A Night at the Opera Movie Review 1935

The Marx Brothers get mixed up with grand opera in their first MGM-produced epic and their first without Zeppo. Jones, as a budding opera singer warbles "Alone" and "Cosi Cosa." One of their best films, blessed with a big budget--used to reach epic anarchic heights. Some scenes were tested on live audiences before inclusion, including the Groucho/Chico paper-tearing contract negotiation and the celebrated stateroom scene, in which the boys are joined in a small closet by two maids, the ship's engineer, his assistant, a manicurist, a young woman, a cleaning lady, and four food-laden waiters.

Distribution

Home Vision Cinema, c/o Image Entertainment, 20525 Nordhoff St., Ste. 200, Chatsworth, CA 91311, URL: http://www.homevision.com

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 92 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Slapstick Comedy, Opera, The Marx Brothers, 4 Bones

Screenplay

George S. Kaufman, Morrie Ryskind, Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby, Al Boasberg

Cast

Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx, Allan Jones, Kitty Carlisle Hart, Sig Rumann, Margaret Dumont, Walter Woolf King, Keene) Keane Edward (Ed Kean, Robert Emmett O'Connor

Cinematography

Merritt B. Gerstad

Director

Sam Wood

Music

Herbert Stothart

Producer

MGM

Awards

Natl. Film Reg. 1993.