Animal Crackers (1930)

Animal Crackers is a 1930 comedy film starring the Marx Brothers. The story begins with a lavish house party thrown by Mrs. Rittenhouse, a wealthy socialite. Included among those invited is Captain Spaulding, played by Groucho Marx, who is an explorer that has just returned from an African expedition and is the guest of honor. Also in attendance is a hired band, consisting of characters played by Harpo and Zeppo Marx. Chaos ensues as an expensive painting disappears and Captain Spaulding assists the police in solving the crime.This Marx Brothers film is hilarious at times, especially the first few scenes containing the Captain Spaulding character. Some of the comedic elements, such as the singing of the party guests when greeting Spaulding, are timeless. Each Marx brother is given an opportunity to show off their own style and talents. Masterful sleight-of-hand, musical ability, and mimery are all exhibited in this film.Unfortunately, not all of the jokes in Animal Crackers work. Some of the humor falls flat with a few bad puns, cringe-inducing slapstick, and a couple of back-and-forth quips that don't end soon enough. Spots of bad acting don't help the film, either. The movie is shot like a stage play, and the actors are acting as if they are in a play, usually facing forward. Most of the songs work well but a few don't, namely the butler's song. It would have been nice to see the music incorporated more into the comedy, as it was in the first act of the film. The introduction of Harpo's character is too chaotic and Looney Tunes-esque, not matching the tone of the rest of the film. Lastly, the movie suffers from a boring final act. The first act is great and the rest of the film declines afterward.Overall, Animal Crackers if a fun film. A couple of the songs, especially those involving the Captain Spaulding character, are great and memorable. The Marx Brothers really show off their talents throughout the story. This film is a good watch for any Marx Brothers fan, and there is still plenty of comedy that has aged well for everyone else.

When Discussing a Marx Brothers Film it is Obligatory to Condescend to the Extraneous Musical Numbers (those without the Brothers) and the Plot. In this, the Second Marx Feature and the Second Filmed Stage Play, the Plot is Heavily Intrusive and the Music is Forgettable at Best.The Marx Brothers, perhaps more than Any other Comedy Team, seem to Contrast greatly with the "Filler" of Burdensome Baggage because Their Zany Anarchy is so Wildly Untamed and Ill Fitting to the Society Surrounding Them. It is a Catastrophic Collision. When Groucho, Chico, and Harpo are doing Their Thing it Commands attention and admiration. The Timing is Pure Punctuated Pandemonium and the Appearance of the Odd Looking Brothers demands Comment just because of the How Strange They Look. They are like Another Species Invading Our World."Sometimes" Zeppo is On Hand in this one as is Fan and Groucho Favorite Margaret Dumont. The "Straights" are Lillian Roth and Louis Sorin. The Camera is "Still" in the Motionless Mode of 1930, however the Sound has Improved since "Coconuts" (1929). Overall, it is Better than Their Deut but Not as Good as what was to come as the Marx Brothers Continued to Improve, Peaking with either "Duck Soup" (1933) or "A Night at the Opera" (1935) depending on Who is Doing the Talking. You can bet it won't be Harpo.

The greatest thing about the Marx Brothers was the diversity of their comedy. Groucho was ultimately a master of the one-liners, Chico alluded to ethnic stereotypes that were popular during his days doing vaudeville, and Harpo was the clown, pulling sight gags from every pocket he had in that huge overcoat he wore. Animal Crackers, their second film as The Marx Brothers, allows them free reign to indulge in their manic brand of comedy due to an absence of plot. What is immediately apparent upon viewing the film is just how postmodern it is. Groucho laments his inner thoughts to camera and a statue shoots back at a startled Harpo, all combining to make one truly insane 95 minutes, made all the more risqué with this being before the introduction of the Hays Code.Famour explorer Captain James T. Spaulding (Groucho) arrives at a house party hosted by the upper-class Mrs. Rittenhouse (Margaret Dumont). Whilst there, he manages to swindle, insult and charm the various guests who are in attendance, namely Roscoe Chandler (Louis Sorin), an art collector who has brought one his most prized paintings to display to the guests. Also there is musician Signor Ravelli (Chico) and his mad sidekick The Professor (Harpo), who are harbouring a plan to steal the painting and replace it with a forgery. Unfortunately for them, there are others who wish to pull off the same trick for different reasons.While the songs are nice and catchy (Groucho's intro song "Hooray for Captain Spaulding" was used in TV quiz show You Bet Your Life, which Groucho hosted), the technical aspects suffer the same way as many films did with the sudden introduction of sound. The screen is crammed with characters, much like a play would be, and this sense of disorganisation takes a little away from the film.But it is all about the comedy after all, and here all three of the brothers are on top form, with Groucho providing the killer lines "one day I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don't know" and "we took some pictures of the native girls, but they weren't developed. But we're going back again in a couple of weeks!" (Zeppo also appears, but only briefly). When the plot becomes too ridiculous or the action moves away from the Marx Brothers, stick around for another 30 seconds and they'll be something else to laugh at - it's just that funny.www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com

Although I am slightly conflicted between this or a Night At the Opera this one wins every time. Its not restricted by plot or musical numbers or even having a conclusion. No instead the Marx brothers are exactly where they don't belong, high society, which is why it's the best place for them to be funny. The film beginnings with what later became Groucho Marx's anthem (Hooray for Captain Spaulding) and the Craziness goes from there. Whether it's Groucho insulting everyone in sight or whether its Harpo chasing every woman in close perimeter. No lovers leading the story, just the Marx Brothers doing what they do best, upsetting the high society establishment. The musical is even funny and is only contained to Chico playing two songs. The best scene I think that can sum up not only this movie but the great mix of wit and physical comedy can be found in the card playing scene with Margaret Dumont, Chico, and Harpo. At first, the scene is entirely physical comedy almost mimicking that of three stooges, but when they sit down to play cards the quick wit of the Marx Brothers is quickly shown and if you're not paying attention you will have to watch the scene several times to understand everything that's going on.