasn't going to mention that one any more, didn't I?), then I can certainly take a few minutes out to write about one of my all-time favorite movies, though I will freely admit that even now, I am thinking about putting this review on hold just so can go watch the film again, -- and I already watched it just last night.

While I would rank A Night at the Opera as one of the best comedies of all time, I wouldn't rank it as the best Marx Brothers movie of all time. Most people predictably give that honor to Duck Soup, the film immediately preceding this one, and I'm no different. Duck Soup is simply a comic - and political - masterpiece that remains almost unparalleled. Monty Python and the Holy Grail is the only movie I can think of that gives it a run for its money. Duck Soup was the last film the Brothers made for Paramount Studios, and though just about everyone considers it a classic now, it was a box office flop at the time, and audiences didn't much appreciate the razor-sharp political skewering job the way we appreciate it now. The film's failure caused the Marx Brothers to be dismissed from Paramount, and they soon found a new home at MGM. There, producer Irving Thalberg took a keen interest in the Brothers and thought that the best way to revive their career was by tempering their patented brand of anarchic humor and rapid-fire tomfoolery by placing it within the context of a film with an actual plot and supporting characters. The first example of this experiment was A Night at the Opera, and while some may consider it the Marx Brothers lite, that doesn't change the fact that it's still a riotous ol' time at the theater even if it's not as daring as the five films the Marx Brothers made at Paramount (those being The Cocoanuts, Animal Crackers, Monkey Business, Horse Feathers, and Duck Soup).

A Night at the Opera sets the formula that would apply for just about all the films the Brothers would make at MGM. Groucho Marx is the enterprising businessman out to fleece the snooty types, while Chico (that's Chick-O) and Harpo are a couple of rascals who inevitably get tangled up with Groucho. Hijinks ensue. Here, Groucho is Otis B. Driftwood, employed by the ambitious Mrs. Claypool (Margaret Dumont) to help her make a name for herself in society. He plans to use her money to make her a patron of the opera, and in so doing comes into contact with Fiorello (Chico), manager for a talented but unappreciated tenor (Allan Jones) and Tomasso (Harpo), brow-beaten assistant for the opera's spoiled male star, Rodolfo (Walter King). The three brothers (Zeppo did not come with them to MGM) must help the kindly Ricardo get noticed, foster the romance between him and the opera's female lead, Rosa (Kitty Carlisle), and of course, subject their foils to a merciless barrage of pranks and all-around sassiness.

The plot bogs down the Marx Brothers act in spots, especially when it takes time out for a lengthy musical number at a shipyard, but for the most part the melodrama can't sink the Marx Brothers penchant for mayhem. Some of their best bits come from this movie, including the "no such thing as sanity claus" contract and a scene in which an entire ship's staff seems to get crammed into Groucho's tiny room. Both Chico and Harpo indulge themselves in their respective musical talents, Chico at the piano and Harpo on the…well, come on. Take a guess. The sequence may go on a little long for anyone who isn't a diehard Marx Brothers fans, but for me it was kind of a nice break to see them slow down and get to flex some artistic muscle of another color.

But whatever doubts you may have about saddling the Marx Brothers with a conventional plot will be whisked away during the out-of-control finale. Here is where you see the same Marx Brothers you saw at Paramount. Harpo and his stunt double careen wildly about and above the stage as the Marx Brothers proceed to make an outrageous mockery of high society and the refined air of the opera. There are some pretty impressive stunts on display as well in what is one of the greatest slapstick, anything-goes comedy sequences ever filmed. Groucho owns all the best lines in the film, but Harpo commands the physical comedy. A couple of the bits fall flat, most notably the "chase" scene with the police inspector through Groucho's hotel room, but one misfire is hardly even worth noting when so much works so perfectly.

The writers tried to surround the Marx Brothers with a supporting cast in which audiences could take an interest. They succeed in spots. Ricardo and Rosa are suitable enough straight co-stars, though I miss Zeppo. Ricardo doesn't have to do much but furrow his brow or beam, depending on the mood called for by the scene. Mrs. Claypool and opera manager Gottlieb suffer the brunt of the shenanigans, but you can almost sympathize with them as they try to make sense of the Marx Brothers' lunacy, and the film seems to ultimately show them a little mercy. The real villain of the piece is Rodolfo, who spends a lot of time getting hit on the head by Harpo. He's a serviceably evil villain who stops just short of twirling his mustache but is still a plenty unlikable rich snob who needs the wind taken out of his sail, Marx Brothers style.

The film did exactly what MGM hoped: made big bucks and made the Marx Brothers viable stars again. Unfortunately for them, their champion at MGM and one-time "most powerful man in Hollywood" died a tragic early death. Subsequent studio heads were less interested in the Marx Brothers brand of vaudeville mayhem, and so they found themselves stuck in increasingly shoddy productions, though even at their worst the films still have some classic sequences, and I still like them just fine. By 1946's A Night in Casablanca, the good times were over, and the brothers went their separate ways.

As much as I love the Marx Brothers, I'm not so blind as to insist that modern audiences need to appreciate them as much as I do. I shall forego the "you kids just don't get it" rant, since I don't want them ranting at me about how I don't get Soul Plane or Saving Silverman. We each got our own thing, baby, and I know some of you are no more interested in this particular type of old fogey farce than I am in jokes about farts and irritable bowel syndrome, or whatever is considered comedy gold these days. What I will do is urge anyone who has an open mind toward comedy and, more importantly, a love of classic films and the stars of yesteryear to give the Marx Brothers a try. Without them, who knows what comedy would look like today? There probably wouldn't be any Airplane!, maybe no Monty Python, certainly no Stephen Chow. The MGM films are really the place to start, but the DVDs are currently out of print while the Paramount films were just re-released in a lovely box set. So of the material easily available, there's no better a place to start than A Night at the Opera. They're not at their best, but they're still in fine form. You know what? I think I'll go watch another right now.

Labels: Comedy, Musicals, Netflix Diary, Stars: Marx Brothers, Year: 1935