Marx Brothers: Animal Crackers (1930)

So here comes a movie i though i dont have. Ha. This whole movie happens in one single room of what looks like a hotel and the movie opening starts with a manadger singing. This is their second movie that was also made from a play, so one scene setup may come from there. A captain (groucho) has jut returned from Africa. Obviuosly being based on a show they have some singing in it, but Groucho makes jokes about that make it easier. Not so much of the singing once your into the movie either, definatelly better than Coconuts. It is also known that studios forced them to make movies longer than 70 minutes because back then people would not stand 20 minutes of advertisement in 90 minutes window. its not like now we have 60 mintue of advertisement in 120 minutes window. He comes back with some African slaves and makes joke about their cars. When he eventually faints they call for "whiskey". Then Emanuel Robeli (chico), a trombon player, cames in. for playing they take 10 dollars per hour, for not playing they take 12 dolalrs per hour, for rehearsing they take 15 dollarsp er hour and to leave... well... you cant afford it. Yesterday he didnt come so thats 300 dollars. Then The Professor (Harpo) comes in. They start fighting till he takes out a gun and starts shooting a clock for the "bird inside" singing. Then he shoots the hats of other people. Statues shoot back though. This simple scene is designed very well. Zeppo is his usual Sweatheart trying to hook the most beatiful woman out there. Hes a painter though, who makes no money. The girl is the one that asks him to marry her, something quite usual for 30s movies, maybe for 30s life too? and nowadays its the other way around, where did the world go wrong? Groucho tries to hook old hags for money and ends up telling them he doesnt want to actually marry them, then asks both of them to marry. Hes a perfect madman explorer.
Zappos girl makes a plan. Lets replace the real painting with Zappos copy so everong adore it and thne they reveal the truth and so he gets famous. Looks like stealing to get famous was common back then too. And hires the musican to do the job.
Chanlaw comes in and we are being told he is a good explorer or fishman or something. he gives them a check to keep silent but it bounces, litteraly, off the floor.
The musicans and the professor ends up playing cards. They both have Aces of Space and Chico explains "he got thuosands of them". The face expression of the ladies are marvelous.
During the night they end up doing the Painting exchange work. They look for "flesh" and end up finding meat, fish, Flis, flush, fruit till they eventually find its a "Flash". You got a dark scene where Groucho tries to figure out whats happenign and decides they have rouches and the biggest one has Astma.
Captain then goes to tell about his trip to Africa. "At 8 am in the morning and drunk we left New Yorkon a trip to africa. After 15 days on the water and 6 on boat we finally arrived on the shores of Africa. We then proceeded 300 miles into the heart of the jungle where i shot a Polar Bear." He begged tigers to go away but they kept around, persistent animals. Moose runs to a waterhole looking for Alcohol. We also get a show form the musicians which isnt all that bad. But the one song they cant figure the finish of nad keep playing all over again really goes well with it. They kept the musical scenes funny this time which is a great improvement.
Then they go watch the picture, but somone else stole it aswell. so now we have 3 paintings, the original that musician have, the zeppos painting that the manadger have, and the fake that came from somewhere that has a dog missing.
the whole writing a letter scene is just hilarius.
They find the professor sleeping under the original painting in the yard, and they were looking for it whole night. Infact he has 2 Paintings. They manadge to drug him and steal both paintings. It goes missing again and then one of them appear in Zeppos room. they arrest him. but Harpo comes in and returns all paintings tne sprays everyone with same thing they drugged him with, including himself.
This is definatelly their masterpiece. it could do without the singing scenes but for a laugh factor its thier best. the begining may seem slow, but it ends with such a bang it was worth it all along. go SEE IT, its worth it.

Rating: 10/10