The Marx Brothers

The Marx Brothers
Horse Feathers (1932)

Click on posters to enlarge

Groucho stars as Professor Quincy Adams Wagstaff in this attack on American education. This one contains many great routines, including Groucho's speech to the faculty and students "I'm against it", The password sketch (see below), and the completely insane football game. (J. Bradley Main)

BARAVELLI: Hey, what'sa matter? You no understand English? You can't come in here unless you say "swordfish". Now, I give you one more guess.

Some footage is missing from the "Horse Feathers"-version available today. Removed was a scene of Harpo catching different sizes of dogs with different sizes of fire hydrants and also some various small moments from the scene in Connie's apartment, like Harpo doing a headstand in Connie's lap. The cuts may have been done as an act of censorship and/or for showing on TV.

External Links

Sounds

"I Always Get My Man" at http://members.tripod.com/Cleo256/marx
Selected bits at http://www.whyaduck.com

Quotes

Selected bits at http://www.whyaduck.com

Cast:

Groucho Marx Professor Quincy Adams Wagstaff
Harpo Marx Pinky
Chico Marx Barovelli
Zeppo Marx Frank Wagstaff
Thelma Todd Connie Bailey, college widow
David Landau Jennings
Robert Greig Biology Professor
James Pierce Mullen
Nat Pendleton MacHardie
Reginald Barlow Retiring President
E.H. Calvert Professor in Wagstaff's Study
Edward Le Saint Professor in Wagstaff's Study
Edgar Dearing Bartender
Syd Saylor Man at Bar
Florine McKinney Peggy Carrington
Theresa Harris Laura, Connie's maid

Director Norman Z. McLeod
Written by Will B. Johnstone
Bert Kalmar
S.J. Perelman
Harry Ruby
Music & Lyrics Bert Kalmar
Harry Ruby
Cinematography Ray June
Dance director Harold Hecht
Producer Herman J. Mankiewicz (uncredited)
Production company / Distribution Paramount Publix (A Paramount Picture)
Runtime 68 min.
New York premiere 10 Aug 1932
Release date 31 Aug 1932
Spanish title Plumas de caballo
French title Plumes de cheval
German title Blühender Blödsinn
Italian title I fratelli Marx al college
Finnish title Hevosen sulat