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A Day at the Races

GroovyMovieGuy — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:11:28 +0000

Hackenbush! Hackenbush!
Calling Dr. Hackenbush, aka Groucho Marx, and his brothers Chico and Harpo who led the wild hijinks in this comedy classic set in both a sanatorium and at a horse racing track. Highlights include Groucho entertaining a young lady at a table with a centerpiece so big he has to stand on his chair to see her; Chico playing a classical piece on the piano with finger work that includes him shooting the keys with his index finger; and Chico destroying the same piano and playing it like a harp.
The Marx Brothers inspired British rock group Queen in naming two of their albums. “A Day at the Races” featured Queen’s hit song “Tie Your Mother Down.” It was the followup album to “A Night at the Opera,” which included the hit song “Bohemian Rhapsody” heard in “Wayne’s World.” (111 min.)

Unrated - 1937

Starring:
Groucho Marx
Chico Marx
Harpo Marx
Maureen O’Sullivan
Allan Jones
Margaret Dumont
Sig Ruman
Esther Muir
Dorothy Dandridge
Douglass Dumbrille

Director:
Sam Wood

Writers:
Robert Pirosh
George Seaton
George Oppenheimer

A Day at the Races

movieMoll — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:21:34 +0000

This Marx Brothers’ follow-up to “A Night at the Opera,” completes the double feature of what most critics — and fans — consider to be the comedy team’s two best films. When Dr. Hugo Hackenbush (Groucho) comes on staff at Standish Sanitarium, owner Judy Standish (Maureen O’Sullivan) hopes he can save the business from bankruptcy. Insanity ensues as Judy’s friends (including Harpo and Chico) try to keep secret the fact that Hackenbush is really a veterinarian. His medical qualifications hardly matter since his real job is to make wealthy hypochondriac Emily Upjohn (Margaret Dumont) happy enough to lend her financial support to the sanitarium. Judy’s boyfriend Gil (Allan Jones) saves the day with a long-shot race horse, with Harpo as jockey. “All God’s Chillun Got Rhythm,” featuring black cast members is painfully stereotypical today, but was progressive for the time and provided an early showcase for Dorothy Dandridge. The plot, of course, is entirely secondary to the brothers’ antics, which include Groucho choreographing some fancy footwork with two women on the dance floor at the same time, Harpo deconstructing a piano and plucking a harp from the rubble, and Chico conning Groucho while hawking his “Tootsie Fruitsie” ice cream. (111 min.)

Unrated - 1937

Starring:
Groucho Marx
Chico Marx
Harpo Marx
Maureen O’Sullivan
Allan Jones
Margaret Dumont
Sig Ruman
Esther Muir
Dorothy Dandridge
Douglass Dumbrille

Director:
Sam Wood

Writers:
Robert Pirosh
George Seaton
George Oppenheimer

After the Thin Man

movieMoll — Sat, 30 May 2009 17:14:48 +0000

The second in the movie series, “After the Thin Man” finds Nick (William Powell) and Nora (Myrna Loy) fresh off train from New York and back home in San Francisco after Nick’s success in solving the celebrated Thin Man murder mystery. Although it’s New Year’s Eve, all the sophisticated, cocktail-swigging couple really wants is a quiet night in bed. Instead, they come home to find a house full of revelers planning to “surprise” the Charleses with a welcome home party. If that isn’t bad enough, the pair gets summoned to a family dinner at Nora’s stuffy Aunt Katherine’s, where they’re promptly assigned to discreetly look for Nora’s cousin Selma’s wayward husband. He turns up dead and Nick and Nora are on the trail of a motley assortment of suspects — including relatives, with plenty of action and witty banter along the way. This entry in the six-movie series features a surprising performance from a young James Stewart, and Nora wraps up the film with a surprise of her own for Nick. (112 min.)

Unrated - 1936

Director:
W.S. Van Dyke

Starring:
William Powell
Myrna Loy
James Stewart
Elissa Landi
Joseph Calleia
Jessie Ralph
Alan Marshal
Sam Levene
Penny Singleton
William Law
George Zucco
Paul Fix

Writers:
Dashiell Hammett (story)
Frances Goodrich (screenplay)
Albert Hackett (screenplay)

Another Thin Man

GroovyMovieGuy — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 23:12:39 +0000

Third in the “Thin Man” series, “Another Thin Man” plays it straighter with more dry wit and less alcohol-fueled humor than other movies in the series. One of the great silver screen couples, Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell and Myrna Loy) add Nicky Charles Jr. (William A. Poulsen) to the family and solve the crime. But don’t forget Asta, the wire-hair fox terrier family pet, that plays his part as a furry sleuth. (105 min.)
Well worth adding to the your movie library. Get “The Complete Thin Man Collection” for all the fun.

