A Day at the Races
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Movie Reviews of A Day at the Races
Movie Review: "Marry me, and I'll never look at another horse."
Summary: 4 Stars
A DAY AT THE RACES is the second of the Marx/Wood/Thalberg collaborations (Marx Brothers, director Sam Wood and producer Irving Thalberg) movies made at MGM, the first the delightful A NIGHT AT THE OPERA. Irving Thalberg (called "the boy genius" about a hundred times in the DVD extras) died partway through production, bringing this successful combination to an unhappy end. Critical opinion will have you believe that NIGHT is the stronger of the two, but I've always preferred DAY. I'm absolutely tickled to have it now on a fantastic DVD.First, I think the jokes are just a little sharper and sillier here than in NIGHT (not that they were poor there by any means). Also, the romantic subplot was handled a little better here. It helps, I think, that Allan "Imitation Zeppo" Jones has better chemistry with Maureen O'Sullivan than he did with Kitty Carlisle. The stricter structure that Thalberg imposed on the films is improved. I have an entertaining time cheering on the Brothers' attempting to win a horserace to save a young heroine's sanitarium.
But, of course, the real fun from a Marx Brothers film comes from the one-liners and comedic set pieces that abound, and the gags here rival their best material. As you'll hear loads of times if you peruse the DVD extras, Irving Thalberg encouraged the Brothers to take their material on the road for testing in front of an audience before filming it. Hence, the timing, the punch lines and the individual words themselves are all finely honed. It's this attention to detail that makes them work. You could easily imagine the "Tootsie Frootsie" sequence dragging and dying if the lines hadn't been performed perfectly.
The bad guys in this one are a lot of fun too, and go a long way towards making this such a success. Sig Ruman is welcomed back after OPERA, and it's great to see him eye-popping in shock whenever insulted by Groucho. By the end of his segment, his voice has risen so high in outrage that he sounds like Dr. Strangelove. Similarly, the fake telephone call from Florida wouldn't be as funny as it is without Leonard Ceeley's wonderful over the top frustration.
As a modern movie viewer, I couldn't help but be amused by a scene, which, if DAY had come later, would have been seen as a parody of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. In one of that science fiction epic's more famous sequences, Johann Strauss' "Blue Danube" plays majestically in the background as a space station slowly spins in orbit, ready to engage in docking procedures. Here, the same piece of classical music plays while we see Groucho Marx in a dressing grown, slowly spinning and dancing in front of a mirror, as he eagerly awaits engaging in docking procedures with the beautiful Esther Muir. Well, I was amused anyway.
One more thing I should mention about the film: the song and dance sequence in the poor, black community. Now, compared to other films of that time, this is almost progressive in its attitude towards race (which, admittedly, isn't saying much). But there is one thing that makes me a little uncomfortable. In context, it almost appears to be saying that, yes, the blacks are poor, and yes, they're outcasts from white society, but, well, they've got their singing and dancing, and, gosh, aren't they happy, and doesn't that make it all okay? I can't help but think that's the subtle message, though perhaps it's just me. Still, I shouldn't complain too much, because it is by far the best singing and dancing in the entire film (though I'll grudgingly admit the ballerina was also quite skilled). Imagine, people actually having fun with song and dance! It's certainly a change from the stoic, restrained and boring performances elsewhere.
The DVD comes with several extras, so you really get your money's worth, even if you aren't quite thrilled with all of the offerings. The documentary is based upon the same structure as on the DVD of A NIGHT AT THE OPERA, which means there's valuable trivia and knowledge from the lips of all manner of comedians, co-stars, and writers, and also Dom DeLuise talking about food. I'll bet I'm not the only one surprised and delighted that both the female romantic leads from NIGHT and DAY are still alive and sharp enough to recall details from almost seventy years ago.
The commentary track is relatively good when fan Glenn Mitchell is actually speaking, but there's an unfortunate amount of dead air. At least he's honest though; he recommends viewers take advantage of the chapter-forward button to skip through the interminable ballet sequence since he's decided it's not any good and he has nothing to say until the next scene. Some of the trivia he imparts is interesting, but he has an unfortunate habit of pointing out continuity errors and things that most the audience won't care about. Still, he said some stuff I didn't know (the song "A Message From The Man In The Moon" that Groucho sings a snatch of at the closing was intended to be the movie's big song, but was cut), which is always appreciated.
