Happy April Fool's Day! - A Night at the Opera

MGM, 1935

Starring The Marx Brothers (Groucho, Harpo, and Chico), Margaret Dumont, Allan Jones, and Kitty Carlisle

Directed by Sam Wood

Music and Lyrics by various

Let's celebrate a day devoted to merriment with three of the craziest pranksters in classic film. Paramount dropped the Marxes after their previous film, Duck Soup, wasn't a hit. Head of MGM Irving Thalburg recognized their genius and snapped them up, encouraging them to hone their craft on a vaudeville tour before they made this movie. How well does the MGM largess and their big musical numbers fit with the Marxes' brand of madness? Let's begin at an expensive restaurant in Milan, Italy, where Otis P. Driftwood (Groucho) is supposed to be meeting his boss Mrs. Claypool (Dumont), and find out...

The Story: After she finally gets his attention, Driftwood introduces Mrs. Claypool to Herman Gottleib (Sig Rumann), the director of the New York Opera. Driftwood has arranged for Mrs. Claypool to invest $200,000 in the opera company, which will allow Gottlieb to hire star tenor Rodolfo Laspari (Walter Woolf King). After hearing how much Laspari will make a year, Driftwood tries to get him under contract instead. He ends up getting Ricardo Baroni (Jones), a chorus performer at the opera, thanks to Baroni's self-styled manager Fiorello (Chico) and Laspari's dresser Tomasso (Harpo). Baroni is in love with leading lady Rosa Castaldi (Carlisle), but Laspari is also interested in her. 

During the voyage from Italy to New York, Driftwood discovers that Baroni and his two friends stowed away in his trunk. He tries to hide them in his already-small stateroom at first, but they get caught. He manages to get them into New York anyway when they pose as three heroic European pilots. Driftwood's continued attempts to keep his friends from the police and Baroni returning to Rosa's side ends with Driftwood and Rosa losing their jobs and everyone thrown out on the sidewalk. Driftwood may not be able to sit on the grass, but he and his friends are never down for long. They come up with an idea that'll bring Rosa and Ricardo together onstage and keep Gottlieb and police officer Sergeant Henderson (Robert Emmet O'Connor) from stopping their own show for good.

The Song and Dance: One of the Marxes' best films. My favorite sequence has always been the Stateroom Scene, where fifteen people, a giant trunk, and 30 hard-boiled eggs are stuffed into a stateroom barely bigger than a closet. There's also Harpo and Chico wrecking havoc in the orchestra pit and onstage in the finale while Groucho makes sarcastic comments in the audience, and Groucho and Chico tearing apart Ricardo's contract before they can even agree to make it. Great performances across the boards, from the Marxes having an absolute blast to Jones and Carlisle being funnier than the lovers in most of their movies to the wonderfully hissable King. 

The Numbers: We open in Milan with a chorus number from the opera I Pagliacci, "Stridonu Lassu," which gives us a glimpse of what Rosa and Rodolfo do and why they're so popular. Our first number outside of the opera house is the ballad "Alone." Rosa sings it to Ricardo as the boat is leaving Milan. He picks it up on the docks, and the chorus joins in while Driftwood ducks out of paying his hotel bill and Tomasso hugs everyone on-deck. Driftwood belts "Sing Ho for the Open Highway" briefly while being hauled around on his trunk. 

The Italian peasants are singing the traditional Neapolitan song "Santa Lucia" when Ricardo, Tomasso, and Fiorello head on-deck for dinner. Ricardo is so delighted with their hospitality, he goes into the Brown-Freed dance number "Cosi-Cosa," which turns into an enormous chorus routine all around the deck. After the dance, Fiorello dips into the MGM vault for an instrumental "All I Do Is Dream of You" on the piano, while Tomasso reprises "Alone" and "Dream of You" on the harp. (His rendition of "Alone" is especially pretty.)

Tomasso and Fiorello get Il Trovodore off to a wacky start when they replace the overture with "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." It even includes them hitting a ball around and Driftwood selling peanuts in the audience. Gottlieb and Henderson try to catch Fiorello and Tomasso during "The Anvil Chorus," but they evade them. Driftwood has more fun tossing quips about the ancient old hag singing "Stride La Vampa." Laspari is performing "Di Quella Pira" when he's dragged backstage. Rosa and Ricardo replace him for the tragic "Miserere," which has her singing to him in prison. 

Trivia: According to Wikipedia, the movie originally began with a long number depicting the sights and sounds of everyday Milan workers before cutting to Mrs. Claypool at the restaurant. It was either cut in 1938 or during World War II to remove references to Italy and has since been lost.

What I Don't Like: It's been pointed out that the Marxes tend to work better with looser storylines that give them more room for anarchy. Their last two films had also de-emphasized the roles of the lovers. This one builds them back up again and adds musical numbers. The opera sequences in the beginning and end show what Rosa and Rodolfo do and give the Marxes a chance for gags. "Alone," on the other hand, is lovely but goes on for too long, and "Cosi Cosa" is fun but largely extraneous. 

