Topic: A Night At The Opera (1935) The Marx Brothers

[metaldams]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026778/?ref_=nv_sr_1





      Zeppo is now gone pairing it down to three brothers, the Production Code is in full swing, and the brothers are now making movies for Irving Thalberg and MGM as opposed to Paramount.  The style of Marx Brothers films will be very different from now on, and the first of these films is A NIGHT AT THE OPERA.  The results are the greatest movie The Marx Brothers ever appeared in, but not the greatest Marx Brothers movie.  When I say greatest movie they ever appeared in, I mean as far as storytelling, believable characters, steady pacing, and production values.  You will never find a classier Marx film.  To some, this may be a problem.  The Paramounts were little worlds unto themselves filled with non stop verbal jokes and slapstick all over the place.  Here, the jokes are less, the story is more, and the romantic couple, played by Kitty Carlisle and Alan Jones, get a prominent role.

      Ah yes, the romantic couple, usually a problem in these comedy films.  Cloying, unwanted, and juvenile, they take away time from our favorite comedians.  That is the way I usually feel.  A NIGHT AT THE OPERA is the one exception.  It is the greatest comedy of all-time that involves romantic couples outside of the comedian(s) and excessive musical numbers, hands down, no contest.  Ms. Carlisle and Mr. Jones play perfectly believable characters that are easy for me to like, sing extremely well, and take enough time, but not so much where we don't get enough Marx Brothers.  I even like "Cosi, Cosa," God help me!  Irving Thalberg must have had some secret formula to make a film like this work 100% to my tastes, so secret that no other film producer in the history of film knew about it.

      As for the brothers themselves, they don't have the same quantity of comedy as they do in previous films, but the quality is at the same level.  I basically enjoy every scene in this movie.  Now comes the obligatory part where I have to name them.  (Assumes Chico voice) Well, uh, OK, I a-try.

      The contract "sanity clause" scene has always been a favorite of mine.  I think it's hysterical the way Harpo knocks out his adversary and then gives him smelling salts, only so he can enjoy the simple pleasure of knocking him out again!  Then Groucho and Chico put their feet on top of said adversary and do a hilarious contract negotiation scene.  Notice the way the majority of this thing, as extended as it is, is in one take!  Simply awesome, those two brothers worked amazingly well together.

      What else?  Well, there's Groucho's classic opening scene with Margaret Dumont.  Great the way we find out she was stood up on a dinner date with Groucho, only to later find out Groucho was there the whole time at another table, back turned with another woman!  After showing some Marxian class and leaving the other woman with the check, Groucho then proceeds to tell Ms. Dumont that he was with that other woman because basically every feature about the other woman reminds him of Ms. Dumont.  Great scene.

      The scene where they stuff as many people into that tiny storage room as possible only to have them fall out like an avalanche is a slowly built up masterpiece in itself.  Eagle eyed Stooge fans, notice the man carrying Groucho to his room on the trunk, that's Gino Corrado! 

      Some character type changes is the fact the boys care about the lovers, something you'd never see at Paramount.  Groucho delivering the "prescription" love letter is the most obvious.  Chico and Harpo's instrumental solo scenes are great as usual, but notice the way children watch them in awe.  I suppose children were laughing at Harpo in MONKEY BUSINESS during the hand puppet scene, but that was Harpo being a misfit.  In this scene, those kids are in reverence of these likeable comics playing musical numbers.  Definitely a sign of a softening image. 

      I can see whatever responses this review gets possibly knocking the things about this movie that are more standard at MGM than Paramount, but for this one film, I don't mind.  Everything works fine for me. 
 
      One final observation I would like to make for any Buster Keaton fan reading this.  Notice how both The Marx Brothers and Keaton's first MGM films are by far their best?  The second one is good, but not as good, and then the fall happens in the third film.  At least The Marx Brothers didn't fall as bad as Keaton, as I think every Marx Brothers film has its moments, but The Marx Brothers would never make a film this good again.  Last week I said if you're new to the Marx Brothers, start at DUCK SOUP,  I also want to say if you want to show someone a Marx comedy, and you're pretty sure they'll like it, start at DUCK SOUP.  However, if you feel unsure and think they may need to be eased in, start here.