You can skip over the rest of the DVD extras. Robert Benchley had an Oscar winning short on the NIGHT release, but A NIGHT AT THE MOVIES is rather predictable and dull. Also included are three vintage cartoons, which are quite clearly from a different age. And they're welcome to them.
I'm not sure whether I'd place this film or DUCK SOUP as my all-time favorite Marx Brothers flick. But honestly, who cares which one is the best? This film is available separately or as part of the recent "Marx Brothers Collection" DVD box set. If you're going to buy only one of those films (and why not just buy the set?), then I'd recommend this one above all.
Movie Review: Package: 5 stars / Material: 3 stars = ****
Summary: 4 Stars
If you'e looking for "Duck Soup" you may have to settle for slightly diluted consomme, regarding the real comedy herein, although there are several excellent scenes which utilize the remarkable talents of Groucho, Chico, and Harpo ("tuttsie-frootsie" ice-cream, a couple of examinations, one with Harpo, and one with Margaret Dumont), and there some good lines, but this enterprise must be considered a Hollywood musical with the Marx Brothers - and the music is fine. (And what a shame that two numbers were not used, Groucho's "Dr. Hackenbush", which would have worked beautifully in his first big scene at the Sanitarium; and Alan Jones' "A Message From The Man In The Moon", heard only as incidental music).
Talking about "The Message", it is one of the Features here, and should delight those longtime fans who have always enjoyed that small excerpt by Groucho during the formulaic "cast call" production number.
Yes, a Director like Leo McCarey, and additional writing support from folks like Kalmar and Ruby, plus a scaled down water ballet sequence, and cutting about 15 minutes, would have produced a great motion picture. But MGM could not match Hal Roach, Paramount, or Columbia, when it came down to upbeat comedy, despite some nice editing on the Dumont examination scene. The Groucho "seduction scene", if you will, with the bad guys' accomplice has all the right ingredients, the right look and feel, but the pace is too slow. A bigger error is in the story-telling department. It doesn't make much sense to use Chico as the affable con-artist to Groucho on the one hand, if he's the selfless beneficient soul for the lovers on the other hand. And if he does have this split-personality, then why wouldn't the writers simply have him summon up his old dependable friend Hugo Z. when he's working up his scheme?
As Glen Mitchell, our host/critic in the Features, points out, however, it was absolutely necessary to transform the Marx Brothers into family entertainers, and to smooth out the comedy and put it in a happy, smile up the aisle, framework. The previous two Paramount efforts were pure comedies, appealing more to "educated" males, at the time.
An Amazon reviewer effectively wrote that the mix of Jones and O'Sullivan has something over Jones and Carlysle from the previous MGM film.
Movie Review: Grand Finale
Summary: 4 Stars
The big all-black except Harpo production number included a song that I don't know the name of (All god chillun got swing?) which was recorded (either before or after the movie, I just recognized it) by a young Judy Garland. Did Gus Kahn write the words for that too? I thought the flick was watery and patchy (like all their movies after the big 4, I always exclude Duck Soup, bullheaded? because it was scripted by Kalmar and Ruby, 2 of their songwriters?), but it had some great lines and some reasonably though compared to their first 4 flicks only moderately funny routines in it. Harpo got knocked about once, but it was brief and early in the flick and he more than compensated by kicking the villain in the ass! There was chaos, there was pandemonioun and there was shtick, but (sigh) while funny it wasn't up (down, in golf a low score is better) to par. But. This was only in the first part of the movie. It got better. And really picked up when our hero made up with his girl, Harpo (later joined by Groucho and Chico) danced with the black people, followed by the plot complications and the funny horserace and ending in triumph. I thought it was a little plot-laden, but I also thought it was funny and liked it. Now I've got my 8 little Marx Bros flicks on the shelf waiting to amuse and delight my future grandkids of which I won't have any of because I'm gay. Margaret Dumont was great, the film was in excellent condition (why should this be such a surprise, it was made in 1937, about the time of The Wizard of Oz, and there's nothing wrong with that print), the cast members all did good jobs, and the villians were nasty and made me mad. I prefer the Marx Bros movies where there are no villains. A long review that mentions no rountine, I'll leave that to the devotees who revel and delight in the Marx Bros more than I do to point out and rhapsodize over. In short, though it's not as good as the first 4 of their films, it's right up there with Casablanca, and head and shoulders above their other 6 movies. I thought the Marx Bros (even liked Zeppo) were a riot 30 years ago. Sigh, now I don't think they're very funny. Maybe it's just these last 3 movies.Movie Review: Excellent Marx- the last of their classic comedies
Summary: 4 Stars
When the Marx Brothers came to MGM in 1935, boy wonder producer Irving Thalberg had the good commercial sense to package them in a genuine musical comedy which widened their box office appeal enormously although it detracted from the pure gold of their earlier anarchic Paramount comedies.
