Animal Crackers (1930)

Genius Still Apparent
My father was a major Marx Brothers devotee. Over the past few years I've gradually taken the time to become familiar with their oeuvre and have to admit that what most amazes me most is how well they hold up in relation to today's comedies. I think the major reason for this being true is that their shtick is a perfect combination of slapstick and wit. Yes, there's physical humor but there is a wilderness of verbal humor as well. This combination is what makes them appeal to so many people in my estimation.

I really think Animal Crackers is every bit as strong as Horse Feathers which was my previous favorite. I'm surprised I got to this one so late though as I grew up hearing my dad sing the "My name is Captain Spaulding the African Explorer" on numerous occasions. I now finally know what he was cacophonizing about for all those years. The bottom line is that there's nothing dated about Groucho. His wit is straight out of Aristotle. That's not to say that older cultural references such as "Eugene O'Neil" won't perplex younger viewers but hopefully they'll dash to the computer and get an education to go with their belly laugh. I'm very glad that all of these films got converted into DVDs so quickly.

The masters!!
Still as funny as ever! Gift for my brother, he was thrilled. Now I need a copy for me.

as good a take on academia as there was (at least til randal jarrell) ...
does it matter that i complain the plot makes no sense? hardly! this was the marx brothers second movie (again based on one of their broadway shows) and the madness of the early films is running rife here. these earliest films are not as polished as the work from a few years later -- theyre just funnier. i leave it up to YOU to determine which is more imnportant in a comedy.