10/10

[Larrys#1]

This is a great movie, but not perfect because I have an slight issue with the romantic subplot and the romantic musical numbers. Other than that, this movie is great in almost every way. Groucho really stands out here and is absolutely hilarious from beginning to end. I really enjoy the "Party of the First Part" bit. I also like the part where Groucho gets that small room on the boat and start squeezing everyone inside. And the scene inside Groucho's hotel room was so funny and chaotic. And another great part was Chico's story about how they came to America.

This movie is always enjoyable to watch, but it's a shame that the romantic musical bits prevented it from being a perfect film.

9.5/10

[Seamus]

The results are the greatest movie The Marx Brothers ever appeared in, but not the greatest Marx Brothers movie.

Well put.  This is the only one of the MGM movies that pretty much perfectly executes the vision that Thalberg had for the Marx Brothers (the subsequent MGM films come across as botched attempts to re-apply the Thalberg formula).  Whether or not you agree with that vision is another question, but the end result is unquestionably a terrific movie that gives the brothers a fresh context in which to work.  It was a timely "reboot," since the Paramount pictures probably took the free-wheeling structure of their earlier movies about as far as it could go with DUCK SOUP.  Even if DS hadn't been a flop, any attempt to continue mining in that direction would probably be a diminishing returns situation.  That's why, even though the Paramounts will always be my favorites, I'm glad we have their MGM period to keep things interesting.

Ah yes, the romantic couple, usually a problem in these comedy films.  Cloying, unwanted, and juvenile, they take away time from our favorite comedians.  That is the way I usually feel.  A NIGHT AT THE OPERA is the one exception.  It is the greatest comedy of all-time that involves romantic couples outside of the comedian(s) and excessive musical numbers, hands down, no contest.  Ms. Carlisle and Mr. Jones play perfectly believable characters that are easy for me to like, sing extremely well, and take enough time, but not so much where we don't get enough Marx Brothers.  I even like "Cosi, Cosa," God help me!  Irving Thalbeg must have had some secret formula to make a film like this work 100% to my tastes, so secret that no other film producer in the history of film knew about it.

More real talk.  Romantic scenes in a Marx Brothers movie - especially the musical interludes - would have my fast-forward finger twitching (and get me pondering yet again how different the entertainment tastes of 1930s audiences could be from ours), but the two romantic leads in NIGHT AT THE OPERA are so likeable and comparatively less drippy than most of the ones that plague the other MGM movies that I don't mind their scenes at all.  Even as a die-hard Paramount fan, I think it's a fun change to see the brothers inhabiting this more glamorous MGM world (for one movie anyway), with big musical numbers cutting away for a couple of seconds to show us Groucho making some wisecrack or Harpo clowning around from the sidelines.

Some character type changes is the fact the boys care about the lovers, something you'd never see at Paramount.  Groucho delivering the "prescription" love letter is the most obvious.  Chico and Harpo's instrumental solo scenes are great as usual, but notice the way children watch them in awe.  I suppose children were laughing at Harpo in MONKEY BUSINESS during the hand puppet scene, but that was Harpo being a misfit.  In this scene, those kids are in reverence of these likeable comics playing musical numbers.  Definitely a sign of a softening image.

I do cringe a little at these types of scenes, as they're so out of character.  Chico the self-interested con man of the Paramount days is now the lovable side-kick for the young lovers, using his skills as a swindler as a force for good.  Although to be fair, Chico fills this "lovable sidekick" role very well thanks to his natural warmth and charm, so at least his slightly re-tooled MGM characterization works, and gives Chico a chance to show how good he can be when he's given a role with a little more depth (as opposed to just talking well-written nonsense in a bad Italian accent) (which I love, don't get me wrong).   

While Chico's new persona isn't a huge let-down, the same can't be said for Harpo, unfortunately.  As of this movie, Harpo's performance take a permanent nose-dive in my opinion.  He's less the weird angelic demon he was in the Paramount days, and more an overt cartoon character.  In the pre-MGM days, he'd intersperse his manic explosions with moments of stillness, letting his face go completely blank and visibly withdrawing into his own head while Chico is trying to explain something to him.  It made his performance more compelling and got you wondering what strange thoughts were going in inside that be-curled cranium.  It helped convey the idea that Harpo lived in his own alien reality.  That kind of performance pretty much vanishes in NIGHT AT THE OPERA and is never seen again.  Instead we have a Harpo who's always "on," either grinning wildly or pouting like a spoiled toddler (with the occasional gooky here and there), and always plugged into the same reality as everyone around him.  It sounds like a small nit-pick, but I think it's a real down-turn for Harpo's character.

[metaldams]

While Chico's new persona isn't a huge let-down, the same can't be said for Harpo, unfortunately.  As of this movie, Harpo's performance take a permanent nose-dive in my opinion.  He's less the weird angelic demon he was in the Paramount days, and more an overt cartoon character.  In the pre-MGM days, he'd intersperse his manic explosions with moments of stillness, letting his face go completely blank and visibly withdrawing into his own head while Chico is trying to explain something to him.  It made his performance more compelling and got you wondering what strange thoughts were going in inside that be-curled cranium.  It helped convey the idea that Harpo lived in his own alien reality.  That kind of performance pretty much vanishes in NIGHT AT THE OPERA and is never seen again.  Instead we have a Harpo who's always "on," either grinning wildly or pouting like a spoiled toddler (with the occasional gooky here and there), and always plugged into the same reality as everyone around him.  It sounds like a small nit-pick, but I think it's a real down-turn for Harpo's character.

You do make some good points concerning Harpo.  I think this all goes back to trying to make Harpo appealing to children (Wait until the next film!).  While everything you stated is true, I also seem to recall the lady chaser being gone at MGM in addition to the book burning, property destroying freak.  Now Harpo is just a clown.  Look, he has his moments, I enjoyed the scene in A NIGHT AT THE OPERA where he was at the breakfast table working with props for a few minutes, but yes, the character softening is beginning.

[Seamus]

You do make some good points concerning Harpo.  I think this all goes back to trying to make Harpo appealing to children (Wait until the next film!).  While everything you stated is true, I also seem to recall the lady chaser being gone at MGM in addition to the book burning, property destroying freak.  Now Harpo is just a clown.  Look, he has his moments, I enjoyed the scene in A NIGHT AT THE OPERA where he was at the breakfast table working with props for a few minutes, but yes, the character softening is beginning.

I think you're right, I can't recall any lady-chasing in any of the MGM movies (though I'm a lot less familiar with the MGM stuff than their earlier movies), or any manic property destruction (the train scene in GO WEST doesn't really count).  I can't imagine MGM Harpo shoveling books into a fireplace.  I remember reading a good point someone made about Harpo's more grounded characterization in the later movies (I think it was in a Marx Brothers bio, but can't remember which one).  They noted the scene in NIGHT AT THE OPERA where Harpo and Chico give each other salamis as gifts, and Harpo pulls a fireman's axe off the wall to slice his.  In the old days, Harpo would have impossibly pulled the axe out of his coat (this is the man who pulled a steaming hot cup of coffee out of his pocket in HORSE FEATHERS after all), but now he has to find an axe already laying around because he doesn't do surreal anymore.

It's been a while since I've seen ROOM SERVICE, but I seem to recall that we get a some of the old Harpo back in that one.  I guess it'll be something to watch for when you get around to talking about that one.