"A Day at the Races" followed the formula of the hugely successful "A Night at the Opera", but it was was the beginning of the end of their golden period. The problem is simply that while the boys are very good, there is just not enough of them and in inverse proportion, a dumb love story with the charming Allan Jones and the equally charming but sappy Maureen O'Sullivan. Also, there is a notable softening of their characters, particularly Harpo and that diminishes them.
The film also has 2 major production numbers - one is a dud balletic number but the other is another matter altogether. Just as you begin to cringe at the black stereotypes, a slim girl with a tantalising voice appears and, unbelievably, it is the famous jazz singer Ivie Anderson, with Duke Ellington's band backing and unbilled. Don't miss this historic glimpse of a really great black singer.
Having said that, most people who read this review will know the delights on offer, the Tootsie Fruitsy Ice cream routine for example. The package contains an excellent print and there are some very good extras. The commentary from Marx Brothers author Glenn Mitchell is full of background information which in fact becomes frustrating as Mitchell points out many discontinuities due to cuts. It seems the cuts were mainly on the boys' routines and maybe that was what upset the balance on offer. The package also includes a documentary which is most interesting with its clips of an elderly O'Sullivan and at its worst with the dreadful Dom DeLuise. A droll Robert Benchley short is OK but the cartoons are dated and dull. Best of all is an audio outake of Allan Jones singing "The Man in the Moon". Jones had a beautiful tenor and it is a pity the song was not retained because it is infinitely more melodic than the overlong ballet which remains.
This DVD is good value.
Movie Review: I'm getting a good tootsie-frootsying right here...
Summary: 4 Stars
Even if the only thing I bought this for was Chico's piano scene, it would still be worth it. That's the best piece I've ever seen him do. I've only seen three of their movies total, but hey, that's beside the point - that guy can PLAY!I'm sure other people have noticed this, but I really think the film editing was MUCH improved on this film, in comparison to the earlier ones. The main things I didn't like were, as usual, the bad musical numbers. They were just out of place. I actually liked the whole 'water carnival dancing' part, even though it was out of place too, but that's just because I tend to like dances like that. I don't know how Vivien Fay twirled around so many times without getting dizzy and collapsing.
But back to the brothers. I wouldn't consider this to be the funniest of their movies (that I've seen, at least), but they were hilarious, as always. I loved the whole telephone scene, with Groucho doing all those different voices. And of course, the tootsie-frootsie ice cream part. I also thought it was great when Flo, the 'seductress', would say "Thank you", and Groucho would always repeat her, (although it sounded more like "thank yaw").
And the whole doctor examination is one of the funniest scenes that I've seen them do. There's just something about three crazy guys running over to the wash basins to 'sterilize' their hands, and then going around in a circle, drying their hands on the coat of the person in front of them...yeah, hard to describe.
So it's not the best I've seen them do, but it's great. I have an idea: I think MGM should release a dvd with all of their funny scenes on it. That way we could just watch it and laugh, without having to go through all the annoying romantic sub-plots and boring musical numbers. I'm sure it won't be happening, but I still think it'd be a cool idea.