The Big Store (1941)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Charles Reisner

Writers:

Nat Perrin (story)
Sid Kuller (writer) ...

Release Date:

20 June 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical

Tagline:

Howl . . . And Farewell ! Their Last Picture . . . And Their Best !

Plot:

A detective is hired to protect the life of a singer, who has recently inherited a department store, from the store's crooked manager.

Plot Keywords:

Department Store | Musical Number | Italian American | Piano | Private Detective

Cast

Groucho Marx	...	Wolf J. Flywheel
Chico Marx	...	Ravelli
Harpo Marx	...	Wacky
Tony Martin	...	Tommy Rogers
Virginia Grey	...	Joan Sutton
Margaret Dumont	...	Martha Phelps
Douglass Dumbrille	...	Mr. Grover
William Tannen	...	Fred 'Chris' Sutton
Marion Martin	...	Peggy Arden
Virginia O'Brien	...	Kitty
Henry Armetta	...	Guiseppi
Anna Demetrio	...	Maria
Paul Stanton	...	Arthur Hastings
Russell Hicks	...	George Hastings
Bradley Page	...	Duke

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:S | Germany:6 | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved (certificate #7345)

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

This is the only film of The Marx Brothers where Harpo Marx is initially teamed with Groucho Marx instead of Chico Marx.

Goofs:

Continuity: In Mr. Grover's office, Mr. Grover closes the account book and keeps his hands on the sides of the book, but in the next shot he has his hands crossed on the book.

Quotes:

Mr. Grover: If Ms. Phelps were not my fiancée, I would turn in my resignation and walk out of this store for good!
Martha Phelps: Oh no, no...
Wolf J. Flywheel: Fiancée?
Martha Phelps: Yes.
Wolf J. Flywheel: You mean a woman of your culture and money and beauty and money and wealth and money would, would marry that imposter?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)

Soundtrack:

Mamãe Eu Quero

I Loved this Film

Tony Martin's "Tenement Symphony," although seemingly misplaced in the movie, was great, in that its melody was classic in tone, and Martin's voice only enhanced the overall effect. The "ditzy" chase scenes towards the finale of the film, although exaggerated, and obviously performed by stunt doubles, and stop-action, or jerky photography, were "over the top" for belly laughs. Harpo's mirror-reflection musical moment was a great deep breath of rest from his usual zaniness; it was magic, as was Chico's duet with him. For me, born in 1936, my viewing it at still a tender age of nine or ten only made this little boy happy and delighted with the film. If I were to be critical at the age I am today, I would say, the film doesn't come close to what the Marx Brothers films intended from earlier works...but just see it again through the eyes and heart of the child I was, and you'll agree that, gee; what a funny film the Big Store really was.