"Duck Soup" review

Duck Soup (1933) was written by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby (songwriter team), Arthur Sheekman, and Nat Perrin. By three-time Academy Award-winning director Leo McCarey, Duck Soup starred the four Marx brothers (Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Zeppo Marx) and Margaret Dumont.

Plot Summary:
The small (fictional) country of Freedonia is in financial trouble and before wealthy, and recently widowed, Mrs. Teasdale (Margaret Dumont) gives them any more of her millions, she insists that Firefly (Groucho) be appointed their leader. The Sylvanian Ambassador Trentino tries to foment a revolution and to woo Mrs. Teasdale, becoming the antagonist to Firefly's protagonist. Chicolini (Chico) and Pinky (Harpo) act as spies who try to steal Freedonia's war plans (but switch sides when it's convenient), while Bob Roland (Zeppo) is Firefly's secretary. It seems like every time war comes up, a song breaks out.

Why I Think This Is A Classic 30s Movie:
This is an excellent example of a romantic musical comedy built around the theme of war. Film critic Roger Ebert said,

"The Marx Brothers created a body of work in which individual films are like slices from the whole, but Duck Soup is probably the best."

My Favorite Moment In The Movie:
The mirror scene is a classic, copies in numerous films and TV shows. This scene was a contribution of director Leo McCarey, a revival of an old vaudeville act.

My Favorite Dialogue In the Movie:

I think Groucho and Chico have the funniest scenes. They are peppered with
puns like this:

FIREFLY

I suggest that we give him ten years in Levenworth, or eleven years in Twelveworth.

CHICOLINI

I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll take five and ten in Woolworth.

And they are also interspersed with lots of slapstick, like this:

FIREFLY

You know, I'd be lost without a telephone. Now - where were we?
Oh, yes - I just made you Secretary of War. The first thing you do
is buy ammunition -- you buy it from me and I get 10% commission.

CHICOLINI

What do I get?

FIREFLY

You get half mine and I get half yours.

CHICOLINI

I don't want to buy ammunition -- we no gotta war.

GROUCHO

Then we've gotta start one. Do you know how to start a war?

CHICOLINI

Sure, that's easy. You gotta insult somebody.

Groucho suddenly slaps Chico across the face with his gloves. Then he presents to Chicolini his card in the professional manner of an experienced duelist.

FIREFLY

My card.

CHICOLINI

(Laughing)

That's a-no good. You gotta insult somebody from another country.

Key Things You Should Look For When Watching This Movie:
While the story is that of a lightweight romantic comedy (Firefly from Freedonia and Trentino from Sylvania both pursue Mrs Teasdale, leading to war between their contries), the key theme is not so much romance but funny/silly aspects of war.

Movie Trivia:

• Benito Mussolini took the film as a personal insult and banned it in Italy.
  
• When the residents of Fredonia, New York, protested the movie because they feared that the similar-sounding nation would hurt their city's reputation, the Marx Brothers told them to change the name of their town to keep from hurting their movie.
  

Trailer:

This post also appeared as a guest post on May 2016 in Scott Myers' great Go Into the Story Blog. His blog is the best out there for screenwriting advice. Check it out!