[QuinceHead]

I keep hoping that Criterion will release a restored/cleaned-up A NIGHT AT THE OPERA on Blu-Ray, along with the other MGM Marx Brothers films...

For duty and humanity,
JohnH aka QuinceHead

[Dr. Mabuse]

"A Night at the Opera" remains one of the Marx Brothers' finest efforts. However, the seeds of their creative demise were planted in this particular film: the strong focus on music and romance; the gradual softening of the brothers' comedic personas; and the MGM studio gloss at odds with Marxian anarchy. Thanks to the guiding hand of producer Irving Thalberg, everything clicks in "A Night at the Opera." Groucho, in particular, is brilliant and razor-sharp. Harpo's freewheeling spirit has been toned down, yet he has some inspired moments. In the immortal role of Herman Gottlieb, character actor Sig Ruman makes a welcome addition to the Marx Brothers stock company.

A splendid night is guaranteed for all.

9/10

[HomokHarcos]

The way I've heard it described is A Night at the Opera is the best movie for film fans, while Duck Soup is the best movie for Marx Brothers fans. That's probably why I prefer Duck Soup. Now that they are at MGM, there is higher production values than ever before. One of the first notable changes is that they characters have been made more sympathetic. Previously, they were selfish and that whatever they wanted for their own amusement. Now they are good guys that help their friends. I think I could have stood that part on its own, but the bigger downside for me is that we have an increasingly bigger focus on romantic couples and musical numbers. I guess Irving Thalberg or Louis B. Mayer must have really thought people didn't watch comedies for the comedians, for whatever reason.

There are still some great scenes in this movie: sanity clause and the scene where everybody is crammed into one room. But I think the two best ones that fit the brothers the best are the scene where they put on beards and do the impersonation, and the end where they disrupt the opera.

[Dr. Mabuse]

Another factor in the Marx Brothers' gradual decline was the enforcement of the Production Code in 1934 ("Duck Soup" was the team's last pre-Code film), which had a tremendous impact on Wheeler & Woolsey.

[NoahYoung]

Groucho: "This is the opening of a new opera season -- a season made possible by the generous checks of Mrs. Claypool. I am sure the familiar strains of Verdi's music will come back to you tonight. And Mrs. Claypools' checks will probably come back in the morning."

I don't care if the writers wrote that line -- nobody could deliver it like Groucho!

This is my favorite of their movies. Whether or not DUCK SOUP is funnier, I gave up long ago trying to decide. This is my favorite. Emphasis on "my" and "favorite." I actually enjoy the non-Marx musical numbers, and Kitty Carlisle and Allan Jones are not sappy and actually enjoyable to watch. Add Sig Ruman, Margaret Dumont, and Robert Emmet O'Conner, and you really have a great supporting cast. Even Billy Gilbert shows up for a blink-and-you'll-miss it cameo (if you want to call it that.) Believe or not, this prompted me to take the CDs of IL TROVATORE out of the library a few years ago - some 35 years after I first saw this movie.

Regarding Robert Emmet O'Conner, I don't know about you, but although he is a "plain-clothesman", he looks more like an "old-clothesman" to me. 

The last place the Marx Brothers should be is at an opera house, interacting with classy people. That's why it is funny. The first place they should be is at a circus, as I mentioned in my comments on AT THE CIRCUS.

I didn't see the complete movie on TV until I was in high school -- after seeing all the Paramounts and the final 3 M-G-Ms many times. I had only seen bits and pieces of it -- it was invariable shown on a weekend afternoon during the warm weather, when friends and I would catch a few minutes of it on TV and then go outside to play baseball or something like that. (You see, when I was a kid, we didn't have VCRs! Flibberty goo! You had to watch a TV show or movie when it was being broadcast. And we LOVED IT!) When I finally saw it complete, with minimal commercial interruptions, and my handy VCR taping it, it was a revelation. I must have watched it 10 more times during that summer after it was broadcast. Despite the change in structure, to me it was vintage Marx Brothers with the slickness of an M-G-M film. They even looked like they had in the Paramount days, unlike in the final 3 M-G-Ms where they had obviously aged, and Groucho wore the phony wig you could spot 10 miles away. (I had not seen the complete DAY AT THE RACES yet at that time.)

