Duck Soup

One of the funniest films ever made, Duck Soup is total insanity and a fast pace by the Marx Brothers. Is this merely a string of gags or is this pungent political satire? Does it matter? Priceless gags include the famous "mirror" act, the lemonade stand, and some of the funniest plays on words ever heard. Groucho play Rufus T. Firely, who comes to the aide of struggling Freedonia, seemingly run by a wealthy society dame, Mrs. Teasdale (Margaret Dumont). Chico and Harpo play spies in the employ of the rule of Sylvania (Louis Calhern). Nothing makes sense but then this IS about politics. Fast pace zips this film along (directed by the great Leo McCarey) so that the gags and jokes are dizzying. The three brothers are all wonderful as is Dumont. Also thrown into the mix is the exotic Raquel Torres, funnyman Edgar Kennedy, and the lackluster Zeppo Marx. Best gags include the mirror act with Grouch and Harpo (redone on one of Lucille Ball's TV series with Harpo 20 years later); the lemonade sequence with Chico, Harpo, and Kennedy, and of course the bizarre war finale with the brothers and Dumont, who was one of the best comedy foils in film history.

The usual Marx Brothers blend of skimpy plot, musical numbers and non-stop gags makes this the best of their films. Film history tells us Duck Soup was originally a flop, that it was the last of their films for Paramount, and the final film appearance for Zeppo (no loss there). The Marx Brothers were saved by Irving Thalberg at MGM, and the 3 brothers went on to a few big successes at that studio. One of the funniest films ever made.

All the comedies in which the Marx Brothers appeared were extensions of their vaudeville days. In "Duck Soup", the visual gags that worked so well on the stage are incorporated into the film. Director Leo McCarey directed this zany movie in which the Marx Brothers do their best to entertain their public.

There are many interesting moments in the film, but the best sequence has to be the mirror scene in which Groucho, Harpo and Chico, dressed in the same costume are seen on either side of the looking glass following the other person's movements. The other asset in the film is the final conflict with Sylvania in which Groucho is seen dressed in many uniforms while leading the war against the enemy.

We had seen this film before, but took another look when it was shown on cable recently. The great Margaret Dumont is simply one of the best actresses that ever worked with the Marx Brothers in their comedies. She is amazing in playing the straight part against Groucho's antics. A young Louis Calhern cuts quite a figure as the Trentino, the Sylvanian ambassador to Freedonia. Raquel Torres is a nice addition to the film playing the exotic Vera Marcal.

The Marx Brothers do what they do best in "Duck Soup" guided by a director who knew what to do with them, Leo McCarey.

Many will say that Airplane or anything by Woody Allen rates this summary but I strongly disagree. There are very few pleasures on earth as hearing Groucho insult people, Chico's murder of the English language, or seeing Harpo's physical comedy. In this movie you have it all. From Groucho's entrance in the first scene to the bombing of the shelter while defending Margaret Dumont's "honor", there is not one slow moment. Like the great screwball comedies of the 1930s and 1940s, this movie does not require special effects or offensive dialogue to make it watchable over and over again. The only thing that this movie does require is your attention and a quick finger on the rewind button. (For when you miss something, and on the first viewing you will) All in all, this is the all time best comedy, political or otherwise.

It narrowly beats A Night at the Opera as the best all-round Marx Bros film, though I find the humour more bizarre in Monkey Business. At least the musical numbers in DS are actually worth sitting through.

The reasons it scores so highly are:

1) The mirror sequence. The finest comic sequence ever committed to film. Sure, it's old-hat vaudeville, but it's professional, beautifully timed and spirals into wonderful absurdity.

2) The one-liners, puns and other jokes. Pick of the crop are the peanut stall interchange, the telephone sequence, the riddles ('what has four pairs of pants, lives in Philadelphia, and it never rains but it pours?') and the final battle (especially the stock footage of monkeys and elephants running to save the army under siege - the kind of thing the Zucker Bros pinched for their comedies). Oh, yes, and the motorcycle routines.

3) The satire on politics and warmongering. The Brothers simply deflate the pomposity of the whole deal.

4) The fact that Zeppo is actually given something to do.

Anybody who thinks the Farrelly brothers are the last word in comedy should be strapped to a chair and shown Marx Bros films over and over again, until they concede.

Very likely their best film. This is pure surrealism from start to finish, with some of their best-executed routines, and a welcome absence of (serious) musical numbers. Whether it has Harpo answering the phone, Groucho explaining his tax policy or Chico giving a detailed report of his weekly surveillance tactics ("On Wednesday we fool him: We no show up"), this is the epitome of the Marx Brothers movies. And here's one of the funniest lines that nobody else has mentioned: "Ok, I give up. How about your glass of water?" (well, it's only funny in context). (***)