The Marx Brothers

The Marx Brothers
Animal Crackers (1930)

Click on posters to enlarge

Their 2nd film released in 1930 was also a big hit on Broadway. It stars Groucho as the infamous Captain Jeffrey T. Spaulding the African explorer. Chico is musician Signor Emanuel Ravelli. Harpo is the Professor, of what nobody knows. The plot involves a party and a stolen painting. (J. Bradley Main)

SPAULDING: As I say, we tried to remove the tusks. But they were embedded so firmly we couldn't budge them. Of course, in Alabama, the Tuscaloosa but that is entirely ir-elephant to what I was talking about.

In 1998 Turner Classic Movies has broadcast an original documentary entitled, "Glorious Technicolor," about the development and use of Technicolor. It included a 13-second sequence from a rehearsal of Animal Crackers which was in vibrant color. It was, apparently, the scene in which Harpo arrives as "The Professor" and hands Margaret Dumont his stick horn. One of the most interesting aspects of the footage is that Harpo is wearing a bathrobe and no wig (he has brown-reddish hair). (Everyone else is in full costume.) There is no audio. The clip can be downloaded from Sabucat Productions. SabuCat obtained it from somebody who had found it in a barn many years ago, as part of a series of color film clips that were pieced together. This is the ONLY Marx footage in this reel of film.

A line has been cut from "Hooray for Captain Spaulding" -- when Maggie sings "He is the only white man, to cover every acre," Groucho's response is supposed to be "I'll think I'll try to make 'er," but this line was obviously removed later.

External Links

Sounds

"Hello, I must be going" and "Hooray for Captain Spaulding" at http://members.tripod.com/Cleo256/marx

Quotes

"Hooray for Captain Spaulding" at http://members.tripod.com/Cleo256/marx
"Hooray for Captain Spaulding" at http://www.whyaduck.com
Introduction of Ravelli at http://www.whyaduck.com

General

Plot line and quotes at http://www.filmsite.org

Cast:

Groucho Marx Captain Jeffrey T. Spaulding
Harpo Marx The Professor
Chico Marx Signor Emanuel Ravelli
Zeppo Marx Horatio Jamison
Margaret Dumont Mrs. Rittenhouse
Lillian Roth Arabella Rittenhouse
Louis Sorin Roscoe W. Chandler
Hal Thompson John Parker
Margaret Irving Mrs. Whitehead
Kathryn Reece Grace Carpenter
Robert Greig Hives, the Butler
Edward Metcalfe Inspector Hennessy
The Music Masters Six footman
Anna Roth Girl
Donald MacBride Bit Part

Director Victor Heerman
Written by Morrie Ryskind (also play)
George S. Kaufman (also play)
Music & Lyrics Bert Kalmar
Harry Ruby
Music Arranger John W. Green
Cinematography George J. Folsey
Recording engineer Ernest F. Zatorsky
Continuity Pierre Collings
Art director Ernst Fegté
Production company / Distributor Paramount Publix (A Paramount Picture)
Runtime 98 min.
New York Premiere 29 Aug 1930
Release date 06 Sep 1930
Spanish title El conflicto de los Marx
French title L'explorateur en folie
Finnish title Koirankeksit