ElMaruecan82 "Half the laughs and twice the money" that was Irwin Thalberg's equation when he hired the Marx Brothers for their new MGM contract and it sure paid off if the first movie was the 1935 classic, "A Night at the Opera", one of their best, if not the second best after "Duck Soup", or third after "Animal Crackers". This is basically "Duck Soup" with a plot, with more heart and less cynicism and let's admit it, a few sappy and musical moments... but so few, I didn't think they spoiled the enjoyment.Before the MGM, Paramount consecrated the Marx Brothers as the new sound of comedic talent, proof that humor needed the talkies, and after Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd, there was room for a chatterbox like Groucho Marx, a wise guy like Chico, and a honking maniac (who knew how to handle silent humor) like Harpo. But it's all in the persona of Groucho Marx, his wisecracking that would later inspire Bugs Bunny, the way he constantly teases a bewildered Margaret Dumont who easily loses the track of his machine-gun firing insults or the sense of natural anarchy and mayhem caused by the three siblings.Intelligence, subversion, chaos, that was the Marx Brothers before Thalberg felt the need to tone it down in order to match the more politically correct requirement of the audience. Yes, those were the Code's days and "Duck Soup" was perhaps too subversive and politically loaded for its own good. So the point was to change the formula and not rely too much on their unpredictable behavior but use a plot as a clothesline where to hang their antics and weird behavior... make them more sympathetic, Harpo would become like a child figure rather than his Benny Hill precursor persona and the brothers will always serve the interest of a young romantic couple, against a generally one-dimensional bad guy. That was the formula of the MGM period, being "foils" that didn't fool us, it worked to a certain degree, but in "A Night in the Opera", despite the sappy romantic interludes and musical "fillers", the film is still in the same vein of zaniness than "Duck Soup". I did the counting, there are exactly five minutes of the "Alone" meowing, I mean, singing, ten minutes of "Cosi Cosa" and Chico and Harpo playing their trademark instruments, and the romantic moments between Allan Jones and Kitty Carlisle or the bad guy, don't exceed twenty minutes. So basically, in a runtime of ninety minutes, you have seventy minutes of fun, and sequences as classic one another.Think about it, the restaurant scene with Dumont, the contract scene with Chico, the iconic room filling sequence where each new guest inspired a new hilarious comment from Marx, that "you have everything" 'no one ever complained" exchange that got past the censor, and the great spectacular finale at the opera. 1935 was the year Donald trolled the band concert by playing "Turkey in the Straw" during the William Tell Overture, but I'm not sure if it beats "the Baseball Music" playing at the Scala. But recollecting the great moments of "A Night at the Opera" isn't interesting, the problem is that the film marks both a new era for the siblings but a sort of beginning of the end.If we except "A Day At the Races", the other movies don't play the same league for the simple reason that the formula could only depend on the inspiration in the comedic moments and the more films they made, the less gags and the sappier the romance went. Even in "A Night at the Opera", you're tempted to skip the parts while "Duck Soup" is perfect from beginning to end. The Brothers were so ahead of their time they had to serve as foils for plot elements that ruined their films and totally forgettable. Imagine if they could have done similar movies even unsuccessful, the treasure it would have been.It was French comedic actor Louis de Funès who said at the peak of his career that he wouldn't accept anymore to be directed, advised yes, but director not. According to him, a comic actor alone could understand the range of his talent and many comedians didn't get their deserved success because they followed the instructions of directors who knew nothing. It was his perception (and agreeable) that the comics were perhaps the only auteur in acting and any interference could ruin the intended effects. I don't think this really applies in the case of "A Night at the Opera", even Groucho Marx admitted it was a wise choice.But as good as it is, the film sets a precedent and provides the ludicrous idea that a Marx Brothers movie could be a vehicle for a banal romance, meant to promote two MGM stars. With a reasonable timing and good 'interludes', maybe, but who would believe the audience came to watch anyone but the Marx Brothers?

LeonLouisRicci Much Thought and Trepidation went into the Decision by the Marx Brothers and MGM as to Why such a Great Film like Duck Soup (1933) was a Flop. MGM's Thalberg Insisted it was the Incoherence and the Lack of Plot that Audiences Required and the Marx's went Along with Him and His Formula. The Rest is History.This Film Became the Brothers Biggest Hit and Sustained Their Career. Thalberg May have been Right, and the Moviegoers of the 1930's Liked a Lot of Singing and Dancing with Their Comedy, but Truth be Told. It was just a Fad. In Retrospect the Dated Love Songs and Romantic Subplots are Hardly the Reason Anyone After the Fact went Back to View these Comedic Gems. Today, Blasphemous as it May Be, it is Common for Modern Audiences to Say, "I fast forward through the Songs." So it is the Zany Brothers that Make These Things Classics. Their Irreverence, Timing, Wit, and Overall Hilarious Routines that Make a Marx Brothers Movie. In this One They Even Make Opera Somewhat Tolerable. It is Considered One Their Best and Some Say it is the Best. Along with Duck Soup it is the One that is Universally Touted as the Cream of the Brothers Crop.The Opera, is in Fact, a Great Place for the Marxes to be Unleashed as They Rip it to Shreds Along with Contracts and Clothes. It is a Slick Film that Groucho Said is His Favorite.But for Pure Marx Brothers Without the MGM Mix of Music and Romance…Some Prefer Duck Soup as Well as Some of the Others Done at Paramount.

