Monkey Business (1931)

Director:

Norman Z. McLeod

Writers:

S.J. Perelman (screenplay) and
Will B. Johnstone (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

19 September 1931 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

On a transatlantic crossing, the Marx brothers get up to their usual antics and manage to annoy just about everyone on board the ship.

Plot Keywords:

Gangster | Marx Brothers | Man With Glasses | Unhappy Marriage | Rescue

Cast

Groucho Marx	...	Groucho
Harpo Marx	...	Harpo
Chico Marx	...	Chico
Zeppo Marx	...	Zeppo
Rockliffe Fellowes	...	J.J. 'Big Joe' Helton
Harry Woods	...	Alky Briggs
Thelma Todd	...	Lucille Briggs
Ruth Hall	...	Mary Helton
Tom Kennedy	...	First Mate Gibson
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eddie Baker	...	Ship's Officer (uncredited)
Bobby Barber	...	Barber's Hoarse Customer (uncredited)
Billy Barty	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Billy Bletcher	...	Man in Deck Chair (uncredited)
Eddie Borden	...	Joe--Photographer (uncredited)
James Bradbury Jr.	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Maxine Castle	...	Opera Singer at Party (uncredited)
Maurice Chevalier	...	Singing Voice (voice) (uncredited)
Davison Clark	...	Passport Official (uncredited)
Cecil Cunningham	...	Madame Swempski (uncredited)
Bobby Dunn	...	Gangster (uncredited)
Al Flosso	...	Punch and Judy Puppeteer (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Indian's Wife at Party (uncredited)
Otto Fries	...	Ship's Second Officer (uncredited)
Sherry Hall	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Pat Harmon	...	Indian at Party (uncredited)
Ethan Laidlaw	...	Cab Driver at Barn (uncredited)
Sam Marx	...	Passenger on Boat / Man at Quayside Upon Arrival (uncredited)
Charlotte Mineau	...	Emily (uncredited)
Harold Minjir	...	Emily's Lover (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Evelyn Pierce	...	Manicurist (uncredited)
Cyril Ring	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Constantine Romanoff	...	Butch--Gangster (uncredited)
Rolfe Sedan	...	Barber #2 (uncredited)
Frederick Sullivan	...	Pickpocket Victim #1 (uncredited)
Ben Taggart	...	Capt. Corcoran (uncredited)
Leo White	...	Barber #1 (uncredited)
Leo Willis	...	Gangster (uncredited)

Directed by
Norman Z. McLeod		(as Norman McLeod)

Writing credits
S.J. Perelman		(screenplay) and
Will B. Johnstone		(screenplay)
Arthur Sheekman		(additional dialogue)

Produced by
Herman J. Mankiewicz	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
John Leipold		(uncredited)
Ralph Rainger		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Arthur L. Todd

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles Barton	....	first assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Harry Caplan	....	props (uncredited)

Stunts
Harvey Parry	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Daniel L. Fapp	....	camera operator

Other crew
Al Flosso	....	puppeteer: "Punch" and "Judy" (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1931) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MCA/Universal Pictures (1958) (USA) (TV)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Continental Home Vídeo (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Video (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (Spain) (2004) (Spain) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Western Electric  noiseless recording

Also Known As:

Runtime:

77 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

Spain:T | Finland:S (1976) | UK:U | Australia:G | USA:Unrated | USA:Approved (re-release)

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Groucho's line "Gary Cooper is much taller than me." becomes "Charlton Heston is much taller than me." in the Spanish dubbed version. Heston was only 7 years old when "Monkey Business" was released.

Goofs:

Continuity: Groucho's position on the bed changes, when he 'shysters' a shyster layer.

Quotes:

Groucho:If this is the Captain, I'm gonna have a few words with him. My hot water's been cold for three days. And I haven't got room enough in here to swing a cat. In fact, I haven't even got a cat.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Unknown Marx Brothers (1993) (TV)

Soundtrack:

When I Take My Sugar to Tea

Another Entertaining MB Film

Here's more typical Marx Brothes zaniness....and plenty of it, with a few instrumentals thrown in (Chico on piano nd Harpo on harp) near the end.

Most of this "story" is just madcap chases with the four boys (yes, Zeppo is in here, too) being stowaways aboard a ship.

The last part of the film shows a swanky party where Zeppo's girlfriend is kidnapped and the bothers go to rescue at an abandoned barn. That's a very funny scene and better than the boat segment, although a bit short. I'd like to have seen more of that latter scene.

However, those earlier boat scenes are good, too, with a lot of clever puns which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was still a lot of solid entertainment in the Marx Brothers tradition. To my surprise, I found myself missing Margaret Dumont as Groucho's main foil. Thelma Todd takes over that part here.