Tuesday, April 28, 2015

A Night At The Opera – Here comes Sanity Clause!

This post is for The Fabulous Films of the 30s Blogathon, Hosted by CMBA, from April 27 through May 1, 2015!
Starring The Marx Brothers: Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, and Harpo Marx.
Co-starring Margaret Dumont, Kitty Carlisle and Allan Jones
Director: Sam Wood (1934)

Fantasia in Radio City Music Hall!  Especially “What’s Opera, Doc?” with Elmer Fudd singing “”Kill the Wabbit” over the Ring Cycle (no hobbits in sight, of course, this was the ORIGINAL Ring tale, but that’s, you should pardon the expression, another story) Call it a “Gateway drug” if you like except it’s not illegal -- you only get high on music and comedy.
We kids were introduced to the classics as kids from Looney Tunes and Disney’s

Likewise, odds are most classic comedy fans’ look at opera was likely from the Marx Brothers masterpiece, A Night at the Opera.  I’ve been a fan of The Marx Brothers since my older siblings showed me their comedies when I was in kindergarten!  They sat me down to watch The Cocoanuts, with also introduced me to Kay Francis with each new zany antics, including, where I also discovered Kay Francis.  I rarely find a Marx Brothers comedy that I haven’t liked, but A Night at the Opera is my hands-down favorite!

To say that Bugs and the Marx boys had parallels is an understatement.  Bugs had to work triple time, taking on aspects of all three of the Brother, from Groucho’s sharp tongue to Chico’s willingness to engage in a blow to the head, to Harpo’s sheer manic frenzy, ripping pants and coats all in the campaign to make his target look and feel an utter fool.

The Marx Brothers had settled into almost archetype roles for their films, and this is no exception.

Every Marx Brothers film has at least one
perfectly quotable malaprop pun - Night at the
Opera delivers one of the best
Groucho,
as Otis B. Driftwood; promoter and sometime con-man; ever sidling up to the ample bosom and bank account of Mrs. Claypool, played by film’s greatest straight man, Margaret Dumont

Chico Marx takes his heavily accented position as Firello,, kind of a wise guy, but sharp and well meaning.  He’s slightly less actively criminal this time around, but he’s clearly not above whipping out a leather cosh when needs must.

He is ever teamed with his “Silent partner” Tomasso, played by Harpo Marx, playing his traditional role of mute whirlwind of chaos.

As usual, Groucho starts alone, working his way into Mrs. Claypool’s best graces as primary patron of the city’s opera company, where he sets himself up with a cushy managerial position, careful never to actually hear any singing.  Keen to sign legendary European tenor Rodolfo Lasparri (not the one “of Palermo Sicily), for all of you who saw The Freshman) he meets Fiorello, who claims to manage “The greatest tenor in the world”. Of course, he’s not referring to The Great Lasparri, but his friend Ricardo (Allan Jones) who has no resume as a singer. But Lasparri has the hots for Ricardo’s girl, Rosa (Kitty Carlisle) and when he’s approached to sing, he says he won’t go to New York without her.

As zany as the boys can be, they can also be kind and helpful to their friends, so at this point, Lasparri become the Marx’ “Special friend” (as the Marx-channeling Warner Brothers called their targets of torment on Animaniacs) and he becomes the target of their own special brand of War of Nerves.  At the same time, Groucho has to keep Mrs. Claypool’s cheeks blushing, and keep his opposition for her charms and bankbook, Gottlieb (Sig Ruman) off balance. 

The trip back from Europe provides us what may be one of the greatest scenes of physical comedy in a Marx Brothers film, and possibly any film ever, The Stateroom Scene.Two and a half minutes of filmic perfection.



The setup is simple – Driftwood’s room on the ship is calamitously small – so much so that it can barely accommodate himself and his monstrous steamer trunk, which is itself accommodating stowaways Fiorello, Tomasso and Ricardo.  So as more and more people arrive to do various work in the room, it become increasingly sardine-like.  To this day it’s one of the only scenes of black-and-white film that our daughter Siobhan will willingly sit through, and no surprise why.

The Marxes were all noted lotharios - none of them ever
needed a "beard"!
Graham Linehan, creator of classic British sitcoms like Father Ted and The IT Crowd, points out a theory of sitcom scenarios from Griff Rhys-Jones – the characters in a sitcom must be trapped, or otherwise stuck together, or why else would they stay with people they hated?  That adds another layer of comedy to the scene – all throughout the scene, Groucho is trying to prepare for an intimate dalliance with Mrs. Claypool, resulting in a moment of surprise when she arrives.