The Big Finale: I'm going to agree with Groucho Marx himself and say this has long been my favorite Marx Brothers movie. It's probably the best place for newcomers to the Marxes' nutty world to start along with Duck Soup. 

Home Media: Easily found on all formats. The Blu-Ray is a Warner Archives release. 

DVD

Blu-Ray

Amazon Prime

Musicals On TV - Snoopy: The Musical

CBS, 1988

Voices of Cameron Clarke, Sean Collins, Tiffany Billings, and Kristi Baker

Directed by Sam Jaimes

Music by Larry Grossman; Lyrics by Hal Hackady

It took nearly a decade for a sequel to the wildly popular You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown to debut. Despite the cartoons still being fairly popular in the late 70's and 80's, this didn't go over nearly as well, either as a cartoon or a stage show...but does that mean Snoopy's big show isn't worth a look nowadays? Let's have a laugh or two with the Peanuts and their favorite Beagle on this April Fool's and see if this special is worth waiting in the pumpkin patch for...

The Story: Another series of skits revolving around the day-to-day lives of the Peanuts kids and their favorite beagle Snoopy (Clarke). Sally (Ami Foster) and Linus (Jeremy Miller) note leaves falling, which leads into them encouraging each other to be the best they can be. Snoopy wonders what the kids do at school all day, while they agonize over the teacher calling on them. The girls discuss all the things they know now that they're older, while Linus waits in vain for the Great Pumpkin to arrive. They're delighted to share what they think clouds are, and surprised when Snoopy is elected Head Beagle. Charlie Brown (Collins) and Peppermint Patty (Baker) talk about love, while Snoopy writes what he thinks is a gripping novel. In the end, the kids will always have each other's backs, as they remind each other how one person (or dog, or bird) can make all the difference.

The Animation: Not great, not bad. The kids move well enough, and they all resemble their comic book counterparts of the time...and that's really all this series needs. There's even some black-and-white western footage edited in during Snoopy's "Great Writer" sequence. 

The Song and Dance: Just as much fun the second time around. If you're a fan of Snoopy or Peppermint Patty, you'll really get a kick out of this one. Clarke has a great time with Snoopy's thoughts, whether he's writing his epic novel or talking about how he's the big dog now. Peppermint Patty makes her musical debut here; Baker is especially effective in the lovely "Poor Sweet Baby" as Charlie Brown dreams of being comforted by someone he loves. 

Favorite Number: The movie kicks off with the kids reminding each other "Don't Be Anything Less Than Everything You Can Be." "Snoopy's Song" has him insisting he's no ordinary dog...until Charlie Brown almost trades him in for a cat. The kids all worry their teacher will call on them and ask about "Edgar Allen Poe." "I Know Now" is the girls' big ensemble number, as they reveal how much they've learned since they were younger. Linus remains on "The Vigil" to wait for the elusive Great Pumpkin. Snoopy dons dark glasses to join him. 

Everyone has some very creative ideas of what they think "Clouds" are, while "The Great Writer" Snoopy uses his imagination to create what he thinks is a masterpiece. Charlie Brown wishes someone would comfort him and call him "Poor Sweet Baby" in a dreamy, soft routine with Peppermint Patty. Snoopy's thrilled to be "The Big Bow Wow." In the end, they all hold hands and remind each other how important "Just One Person" can be.

Trivia: Snoopy: The Musical had a short run Off-Broadway in 1982. It went over far better in London in 1983, running over a year and getting revived there in 2003, and is popular with regional and school theaters. 

What I Don't Like: Once again, we hear Snoopy's thoughts, though the kids don't. If this bothers you or you prefer Snoopy's more traditional pantomime, you probably won't be into the animated specials. The show tune-style songs still sound incongruous coming from actual kids in animation. And the original show was again edited to fit an hour time slot. We lose Charlie Brown's wondering where Snoopy wanders to ("Where Did That Little Dog Go?"), Snoopy reminiscing about Charlie Brown adopting him ("Daisy Hill"), and Snoopy explaining how he sees the kids and their lives ("The World According to Snoopy"). 

The Big Finale: Still worth digging around for if you or your kids are big fans of Snoopy or the Peanuts.

Home Media: For some reason, this one has never been on DVD in the US. YouTube is pretty much the only place  you can currently find it.  

