The Big Store (1941)

Director:

Charles Reisner

Writers:

Sid Kuller (screenplay) &
Hal Fimberg (screenplay) ...
(more)

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 | Singer | Music Teacher | Dance Number | Murphy Bed

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 Sutton
Marion Martin	...	Peggy Arden
Virginia O'Brien	...	Kitty
Henry Armetta	...	Guiseppi
Anna Demetrio	...	Maria
Paul Stanton	...	George Hastings
Russell Hicks	...	Arthur Hastings
Bradley Page	...	Duke
Six Hits and a Miss	...	Singing Group
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
King Baggot	...	Store Employee (uncredited)
Marvin Bailey	...	Member of Six Hits and a Miss (uncredited)
Enid Bennett	...	Clerk (uncredited)
John Berkes	...	Watchman (uncredited)
Clara Blandick	...	Customer Seeking Record (uncredited)
Lennie Bluett	...	Singer (uncredited)
Harry C. Bradley	...	Henry (uncredited)
Pauline Byrne	...	The Miss of Six Hits and a Miss (uncredited)
Eddy Chandler	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Freddie Chapman	...	Billy (uncredited)
St. Luke's Episcopal Church Choristers	...	Singing Group (uncredited)
Corleen Clemons	...	Indian Mother (uncredited)
Herbert Clifton	...	Scotsman (uncredited)
Edgar Dearing	...	Department Store Doorman (uncredited)
Vince Degen	...	Member of Six Hits and a Miss (uncredited)
Harry Depp	...	Timid Man (uncredited)
Kay Deslys	...	Swedish Mother (uncredited)
Jan Duggan	...	Henry's Wife (uncredited)
The Four Dreamers	...	Singing Group (uncredited)
Lew Harvey	...	Detective (uncredited)
Richard Haydel	...	Butch (uncredited)
Al Hill	...	The Snapper - Gangster (uncredited)
Charles Holland	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Howard Hudson	...	Member of Six Hits and a Miss (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee	...	Press Photographer (uncredited)
Lee Kohlmar	...	Mr. David (uncredited)
Faith Kruger	...	Singer (uncredited)
Ethan Laidlaw	...	Piano Mover (uncredited)
Charles Lane	...	Finance Company Man (uncredited)
Hal Le Sueur	...	Chauffeur (uncredited)
Eddie Lee	...	Chinese Father (uncredited)
Mitchell Lewis	...	Indian Father (uncredited)
George Lloyd	...	Gangster (uncredited)
Judy Matson	...	Singer (uncredited)
Mack McLean	...	Member of Six Hits and a Miss (uncredited)
Edward McWade	...	Mr. Andrews (uncredited)
Buddy Messinger	...	Elevator Operator (uncredited)
Adrian Morris	...	Piano Mover (uncredited)
William Newell	...	Press Photographer (uncredited)
Ted Oliver	...	Detective (uncredited)
George Pauncefort	...	Mr. Pasey (uncredited)
Bob Perry	...	Department Store Detective (uncredited)
Victor Potel	...	Swedish Father of Blond Children (uncredited)
Jerry Preshaw	...	Member of Six Hits and a Miss (uncredited)
Dewey Robinson	...	Detective (uncredited)
Harold Schlickenmayer	...	Tough Man (uncredited)
Bill Seckler	...	Member of Six Hits and a Miss (uncredited)
Pierre Watkin	...	Bedding Department Manager (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Reisner		(as Charles Riesner)

Writing credits
Sid Kuller		(screenplay) &
Hal Fimberg		(screenplay) and
Ray Golden		(screenplay)
Nat Perrin		(original story)

Produced by
Louis K. Sidney	....	producer

Original Music by
Daniele Amfitheatrof		(uncredited)
George Bassman		(uncredited)
Lennie Hayton		(uncredited)
George Stoll		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Charles Lawton Jr.		(director of photography) (as Charles Lawton)

Film Editing by
Conrad A. Nervig		(film editor)

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sandy Roth	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Stan Rogers	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director

Music Department
Leo Arnaud	....	orchestrations
Leo Arnaud	....	vocal
George Bassman	....	orchestrations
George Bassman	....	vocal
Earl K. Brent	....	musical adaptation (as Earl Brent)
George Stoll	....	musical direction (as Georgie Stoll)
Herbert Taylor	....	orchestrations (as Herb Taylor)
Herbert Taylor	....	vocal (as Herb Taylor)
Robert Van Eps	....	orchestrations
Robert Van Eps	....	vocal

Other crew
Arthur Appell	....	dance direction
Steve Clemente	....	knife thrower (uncredited)
Al Gallagher	....	stand-in: Harpo Marx (uncredited)
Thelma Joel	....	stand-in: Marion Martin and Margaret Dumont (uncredited)
Jack King	....	stand-in: Chico Marx (uncredited)
Joe Riley	....	stand-in: Groucho Marx (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated) (presents)
• Loew's (as Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1941) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1941) (UK) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1962) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (198?) (USA) (VHS)
• Reserva Especial (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)

Also Known As:

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 | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | 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:

Wolf J. Flywheel:[In "Sing While You Sell" number] Come on, Wacky: Nagasaki!

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

Yes, My Darling Daughter

middling Marx is still pretty good

Halfway through "The Big Store," my Dad turned to me and remarked, "This is an uneven movie - some parts are great, some are terrible, some are boring and some are a scandal." I couldn't put it better myself (and so I didn't try!).

The scandalous parts are, of course, the scenes involving broad stereotypes.

The Marx Brothers always walk a pretty fine line on the right side of good taste, as much of their humor involves insulting women and authority figures. But that's their schtick, and it's usually pretty harmless (not to mention hilarious). It's only when they go after ethnic groups that they lose me. And yet, I always laugh during the "bed scene" in this movie, so maybe they don't really lose me; I hate to say it, but stereotyping IS often funny. But it's an uncomfortable kind of funny.

It's a shame because the Brothers clearly aren't playing to their strengths in this movie. The final chase scene is good fun, but not really their "thing" (somehow, the slapstick seemed better thought out in "A Night at the Opera"). Still, they shine in several scenes, most notably when Groucho first meets Grover and proceeds to insult him while simultaneously wooing Margaret Dumont with Romantic poetry. I also like Harpo's fantasy segment, one of the more imaginative musical numbers from the latter-day movies. I don't even mind the obligatory Handsome Young Man character as he's got a good rapport with Groucho, but his bizarro Tenement Symphony (which is mercifully excised from most TV versions) really needs to go.

I sound like I hate this movie, but I really don't. Though it's clearly a big step down from the best of Marx, The Big Store is still intermittently hilarious, and even at its worst, it's diverting. Lesser comedians would kill to be as good as the Marx Brothers on a mediocre day.