Duck Soup (1933)

Rufus T. Firefly is named president/dictator of bankrupt Freedonia and declares war on neighboring Sylvania over the love of wealthy Mrs. Teasdale.

Director:

Leo McCarey

Writers:

Bert Kalmar (story), Harry Ruby (story),

Stars:

Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
The Marx Brothers	...	(as The Four Marx Brothers)
Groucho Marx	...	Rufus T. Firefly
Harpo Marx	...	Pinky
Chico Marx	...	Chicolini
Zeppo Marx	...	Bob Roland
Margaret Dumont	...	Mrs. Teasdale
Raquel Torres	...	Vera Marcal
Louis Calhern	...	Trentino
Edmund Breese	...	Zander
Leonid Kinskey	...	Agitator (as Leonid Kinsky)
Charles Middleton	...	Prosecutor (as Charles B. Middleton)
Edgar Kennedy	...	Street Vendor

Storyline

The small state of Freedonia is in a financial mess, borrowing a huge sum of cash from wealthy widow Mrs. Teasdale. She insists on replacing the current president with crazy Rufus T. Firefly and mayhem erupts. To make matters worse, the neighboring state sends inept spies Chicolini and Pinky to obtain top secret information, creating even more chaos!

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Plot Keywords:

widow | spy | ambassador | dictator | dowager | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 November 1933 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cracked Ice

Filming Locations:

Sierra de Loja, Granada, Andalucía, Spain

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

68 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Groucho Marx offered the following explanation for the movie's title: "Take two turkeys, one goose, four cabbages, but no duck, and mix them together. After one taste, you'll duck soup the rest of your life."

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Goofs

When Harpo runs into the mirror, it doesn't actually shatter until he's fallen onto the floor.

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Quotes

Rufus T. Firefly: [on the phone] Get me headquarters. Not hindquarters, headquarters!

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Connections

Spoofed in Brain Donors (1992)

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Soundtracks

"Gypsy Love Song"
(1898) uncredited)
Music by Victor Herbert

User Reviews

The Marx Brothers At Their Very Best

There are a lot of reasons why so many different reviewers suggest that "Duck Soup" is a genuine candidate for the funniest movie ever made. It has the Marx brothers at their very best, with rapid-fire laughs combining with a satirical "plot" that is very funny in itself, without getting in the way of the individual comedy sequences that are the real highlight of the film. Their timing and material are as good here as they ever have been.

The Marx brothers are still beloved today because when at their best, they treated their audience to a lot of riotous slapstick that cannot be watched without laughing, while at the same time rewarding their viewers for paying attention with a steady stream of puns, deadpan one-liners, brief sight gags, and other subtler humor. The more you watch, the more you notice.

"Duck Soup" has a lot of their very best material, and everyone has their own favorite scenes, whether it is the mirror sequence, or Chico and Harpo giving their report to Louis Calhern, or the street vendor scenes, or ... . The variety of comic settings and comic material is amazing, and when you add in the entertaining musical sequences (which again are particularly good in this one), it is a feast that never stops.

Any Marx brothers fan has seen this one several times, and does not need to be reminded what great fun it is. If you have never watched one of their films, give this one a try.