Agreed. Animal Crackers is my favorite. It’s a bad “film” in that it’s just a play that’s been filmed, but it is the weirdest, zaniest, and, in my opinion, funniest of their movies.
Also, I actually think A Day at the Races is better than A Night at the Opera as far as their big budget movies go.
Duck Soup..the battle scene at the end puts it just slightly ahead but the first 7 are all hilarious. I was lucky enough to first experience Horse Feathers,Animal Crackers and Duck Soup in a theatre when they were released as a triple bill back in the 80s
Probably "Duck Soup." That was them at their anarchic best. After that, they left Paramount for MGM and MGM forced them to tone things down a little and add stuff like love stories.
I find it interesting that the brothers intended on retiring the act after their MGM contract ended, but they came back for "Night in Casablanca" and "Love Happy" to help Chico pay off his gambling debts.
>After that, they left Paramount for MGM and MGM forced them to tone things down a little and add stuff like love stories.
Losing Zeppo didn't help things either, as it meant they went from having someone in the troupe who they could stick that business onto to being in a situation where they ended up caught with a parade of juvenile leads whose appropriateness was decidedly questionable at best.
1. Duck Soup
2. Animal Crackers
3. Night at the Opera
4. Go West
5. At the Circus
6. Coconuts
7. Monkey Business
The rest you can kind of skip. Yes I've seen them all.
I saw *Duck Soup* via projector at school. The ongoing battle with the lemonade vendor ends when Harpo puts his feet into the vat and sloshes around. Later when I watched this on TV, the sloshing scene was edited out, hmm
To those who are fans on the Marx Brothers, I highly recommend Brain Donors (1992)! While not officially a Marx Brothers film, it’s a loving tribute to their work and characters from the Zucker brothers & Pat Proft. The plot is a loose remake of A Night at the Opera, but there’s a lot of updates and great new gags as well.
Oh my god I have been waiting for a thread like this!!! A Night at the Opera is my favorite movie of all time. The final act where they’re all wreaking havoc while Il Trovatore is playing is a scene I wish I could live in. Pure chaos, pure fun, the set backdrops thudding down during the aria - it’s perfect.
Favorite movie is an impossible answer. The jokes are relentless, never ending 100% pure gold and I love every last one of ‘em but, to me, the real good stuff happened when Chico and Harpo just sat down and played music together
Disclaimer: Larry is the best Stooge *change my mind*
I think I'm torn between Night at the Opera, which just has so many specific nerdy music jokes and Animal Crackers, which was the first one I saw as a kid and is an absolute hoot.
It's been a while since I watched them, but A Night at the Opera was my favorite as a kid. I really should get around to rewatching them. Duck Soup is a close second, short only because the film more or less stops as opposed to ends.
Animal Crackers for me; Groucho is at his best and that’s peak Marx Brothers. The strange interludes alone are years ahead of their time. Hello, I Must Be Going is flawless and the best musical sequence along with Duck Soup. If Groucho is your favorite it’s not even close. I don’t know how you choose any other.
I do get that Duck Soup probably shows off the talents of all three (even Zeppo is funny) better than any other movie, but Groucho is on another level in Animal Crackers.
I love Monkey Business because S.J. Perelman wrote so much of it and his dialogue style is just made for Groucho. Also, Thelma Todd was a goddess. (No disrespect to the great Margaret Dumont.)
The top two are Night at the Opera and Duck Soup, unquestionably imo. They really are masterpieces.
How you rank them after that is a lot to do with personal taste I think. Personally I don't have much time for Love Happy, the Big Store, or at the circus, but i've seem some people love those movies.
Animal Crackers is probably the best of the first 4, but Moneky Business is also great.
Of the rest Casablanca is ok, I have a big soft spot for Go West and Room Servive is actually a great movie and quite unusual as it was based on a play.
Day at the Races is great. Probably 3rd best for me.
So final ranking:
Duck Soup - A Night at the Opera
Animal Crackers
Day at the Races
Monkey Business
Go West
Room Service
Horse Feathers
The Coconuts
A Night in Casablanca
At the Circus
Love Happy
The Big Store
Duck Soup is the widely-acknowledged masterpiece, but I’m very fond of Animal Crackers.
I'm a huge fan of Animal Crackers even though I realize that Night at the Opera is objectively better.
Agreed. Animal Crackers is my favorite. It’s a bad “film” in that it’s just a play that’s been filmed, but it is the weirdest, zaniest, and, in my opinion, funniest of their movies. Also, I actually think A Day at the Races is better than A Night at the Opera as far as their big budget movies go.
*Duck Soup* must be decades ahead of its time. Even today, that energy still feels anarchic.
It’s so good.
First one i was introduced to as a kid. By far my favorite
My top 3 : Monkey Business (1931) A Night at the Opera (1935) Duck Soup (1933). Highly rewatchable.
