I'm just curious if there are (m)any Marx Brothers' fans on BS, and what their favorite MB movie might be. After seeing them all, more than a few times, I think my all-time favorite MB movie is Monkey Business, with Duck Soup a close second. There are so many jokes, puns and sight gags in Monkey Business that I just completely crack up everytime I watch it. The interplay with the ship's captain, the passport-"Maurice Chevalier" skit, the verbal exchanges with the gangsters, the jokes with Thelma Todd, it all adds up to be my favorite.
Duck Soup is certainly good, but it has to be A Night at the Opera. The whole barn/pickaninny interlude in Day at the Races goes on too long for that to be my fave...
Very close between "A Night At The Opera" and "Monkey Business". "Animal Crackers" right behind them. The Maurice Chevalier skit in "Monkey Business" is indeed hilarious. So is the crowded cabin scene in "A Night At The Opera"
Has to be Monkey Business. The Maurice Chevalier bits always crack me up... Especially when Zeppo comes running through and says: "I just ran into Maurice Chevalier"! and I think it's Groucho who responds " Did you hurt him"?
I think the two most consistent are Duck Soup and A Night At The Opera. Animal Crackers and Horse Feathers are up there, too. Animal Crackers for the scene in which they have the musicale, and Chico plays an incredibly boring song and he and Groucho trade barbs back and forth. Horse Feathers. probably the most underrated, for my favorite exchange. Jennings: What are you doing here? Chico: I give her singing lessons. Jennings: Since when does she take singing lessons? Chico: Since you show up. Jennings (to Groucho): And who are you? Groucho: I'm the plumber. I'm here in case something goes wrong with her pipes. (to camera) That's the first time I've used that joke in 20 years. Monkey Business has its moments, but I think it suffers from not having Margaret Dumont, who was such a perfect foil.
One I saw recently that definitely did NOT hold up was The Big Store. Probably most famous for the montage where Harpo is dressed as a French nobleman and plays the harp in a mirrored corner and the images start playing other instruments. But it was awful with all the jokes and scenes forced. Definitely not one of their better ones.