A stream of consciousness, anything goes, Marx Brothers rampage. It is filled with jokes and sight gags. Harpo always has that leg up in the air, like an amorous cocker spaniel. The scene in the state room on the ship. The story of how they got to America: "We got three fourths of the way across, ran out of gas, and had to go back." It is imaginative and crass. They were certainly the masters of insensitivity; mid twentieth century bullies; who find nothing sacred. I heard once that Margaret DuMont, who was Groucho's constant foil, never really got the jokes or even knew they were jokes. Because opera is frequented by members of wealthy society, these people become the perfect targets because of their pomposity. The Marx Brothers knew that their audience of the time was perfectly willing to see the upper classes brought to their knees. If I have a favorite Brothers movie, it would be "Animal Crackers," but for me, this is second on the list.
Review of A Night at the Opera