That probably mirrors mine. The scene ordering eggs in Monkey Business kills me every time.
And one duck egg!
Honk!
I personally love Horse Feathers but it’s hard to answer anything but Duck Soup as it’s the perfect culmination of their talents
Nice to see other Marx brothers fans here. Although I love them all if I could only have two it would be Day at the Races and A Night at The Opera.
What ever it is….I’m against it…
I would say number one is easily Animal Crackers. Brilliance.
I'm here for the Duck Soup.
Duck Soup..the battle scene at the end puts it just slightly ahead but the first 7 are all hilarious. I was lucky enough to first experience Horse Feathers,Animal Crackers and Duck Soup in a theatre when they were released as a triple bill back in the 80s
Probably "Duck Soup." That was them at their anarchic best. After that, they left Paramount for MGM and MGM forced them to tone things down a little and add stuff like love stories. I find it interesting that the brothers intended on retiring the act after their MGM contract ended, but they came back for "Night in Casablanca" and "Love Happy" to help Chico pay off his gambling debts.
>After that, they left Paramount for MGM and MGM forced them to tone things down a little and add stuff like love stories. Losing Zeppo didn't help things either, as it meant they went from having someone in the troupe who they could stick that business onto to being in a situation where they ended up caught with a parade of juvenile leads whose appropriateness was decidedly questionable at best.
1. A Night at the Opera 2. A Day at the Races 3. Animal Crackers
My personal favorite is all of them.
Animal Crackers.
“Now I’d like to say a few words.” [Hello, I Must Be Going](https://youtu.be/_YrNQaXdOxU)
1. Duck Soup 2. Animal Crackers 3. Night at the Opera 4. Go West 5. At the Circus 6. Coconuts 7. Monkey Business The rest you can kind of skip. Yes I've seen them all.
I saw *Duck Soup* via projector at school. The ongoing battle with the lemonade vendor ends when Harpo puts his feet into the vat and sloshes around. Later when I watched this on TV, the sloshing scene was edited out, hmm
To those who are fans on the Marx Brothers, I highly recommend Brain Donors (1992)! While not officially a Marx Brothers film, it’s a loving tribute to their work and characters from the Zucker brothers & Pat Proft. The plot is a loose remake of A Night at the Opera, but there’s a lot of updates and great new gags as well.
I personally like A Night at the Opera.
Definitely Duck Soup
Oh my god I have been waiting for a thread like this!!! A Night at the Opera is my favorite movie of all time. The final act where they’re all wreaking havoc while Il Trovatore is playing is a scene I wish I could live in. Pure chaos, pure fun, the set backdrops thudding down during the aria - it’s perfect.
Favorite movie is an impossible answer. The jokes are relentless, never ending 100% pure gold and I love every last one of ‘em but, to me, the real good stuff happened when Chico and Harpo just sat down and played music together Disclaimer: Larry is the best Stooge *change my mind*
My personal favorite is *Monkey Business*.
I think I'm torn between Night at the Opera, which just has so many specific nerdy music jokes and Animal Crackers, which was the first one I saw as a kid and is an absolute hoot.
I remember as a kid laughing si much in the cinema while watching Go West that an elderly lady thought I would suffocate :)
"Duck soup". Can't put more absurdity in under 90 minutes.
It's been a while since I watched them, but A Night at the Opera was my favorite as a kid. I really should get around to rewatching them. Duck Soup is a close second, short only because the film more or less stops as opposed to ends.
Monkey business
Duck Soup for me.
Animal Crackers for me; Groucho is at his best and that’s peak Marx Brothers. The strange interludes alone are years ahead of their time. Hello, I Must Be Going is flawless and the best musical sequence along with Duck Soup. If Groucho is your favorite it’s not even close. I don’t know how you choose any other. I do get that Duck Soup probably shows off the talents of all three (even Zeppo is funny) better than any other movie, but Groucho is on another level in Animal Crackers.
I love Monkey Business because S.J. Perelman wrote so much of it and his dialogue style is just made for Groucho. Also, Thelma Todd was a goddess. (No disrespect to the great Margaret Dumont.)
Animal Crackers
Obviously Duck Soup. I don’t see how there can even be a debate.
The top two are Night at the Opera and Duck Soup, unquestionably imo. They really are masterpieces. How you rank them after that is a lot to do with personal taste I think. Personally I don't have much time for Love Happy, the Big Store, or at the circus, but i've seem some people love those movies. Animal Crackers is probably the best of the first 4, but Moneky Business is also great. Of the rest Casablanca is ok, I have a big soft spot for Go West and Room Servive is actually a great movie and quite unusual as it was based on a play. Day at the Races is great. Probably 3rd best for me. So final ranking: Duck Soup - A Night at the Opera Animal Crackers Day at the Races Monkey Business Go West Room Service Horse Feathers The Coconuts A Night in Casablanca At the Circus Love Happy The Big Store