IMDb > Duck Soup (1933)
Duck Soup
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Duck Soup (1933) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
8.0/10   37,032 votes »
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Down 6% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Leo McCarey
Writers:
Bert Kalmar (story) and
Harry Ruby (story) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Duck Soup on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
17 November 1933 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Comedy | Musical See more »
Plot:
Rufus T. Firefly is named president/dictator of bankrupt Freedonia and declares war on neighboring Sylvania over the love of wealthy Mrs. Teasdale. Full summary » | Add synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
See more »
Awards:
1 win See more »
NewsDesk:
(100 articles)
How Many of the Movies from Roger Ebert's List of Great Movies Have You Seen?
 (From Rope Of Silicon. 10 April 2013, 4:28 PM, PDT)
How Many of the Movies from Roger Ebert's List of Great Movies Have You Seen?
 (From Rope Of Silicon. 10 April 2013, 4:28 PM, PDT)
Veteran Best Actress Oscar Nominee Stages Political Protest with 'Lesbian Kiss'
 (From Alt Film Guide. 31 March 2013, 7:04 AM, PDT)
User Reviews:
The Marx Brothers At Their Very Best See more (231 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:

Edward Arnold ... Politician (uncredited)
Wade Boteler ... Officer at Battle Headquarters (uncredited)
Sidney Bracey ... Mrs. Teasdale's Butler (uncredited)
E.H. Calvert ... Officer in Battle Sequence (uncredited)
Davison Clark ... Minister of Finance #2 (uncredited)
Louise Closser Hale ... Reception Guest (uncredited)
Carrie Daumery ... Reception Guest (uncredited)
Mario Dominici ... Minister (uncredited)
Maude Turner Gordon ... Reception Guest (uncredited)
Verna Hillie ... Trentino's Blonde Secretary (uncredited)
Edward LeSaint ... Secretary of Labor (uncredited)
George MacQuarrie ... First Judge (uncredited)

Edwin Maxwell ... Freedonia's Secretary. of War #1 (uncredited)
Eric Mayne ... Third Judge (uncredited)
Edmund Mortimer ... Minister (uncredited)
Dennis O'Keefe ... Bridegroom at Firefly's Reception (uncredited)
Leo Sulky ... Agitator (uncredited)
Frederick Sullivan ... Second Judge (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel ... A Palace Guard (uncredited)
Florence Wix ... Reception Guest (uncredited)
William Worthington ... First Minister of Finance (uncredited)
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Directed by
Leo McCarey 
 
Writing credits
Bert Kalmar (story) and
Harry Ruby (story)

Arthur Sheekman (additional dialogue) and
Nat Perrin (additional dialogue)

Produced by
Herman J. Mankiewicz .... producer (uncredited)
 
Original Music by
John Leipold (uncredited)
 
Cinematography by
Henry Sharp (photographed by)
 
Film Editing by
LeRoy Stone (uncredited)
 
Art Direction by
Hans Dreier (uncredited)
Wiard Ihnen (uncredited)
 
Art Department
Harry Caplan .... props (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Harry Lindgren .... recording engineer (uncredited)
 
Stunts
Dale Van Sickel .... stunts (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Cliff Shirpser .... assistant camera (uncredited)
 
Editorial Department
Edward Dmytryk .... assistant editor (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Bert Kalmar .... music and lyrics by
Harry Ruby .... music and lyrics by
Arthur Johnston .... music advisor (uncredited)
 
Crew verified as complete


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Additional Details

Also Known As:
See more »
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
68 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)
Certification:
Australia:G | Germany:6 | Sweden:Btl | USA:Passed (PCA #1370-R, 31 August 1935) | France:U | Ireland:G | UK:U | South Korea:All | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G (TV rating)
Filming Locations:
Sierra de Loja, Granada, Andalucía, SpainSee more »
Company:
Paramount PicturesSee more »

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."See more »
Goofs:
Continuity: When they meet, Mrs. Teasdale holds Firefly's right hand while he holds the cigar with his left hand. The subsequent shot shows him holding the cigar with the right hand and the deck with the left one.See more »
Quotes:
Rufus T. Firefly:[locked in a bathroom] Let me out of here! Hey, let me out of here or throw me a magazine!See more »
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The She-Creature (#9.8)" (1997)See more »
Soundtrack:
Gypsy Love SongSee more »

FAQ

What does "Duck Soup" mean?
Is this movie based on a book?
List: The mirror gag
See more »

User Reviews

   (Review this title)
33 out of 39 people found the following review useful.
The Marx Brothers At Their Very Best, 1 June 2001
Author: Snow Leopard from Ohio

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.



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Raquel Torres jeroenberndsen
Zeppo thefluffprincess
Question about a joke: the_anorexic_sumo
Highly OVERRATED freakyfelix
Continuity Goof doowop14
Creepy bit about the ending mevmijaumau
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