YouTube

Happy April Fool's Day! - The Cocoanuts

Paramount, 1929

Starring The Marx Brothers (Groucho, Chico, Harpo, and Zeppo), Margaret Dumont, Mary Eaton, and Oscar Shaw

Directed by Robert Florey and Joseph Santley

Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin

We celebrate a day devoted to laughter with the debut of the most popular comedy teams of all time. The Florida land boom began in the early 20's, thanks to Florida's image as a tropical paradise, World War I cutting off travel for the very rich to the French Riviera, and new dry land created by draining the Everglades. Land prices were skyrocketing, and everyone and their grandmother wanted to come down and get a piece of the orange grove pie for themselves. Con-artists and honest workers mingling with the wealthy and famous in Miami set the stage for the Marx Brothers' second stage musical and their first sound film. How does their initial vehicle look today, as housing prices in Florida and elsewhere begin to rise once more? Let's start at the Hotel du Cocoanut in Miami and find out...

The Story: Mr. Hammer (Groucho) is trying desperately to get paying customers into his hotel. The bellhops are starting to demand their back pay. One of his few customers is filthy rich Mrs. Potter (Dumont) and her daughter Polly (Eaton). Polly is in love with hotel clerk and struggling architect Bob Adams (Shaw), but her mother would rather she married upstanding Harvey Yates (Cyril Ring). Turns out that, not only is Yates not socially connected, he's broke. He and his partner Penelope (Kay Francis) steal Mrs. Potter's diamond necklace and accuse Bob of the theft. Now, not only do Mr. Hammer and hotel guests Harpo and Chico have to sell land of their own, they have to get Bob out from behind bars and make sure the right groom ends up at the wedding.

The Song and Dance: The Marxes take over the movie from the second Groucho makes his entrance berating the help. They get some classic bits here, notably the "why-a-duck" sequence when Groucho and Chico discuss what land parcels they're auctioning off, Chico making way too many bids at the auction, and all three running around and trying to hide in Penelope's hotel room. Kay Francis also debuts in this film, giving a hint of her later glamorous drama queen as the nasty partner in the stolen necklace scheme. (And I have to admit, those opening credits shots of the "Monkey Doodle Doo" number run in negative are genuinely cool.)

Favorite Number: We open with shots of the rich living it up, dancing and romping through the sand in "Florida By the Sea." The Gamby Hale Dancers get a rather nifty and fairly well-shot dance routine on the stairs in their cute bell-hop costumes after Groucho tells them they should work and not worry about money. "The When My Dreams Come True Ballet" at the wedding begins with the first overhead shot in a sound film, more than a year before Busby Berkeley arrived in Hollywood. We get operatic when the local sheriff (Basil Ruysdael) complains about his dress shirt being missing, turning "The Tale of the Shirt" into an opera spoof for the full chorus.

Trivia: All of the paper in the movie made so much noise, it had to be soaked in water to keep it from rustling and damaging expensive early sound equipment. That's why the map Groucho holds in the "why-a-duck" sequence is so droopy.

It was director Robert Florey's idea to let Harpo eat the telephone and drink the inkwell to give him more to do. The telephone was made of chocolate, and there was soda in the inkwell.

This was filmed in Paramount's Astoria studios in Queens, New York. The Marx Brothers made this during the day while starring in their next stage vehicle Animal Crackers at night. Groucho almost calls Chico "Ravelli," his character name in Animal Crackers, during the "why-a-duck" sequence. 

This movie's been chopped up since before its release. It was filmed as over two hours. More than a half-hour of footage was cut and subsequently lost, including sequences with Zeppo and Groucho and a duet for Groucho and Margaret Dumont, "A Little Bungalow." Current copies were pieced together from three different prints, which is why the photographic quality varies dramatically from scene to scene.

The Broadway show eventually ran almost nine months, not bad for the time. It's made occasional appearances on regional stages (usually with songs from other Marx Brothers films added in) and has been revived twice off-Broadway. 

What I Don't Like: Though this is likely the most overtly musical of the Marx Brothers films, most of the numbers stand out like sore thumbs. "When My Dreams Come True," the love theme for Bob and Polly Berlin wrote expressively for this film, is silly and dull. It works all right for the ballet, but the lyrics are drippy and disappointing for Berlin, and no amount of instrumental solos can make it a hit. The "Monkey Doodle Doo" number is almost as bad, with out-of-step dancing, a too-goofy song, and ridiculous costumes. 

Overhead shot aside, this is just as static as most films made during the late 20's and early 30's, with everyone frequently standing around talking and the camera droning on. Eaton and Shaw tend to be a bit stiff as the lovers, though Eaton does have a nice dance solo in "Monkey Doodle Doo" where she pirouettes all around the auction. The cheap sets feel less like Florida and more like "someone poured sand and stuck a few fake palm trees on a small soundstage in Queens.

The Big Finale: The out-of-place music and stiff leads makes this for major Marx Brothers fans only. Casual viewers may want to start with their better-known entries like A Night at the Opera or Duck Soup before coming here. 

Home Media: The solo film is DVD only, but it can be found on Blu-Ray in a collection with the other Marx Brothers movies currently owned by Universal. 

DVD 

DVD - The Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection

Blu-Ray - The Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection