Animal Crackers (1930)

Director:

Victor Heerman

Writers:

George S. Kaufman (play) &
Morrie Ryskind (play) ...

Release Date:

28 August 1930 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical

Tagline:

The maddest comics of them all!

Plot:

Mayhem and zaniness ensue when a valuable painting goes missing during a party in honor of famed African explorer Captain Spaulding.

Plot Keywords:

Art Theft | Marx Brothers | Party | Painting | Artist

Cast

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

Runtime:

97 min | Argentina:98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Spain:T | Argentina:Atp | Portugal:M/6 | South Korea:All | Australia:G | Germany:o.Al. | UK:U | USA:G (1974 re-release)

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The movie's line "One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don't know." was voted as the #53 movie quote by the American Film Institute (out of 100).

Goofs:

Continuity: In the final scene of the movie, just as Harpo is about to drop all the cutlery from his sleeve, the camera cuts to a close up of Chico. For an instant his hat is pulled down very low, covering his eyes. However, in the scenes before and immediately after, his hat rests normally on his head.

Quotes:

Capt. Spaulding: Play that song about the Irish chiropodist.
Ravelli: Irish chiropodist?
Capt. Spaulding: "My Fate Is In Your Hands".

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Time of the Apes (#4.6)" (1991)

Soundtrack:

I Represent

Hooray for Captain Spalding!

This is one of my favorite Marx Brothers movies. Just sit back and watch the mayhem come at you, and everyone else in their way. Filled with some of their reliable stock players and plots, there's nothing new about this at all- except for their astounding wit and polish and amazing routines. George Kaufman wrote the script, which is one of their strongest, and it's just sublime silliness from the first word. Watch it when you're sick, it'll lift up your spirits.