ma-cortes Amusing and entertaining Marx picture , it has a lot of funny material and unfortunately intrusive songs . Groucho's wisecracks and the incomparable Chico and Harpo carry the movie . It deals with a sly business manager named Otis B. Driftwood (Groucho Marx) and two (Chico Marx as Fiorello and Harpo Marx as Tomasso) wacky friends of two (Kitty Carlisle as Rosa and Allan Jones as Ricardo) opera singers help them achieve success while humiliating their stuffy and snobbish enemies . Later on , Marx Brothers anarchize the opera , insulting and mocking the guests and players . Their actions include some on stage antics during the stage debut , as they arrange for the normal tenor to be absent so that the young lover named Ricardo can get his chance . Classic Marx film with many funny sequences , this is the most sustained bit of insanity , full of crazy gags , antics and amusement , being now deemed a satiric masterpiece ,and one of the biggest hits . Although it suffers from staginess and musical comedy plotting but gives the zany threesome plenty of comic elaboration . Enough gags for give several movies , but our favorite is still the cabin scene . Despite the abundant songs and silly as well as sappy love story the movie maintains itself very well . This is a fun comedy as hilariously amusing as the films they made at Paramount with Zeppo . This is a M.G.M production lavishly financed by Irving Thalberg . Excellent Harpo Marx , as usual , he even did many of his own stunts , he later said it was a silly thing for a 47-year-old non-stuntman to have done . Groucho said that this was his favorite among his movies . The Marx Bros (minus Zeppo) are in peak form in this vintage musical comedy with co-star the legendary Margaret Dumont , including sparkling dialogs with Groucho . Furthermore , Sig Ruman makes his first of three appearances in The Marx Brothers films. However , this is the first Marx Brothers film made without brother Zeppo Marx, it started a new trend of The Marx Brothers movies featuring a Zeppo-like supporting character who carries the love story and sings the song . The motion picture was well directed by Sam Wood . Sam Wood, freshman The Marx Brothers director in this film, was a perfectionist , the scene in which Harpo Marx hangs from the rope was filmed so many times that Harpo Marx's hands became cut and swollen from the rope . Don't miss it , one of the funniest picture ever made by Marx BrothersOther important films starred by Marx Brothers -many of them Broadway farce plays transfered by scenarists into vehicle for the Brothres- , they are the followings : ¨Animal crackers¨, ¨Duck soap¨ that was a flop when first released but today considered a masterpiece , ¨Horse Feathers¨, ¨At the circus¨, ¨Day at the races¨ , ¨Room service¨ , ¨Go West¨, ¨Love Happy¨ and ¨Night in Casablanca¨, though in 1946 the Marx formula was wearing thin . Any film with Groucho , Chico , Harpo and Zeppo is well worth seeing .

tavm Two years after making their last Paramount film, Duck Soup, the remaining Marx brothers-Groucho, Chico, and Harpo since Zeppo left-ended up at M-G-M after Chico played bridge with head of production Irving G. Thalberg and made a deal with him. With Thalberg on board, there would now be more production-meaning more story, more balance of comedy and drama with the juvenile leads and more music other than those of the Marx siblings. So now we have Allan Jones and Kitty Carlisle as the romantic leads who we're supposed to care about and who are cared for by these brothers. They're actually not bad both acting and singing-wise even if you're not a fan of opera as I'm certainly not. We also have Walter Woolf King as the villain which is proved when he mistreats Harpo. But while there's not as much comedy as in their previous Paramount offerings, there's still enough of it that you laugh as much and as loud as in those earlier efforts. And not only does Groucho woo and insult Margaret Dumont delightedly again to wondrous effect here, Sig Ruman as an opera financier and Robert Emment O'Connor as a cop also provide their own great comic moments to the Marxes. Oh, and after being absent in Duck Soup, once again Chico plays his piano and Harpo his harp to entertaining results with the children watching and laughing at them an added pleasure. Oh, and Harpo also once again does his comic piano playing to good effect. Nothing more to add here except when watching the DVD, I highly recommend the Leonard Maltin commentary that accompanies this one as he provides great info throughout the picture including the missing opening sequence now considered lost. So, yeah, that's a high recommendation of A Night at the Opera.