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Animal Crackers (1930)

G | | Comedy, Musical | 6 September 1930 (USA)
Animal Crackers Poster
Mayhem and zaniness ensue when a valuable painting goes missing during a party in honor of famed African explorer Captain Spaulding.

Director:

Victor Heerman

Writers:

George S. Kaufman (based on the musical play by), Morrie Ryskind (based on the musical play by) | 4 more credits »

Stars:

Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx | See full cast & crew »
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On Disc

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2 nominations. See more awards »

Photos

See all 39 photos »
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Cast

Complete credited cast:
The Marx Brothers
Groucho Marx ... Captain Jeffrey Spaulding
Harpo Marx ... The Professor
Chico Marx ... Signor Emanuel Ravelli
Zeppo Marx ... Horatio Jamison
Lillian Roth ... Arabella Rittenhouse
Margaret Dumont ... Mrs. Rittenhouse
Louis Sorin ... Roscoe Chandler
Hal Thompson Hal Thompson ... John Parker
Margaret Irving ... Mrs. Whitehead
Kathryn Reece Kathryn Reece ... Grace Carpenter
Robert Greig ... Hives
Edward Metcalfe ... Hennessey
The Music Masters The Music Masters ... Six Footmen
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

Captain Spaulding, the noted explorer, returns from Africa and attends a gala party held by Mrs. Rittenhouse. A painting displayed at that party is stolen, and the Marxes help recover it. Well, maybe 'help' isn't quite the word I was looking for--this is the Marx Brothers, after all... Written by Ken Yousten <kyousten@bev.net>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

tuscaloosa alabama | party | explorer | painting | marx brothers | See All (71) »

Taglines:

The maddest comics of them all!

Genres:

Comedy | Musical

Certificate:

G | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
Edit

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 September 1930 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Os Galhofeiros See more »

Filming Locations:

Kaufman Astoria Studios - 3412 36th Street, Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

During a rehearsal a test was made for a color movie process called Multicolor (a predecessor of Cinecolor) and the result was the first known footage of The Marx Brothers in color! The clip is silent and lasts only 15 seconds. The Marx Brothers also appeared in color in the film The Story of Mankind (1957) in which they appeared separately. See more »

Goofs

When Professor replaces the handgun for a rifle after he shoots himself in the foot, Hives can be seen in the background walking behind the column, clearly awaiting his turn to enter the scene. See more »

Quotes

[to Mrs. Rittenhouse and Mrs. Whitehead]
Capt. Spaulding: You know, you two girls have everything. You're tall and short and slim and stout and blonde and brunette. And that's just the kind of a girl I crave.
See more »

Alternate Versions

Censored for a 1936 reissue to meet Production Code requirements; this censored version was the only one available for television showings and subsequent VHS/DVD releases. A surviving complete and uncensored print was found in England, and is the source being used for the 2016 blu-ray release. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Silver Spoons: Rick Moves Out (1986) See more »

Soundtracks

Hooray for Captain Spaulding
(1928) (uncredited)
Music by Harry Ruby
Lyrics by Bert Kalmar
Sung by Groucho Marx, Zeppo Marx, Margaret Dumont and chorus
Danced by Groucho Marx
See more »

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User Reviews

The Search for Abe the Fish-Man
4 December 2001 | by boris-26 – See all my reviews

For many years, ANIMAL CRACKERS was a "lost" film. Paramount owned the audio, and Universal owned the Visual elements (It may of been vice-versa) During the re-birth of Marx Brother popularity, ANIMAL CRACKERS mad it's way back into theatres in the Fall of 1974.

It was a thrill to see the movie in a theatre (the best place to see a classic comedy). The plot concerns a wild, out of control explorer's (Groucho Marx) visit to a Long Island estate. He comes across stuffy snobs and a questionable musician for hire (Chico Marx and his lunatic partner, Harpo.) Groucho's dialog is superb. His verbal assaults on stuffed shirts are priceless "It's not safe to ask this man a simple question" Groucho says to the audience when he talks to a pompous "art critic".

Chico and Harpo provide the more manic visual antics, especially when they steal the birth mark of above mentioned art critic. Even straight man Zeppo gets to be funny and silly.

The only real problem with the film is well voiced in critic's Richard Anobile's review "This is a RECORDING of a stage play. The camera barely moves. it just sits there and records the Marx Brothers" Still in all, see ANIMAL CRACKERS to enjoy the joy of Marx mayhem
15 of 17 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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