Horse Feathers

1932 Marx Brothers' musical comedy


Rating: 14/20

Plot: College president Professor Wagstaff (Groucho) wants his Huxley to beat rival Darwin (get it? Huxley? Darwin?) in the upcoming football game. He recruits a pair of idiots, mistaking them for the ringers he was looking for in a speakeasy. There's anarchy and mayhem, a love trapezoid, kidnapping attempts, and quips.

The absurdity of these Marx Brothers movies is always worth the time, although this isn't up there with the brilliant Duck Soup or the slightly-less-brilliant A Night at the Opera. The plot is secondary as Groucho, Harpo, Chico, Leppo, Zeppo, Dodo, Bingo, Slappo, Poncho, Lefto, Bozo, Gorgonto, Bobo, Loco, Taco, and Gringo screwball it up in a script occasionally watered down with lousy puns but always keeping you on your toes listening for the next twisted line that you can almost audibly chuckle at but ultimately won't. The legs of these Marx movies amazes me. The movies are fun and the jokes aren't dated. And any time you get to see Chico and Harpo play the piano and harp respectively, it's a treat. And Groucho's song "I'm Against It" should be my new theme song:

"I don't know what they have to say
It makes no difference anyway
Whatever it is, I'm against it.
No matter what it is or who commenced it,
I'm against it!"

Here I am laughing my ass off:

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