Addendum:
I guess if the wig was phony, then it wouldn't be a wig, but real hair. 

This film  is similar to ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN in some respects. Huh? Stick with me on this as I explain.
Like the A&C film, this was novel approach to deviate from an established formula. There was a high risk of failure in both. There are so many things they could have gotten wrong, but they didn't. Both films are high points in each set of careers. Arguably the highest point in each case, but let's not go there.

In both the case of A&C and the Marxes, attempts to repeat the formula in subsequent films were a big letdown, especially considering the high standards set by these 2 films. In A&C's case, they really milked the formula to death. Hmmm, imagine a film titled THE MARX BROTHERS MEET THE ACTUAL DR. FRANKENSTEIN?

[NoahYoung]

Around 10+ years ago, one of the kid's sitcoms on the Disney Channel, "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody",  re-did the stateroom scene. I was just flipping channels and caught it -- I couldn't believe it. I was probably the only one in the world tuned in who knew it came from A NIGHT AT THE OPERA.

[Umbrella Sam]

Around 10+ years ago, one of the kid's sitcoms on the Disney Channel, "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody",  re-did the stateroom scene. I was just flipping channels and caught it -- I couldn't believe it. I was probably the only one in the world tuned in who knew it came from A NIGHT AT THE OPERA.

I had pretty much the exact opposite experience. I remember seeing this episode of Zack & Cody when it came out, and then a few months later, my uncle showed me A NIGHT AT THE OPERA, which was my introduction to the Marx Brothers, and I immediately recognized the similarities.

[NoahYoung]

I hope you realized at the time who did it first.

Actually, it has it's roots in THE CAMERAMAN with Buster Keaton, who was a gag-man at M-G-M from 1937 to 1951. Although this was filmed before 1937, Jim Kline, in his book,  "The Compete Films of Buster Keaton" (where I got those years from), actually lists A NIGHT AT THE OPERA in the "un-credited gags" section. That scene is actually more similar to the upper berth scene in L&H's BERTH MARKS, which was made the following year. Both have only 2 people trying to change clothes is very tight quarters. I don't find either of the scenes particularly funny. The stateroom scene, however, is hilarious -- no one is trying to change clothes, but everyone and his brother enters the stateroom, as you all know.

Legend has it that M-G-M screened THE CAMERAMAN for every new comedian they hired, and they "wore out" the print. That's the excuse given on why, before it's restoration, such a bad quality print was used for the initial VHS version. Although it has been restored again for Blu-Ray by Criterion, it is still missing about 2 or 3 minutes of footage, which Keaton himself claimed were some of the best gags in the picture.

I never "bought" that excuse -- nor do some people who have written about it recently. M-G-M was fairly careless in preserving early generation negatives (i.e. camera negatives), as were a lot of the big studios. So that's why we have an incomplete A NIGHT AT THE OPERA today.

And BTW, where can I get a phonograph record of "Minnie the Moocher" for 75 cents? I have it on CD, though.

[metaldams]

I think some of the gags towards the end of Keaton’s SPEAK EASILY inspired the stuff on the ropes and curtains in A NIGHT AT THE OPERA.

That’s some great info about the crowded room scene having a more contemporary influence.

[metaldams]

….and yeah, I’d love to see that extra CAMERAMAN footage.  I can definitely see that changing scene as the proto version of what The Marx Brothers did.

[NoahYoung]

I hold out as much hope for finding the missing footage from THE CAMERAMAN as for A NIGHT AT THE OPERA -- not much unfortunately. For such famous comedians -- they would have found it by now.
But like I said for HATS OFF -- maybe someone has it and doesn't know it, or does know it and is hording it.