When is a door not a door?  When it's a cot held up
to hide from a detective, obviously!
When the company arrives in New York, there’s the matter of the ship being three Italians heavy.  So the boys pose as visiting Russian aviators, allegedly fresh from a grand adventure.  After a speech at City Hall goes south, the stowaways are on the run, and with a policeman hot on their trail, it becomes very difficult for Groucho to keep all his oars in the water.  Not as famous as the Stateroom Scene is the sequence where the crew must shell-game a series of cots between two hotel rooms to keep Detective Henderson off kilter.

The final reel is sheer Marx madness as a massive plot is hatched to get revenge on all those who have wronged them, get the starcrossed lovers back together, and get Driftwood back into Mrs Claypool’s arms and trust fund.

The manic action of a Marx Brothers movie is met equally by the wit of the dialogue.  Groucho has a free-range tongue, and from it comes some of the most perplexing verbiage ever heard on film, leaving the stage littered with confused targets:

Otis B. Driftwood: That woman? Do you know why I sat with her? Because she reminded me of you.
Mrs. Claypool: Really?
Driftwood: Of course, that's why I'm sitting here with you. Because you remind me of you. Your eyes, your throat, your lips! Everything about you reminds me of you. Except you. How do you account for that? (to the camera) If she figures that one out, she's good.

Decades later, Dennis Dugan directed a truly under-appreciated remake of this film titled Brain Donors. Set in a ballet company instead of opera, it features John Tuturro in the Groucho-esque role of Roland T. Flakfiser, Mel Smith as Rocco Melonchek and hybrid stand-up comic Bob Nelson standing in for Harpo as Jacques. Nancy Marchand, then known best from Lou Grant and now better known for The Sopranos steps in for Dumont as doddering dowager Lillian Ogelthorpe.  It more than satisfies the requirements that a remake must meet, and while it can never replace the original, it does a fine job of showing that classic comedy still holds up today.  Well worth a look

26 comments:

  1. When I'm with my sisters and we enter a crowded venue of some kind, one of us will turn to the others and ask "Is my Aunt Minnie in here?". "A Night at the Opera" is just that kind of movie. It never leaves you.

    Thanks for the tip about "Brain Donors". I'll be sure to check it out.

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    1. Paddy, you and your sisters are our Team Bartilucci's our kind of people! :-D Hooray for your witty family, and thanks to you and yours, as well as a swell evening, my friend! :-) And check out BRAIN DONORS; it's a hoot! :-D

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  2. Positively one of their best. Though I admittedly prefer their Universal films Duck Soup, Horse Feathers and Monkey Business, if only because of those damn musical numbers, in this and in A Day at the Races. I'm talking Alan Jones and Kitty Carlile/Maureen O'Sullivan sleep inducing interludes. They drag the films to a screeching halt. Fortunately, the Marxes recuperate splendidly. But that said,the film is put Marxist arnarchy and you frame it perfectly. Never heard of Brain Donors, but will keep an eye out for it.

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    1. John, I must admit that while I LOVE all those wild and crazy Marx Brothers hands down, there's always just the tiniest smile from when I first saw Allan Jones, Kitty Carlile, Maureen O'Sullivan, Alan Jones and the crooners. Hey, they had to eat, too! :-D Glad you dropped by for the wild and crazy Marx Brothers we all know and love, my friend, and thanks from Team Bartilucci! :-D

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  3. "... film’s greatest straight man, Margaret Dumont." Hands down, no contest. Fun post, and a great choice for this blogathon. Where would the 1930s be without the Marx Brothers?

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    1. Jacqueline, we of Team Bartilucci totally agree with your of Margaret Dumont Prize! If she wasn't the woman behind the man, who is? :-D Margaret Dumont for President! Thanks for your comments, my friend, and thanks for your swell coments! :-D

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    2. Great review and thanks for the info on Brain Donors. I've never heard of before, so I'm going to have to check it out.

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    3. Amanda, we of Team Bartilucci are happy to know you, and thanks for your kind comments!! We hope you get a chance to watch and enjoy BRAIN DONORS, too! Glad you joined the fun of A Night At The Opera for the blogathon!

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    4. Thanks for your charming comment about A Night At The Opera, Amanda! We hope you get a chance to enjoy both BRAIN DONORS as well as A Night At The Opera! :-D

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  4. I totally agree this is one of their very best and that is saying a lot. Just reading your post made me brought a smile to my face. Groucho & Madame Maggie - Prince William and Kate got nothing on them. Loved your post, Dorian

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    1. Marsha, you've perked up my whole day, including The Royal Family! :-D It was a labor of love, being a family of Marx Brothers fans! Thanks a million for your kind kudos, my friend!

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    2. Marsha, you've perked up my whole day with your kind kudos and charming comments about A Night At The Opera, including the Royal Family as well! :-D All of us at Team Bartilucci thank you -- Marsha -- you're a princess in Team B.' s Royal Family! Thanks again, and have a great evening! :-D

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  5. To follow up on what Jacqueline said, I'm all for Team Margaret Dumont! She is my absolute fave Marx "Brother".

