Horse Feathers (1932)

Director:

Norman Z. McLeod

Writers:

Bert Kalmar (screenplay) and
Harry Ruby (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

19 August 1932 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Sport

Tagline:

The Maddest Comics of the Screen!

Plot:

Quincy Adams Wagstaff, the new president of Huxley U, hires bumblers Baravelli and Pinky to help his school win the big football game against rival Darwin U.

Plot Keywords:

College | Professor | Speakeasy | Education | Widow

Cast

Groucho Marx	...	Prof. Quincy Adams Wagstaff
Harpo Marx	...	Pinky
Chico Marx	...	Baravelli
Zeppo Marx	...	Frank Wagstaff
Thelma Todd	...	Connie Bailey
David Landau	...	Jennings
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bobby Barber	...	Speakeasy Patron (uncredited)
Reginald Barlow	...	Retiring President (uncredited)
Vince Barnett	...	Speakeasy Patron (uncredited)
Sheila Bromley	...	Wagstaff's Receptionist (uncredited)
E.H. Calvert	...	Professor in Wagstaff's Study (uncredited)
Edgar Dearing	...	Speakeasy Bartender (uncredited)
Robert Greig	...	Biology Professor (uncredited)
Theresa Harris	...	Laura, Connie's Maid (uncredited)
Edward LeSaint	...	Professor in Wagstaff's Study (uncredited)
Florine McKinney	...	Peggy Carrington (uncredited)
Nat Pendleton	...	MacHardie, Darwin Player (uncredited)
James Pierce	...	Ed Mullen, Darwin Player (uncredited)
Frank Rice	...	Doorman at Speakeasy (uncredited)
Syd Saylor	...	Speakeasy Patron at Slot Machine (uncredited)
Arthur Sheekman	...	Typing Sportswriter (uncredited)
Ben Taggart	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Phil Tead	...	Football Broadcaster (uncredited)

Directed by
Norman Z. McLeod		(as Norman McLeod)

Writing credits
Bert Kalmar		(screenplay) and
Harry Ruby		(screenplay) and
S.J. Perelman		(screenplay) and
Will B. Johnstone		(screenplay)
Arthur Sheekman		uncredited

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

Original Music by
John Leipold		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Ray June

Makeup Department
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

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

Sound Department
Gene Merritt	....	production sound mixer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Neal Beckner	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
George Bourne	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Francis Burgess	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Daniel L. Fapp	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Gordon Head	....	still photographer (uncredited)
James Knott	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Fred Mayer	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Other crew
Adolph Zukor	....	presenter
Harold Hecht	....	dance director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1932) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MCA/Universal Pictures (1958) (USA) (TV)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Video (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (Spain) (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

68 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

Spain:T | Portugal:M/6 | South Korea:All | USA:Approved (PCA reissue certificate no. 1713-R) | Australia:G | Finland:S | Germany:o.Al. | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Occidental College -1600 Campus Road, Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Before she became famous, Shirley Temple walked by the set with her parents at one point during filming. Harpo Marx reportedly approached her parents with an offer to adopt the child on the spot for $50,000.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Huxley kicks an extra point following Pinky's touchdown, Darwin kicks off to Huxley.

Quotes:

Professor Wagstaff:Tomorrow we start tearing down the college.
The Professors:But, Professor, where will the students sleep?
Professor Wagstaff:Where they always sleep: in the classroom.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mad Men: Six Month Leave (#2.9)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Bridal Chorus

Lots of Good Material

There's a lot of good material in this Marx Brothers feature, with just enough plot to hold it together and to set up a very entertaining final sequence. As usual, there are a number of memorable scenes to choose from when picking your favorite parts of the movie.

This time the brothers are let loose on a college campus that is getting ready for a big football game. Groucho and Zeppo are the new college president and his son, while Harpo and Chico arrive from a nearby neighborhood in time to add their own kind of confusion. The campus setting allows them to satirize many aspects of college life, and there are some good off-campus scenes as well, most memorably the 'swordfish' scene in the speakeasy. It's capped off with a hilarious football game that is one of their best sequences.

This ranks highly on almost anyone's list of favorite Marx Brothers features - if you're a fan, make sure to see it.