    Dor, I'm a bit ashamed to admit this...but...I've never seen this film! (Shocking, I know! This should be required viewing for every classic movie blogger, no?) However, I really enjoyed your review. What would a 30s blogathon be without the Marx Bros.?

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  6. Ruth, we of Team Bartilucci are sure that you and the Marx Brothers will crack you up like our family does! You're so right, my friend: what would a 30' Blogathon be without Margaret and all the zany Brothers, as well and the joy of getting the best of the bad guys and and letting love and pandemomium rule! :-D Warmest wishes to you and yours, my friend, and we hope you and yours movie! :-D

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  7. A REMAKE? WHAT? I didn't know there was a remake! Good Lord! I'll look for it.
    I love love love love the Marx brothers. Although my favorite is Duck Soup, A Night at the Opera was my first, and I hold it dearly.
    Kisses!
    Le

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    1. Le, we are happy to see you join Team Bartiliucci with A Night At The Opera! We love Duck Soup, too, as well as their other crazy comedies, but A Night At The Opera has always been my favorite, with romance as well as The Marx Brothers, especially the stateroom, which was a big hit with our daughter Siobhan when she was a little kid! We're raising the kid right! :-D Thanks, Le, and have a wonderful weekend! :-D

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    2. Le, we are happy to see you join Team Bartiliucci with A Night At The Opera! We love Duck Soup, too, as well as their other crazy comedies, but A Night At The Opera has always been my favorite, with romance as well as The Marx Brothers, especially the stateroom, which was a big hit with our daughter Siobhan when she was a little kid! We're raising the kid right! :-D Thanks, Le, and have a wonderful weekend! :-D

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  8. Great review! Loved the images and GIFs, too! Thanks for the Brain Donors mention!

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  9. Hi, Camaron,we're so glad you came to join the wacky Marx Brothers in A Night At The Opera, here at Team Bartilucci to join the fun and frolic! We're happy you got a kick out of our GIFs, and we hope you'll get to see the zany BRAIN DONOR! Thanks for your swell comments, and drop by anytime! :-D

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  10. My favorite Marx Bros. movie is A Night At the Opera too! It's all great, but the sanity clause and the stateroom scene have never been topped. One part of the movie that I really love is Harpo playing the harp on board the ship. Absolutely stunning. Wonderful article, Dorian!

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    1. Becky, I knew you must have been a fellow Marx Brothers fan, and all of us at Team Bartilucci love your great taste in Marx Brothers films! You've perked up our day with your kind accolades! Thanks for your swell comments, Big Sis! :-D

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  11. This a fab choice! The Marx Brothers don't appeal to everyone, but their genius needs to be acknowledged even by those who don't find them "their cup of tea." I love this movie because I have a soft spot for the very under-rated Allan Jones. He was a great in comedies and what a voice! Plus, I grew in NYC area where Kitty Carlisle was an icon -- she's dripping with class even as a young woman!

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    1. Gilby,we're delighted to see that you too love both The Marx Brothers, including the lovely and witty Kitty Carlisle -- you're our kind of our gal, plus you, too are a like a native New Yorker! Allan Jones is chock full of talent (love their ballad "Alone") We're glad you love them too! Glad you dropped my to join the Marx Brothers and their fun and romance as well as their comedy! :-D

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  12. I LOVE this movie. It's my favorite Marx Bros. flick. Even if Allan Jones' face looks as if someone ironed it. I love your review too. :) And by the way, there's just something very pleasant about Kitty Carlisle in this, don't you agree? My favorite scene? The shifting scenery as the opera progresses.
    But of course I also love the witty (and funny) word play. Groucho was the Master.

    Never saw BRAIN DONORS. Will check it out one of these days.

    I introduced my daughter to the delights of Wagner through Bugs Bunny. Not that she ever became much of a Wagnerian, still we had some good times watching those cartoons. Remember Rossinni with Bugs? "Welcome to my shop, let me trim your crop....!" SO funny. That one Skye took to and to this day she recognizes the tune and the reference. What more can a mother want? Ha. Why can't they do that kind of thing today? You know why? No one has any sense of real absurdity anymore. Sad times.

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    1. Yvette, you're clearly helping your little kids in your life are doing great, with you loving Bugs Bunny as role models including The Marx Brothers! We adore Bug Bunny in their zany capers, and we're with you, my friend: The world need WAY more real absurdity anymore, but we grow-ups must get the fun back in funny! We'll show them to by absurd again! :-D Thanks for your witty and brilliant comments and kind words, my friend! :-D
      s times.

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  13. I am sending a Liebster Award your way. Have fun with it, should you choose. Details at CaftanWoman.

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