1939

Starring:
William Powell
Myrna Loy
Virginia Grey
Otto Kruger
C. Aubrey Smith

Director:
W.S. Van Dyke

Writers:
Dashiell Hammett (wrote the story)
Frances Goodrich (wrote the screenplay)

Available as individual DVD or part of “The Complete Thin Man Collection.”

At the Circus

GroovyMovieGuy — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 05:06:02 +0000

The Marx Brothers and a circus, it seems almost redundant. However, while “At the Circus” features a kinder, gentler version of the Marx Brothers there’s still plenty of fun to go around. Although this isn’t one of the trio’s — sometimes quartet’s — wildest extravaganzas, it’s still better than a significant percentage of movies at the theater or on television today.
Unfortunately, the story line includes a lot of screen time by the co-stars when it’s the Marx brothers who make it a Marx Brothers’ movie. Musical numbers include Groucho singing about a tattooed lady, Harpo playing the harp and Chico playing the piano with his unique flair — always a favorite of mine.
If you’ve never seen a Marx Brothers film you might be surprised by the plot. If you have seen one, you know you’re not watching for the plot. Highlights include Groucho trying to retrieve a wallet stashed in Eve Arden’s bosom and Margaret Dumont as the wealthy matron wooed by Groucho’s character. Watch it. (87 min.)

Not rated - 1939

Starring:
Groucho Marx
Chico Marx
Harpo Marx
Kenny Baker
Florence Rice
Eve Arden
Margaret Dumont
Nat Pendleton

Director:
Edward Buzzell

Writer:
Irving Brecher

At the Circus

movieMoll — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 05:08:51 +0000

Not on par with the Marx Brothers best efforts, still “At the Circus” has some laugh-out-loud moments. A usual lame plot finds Groucho, Chico and Harpo trying to help a circus owner recover a stolen $10,000 before he loses everything. This film is a testament to how much Margaret Dumont brought to the table for the Marx Brothers. She doesn’t appear for the first hour of the movie, which drags for the most part. The final half-hour of the movie, in which Dumont as Mrs. Dukesbury figures prominently, flies by like a daring quintet on a flying trapeze. Classic dialogue includes Dumont explaining the dinner seating arrangements: “The judge shall sit on my left hand and you (pointing to Groucho) shall sit on my right hand.” Groucho replies: “How will you eat? Through a tube?” (87 min.)

Not rated - 1939

Starring:
Groucho Marx
Chico Marx
Harpo Marx
Kenny Baker
Florence Rice
Eve Arden
Margaret Dumont
Nat Pendleton

Director:
Edward Buzzell

Writer:
Irving Brecher

Burn After Reading

movieMoll — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 14:32:32 +0000

Viewers who didn’t enjoy “Raising Arizona” or “Fargo” won’t like “Burn After Reading” either. However, those who are entertained by Joel and Ethan Coen’s distinctively dark comic sensibilities may agree with my assessment that this is their best film since “Fargo.” Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) and Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt) work in a fitness club, where they stumble upon a CD they believe contains secret U.S. intelligence information, which they then try to sell. While this sums up the plot, it’s akin to saying “Fargo” is about a kidnapping in a small town. It’s the deftly interwoven subplots, delectable dialogue and pitch-perfect performances that make this movie so good. (96 min.)

Rated R - 2008

Starring:
George Clooney
Frances McDormand
John Malkovich
Tilda Swinton
Brad Pitt
Richard Jenkins
Elizabeth Marvel
David Rasche
J.K. Simmons
Olek Krupa
Michael Countryman
Kevin Sussman
J.R. Horne
Hamilton Clancy
Armand Schultz

Directors:
Ethan Coen
Joel Coen

Writers:
Joel Coen
Ethan Coen

Burn After Reading

GroovyMovieGuy — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 14:35:03 +0000

A Coen brothers’ dark comedy that’s as quirky as one could hope for. Set in DC with CIA operatives and fitness club employees, “Burn After Reading” weaves a tangled web of entertainment.
The cast is great. Frances McDormand shows her ass (or was it a stunt ass?), George Clooney is an ass, John Malkovich can be a real ass and Brad Pitt is a silly ass.
For cinephiles, the DVD bonus features has interesting interviews with the directors and cast that shed some light on the making of the movie.
(96 min.)

Rated R - 2008

Directors:
Ethan Coen
Joel Coen

Writers:
Joel Coen
Ethan Coen

Carefree

GroovyMovieGuy — Sun, 17 May 2009 05:10:10 +0000

Boy meets girl. Boy falls for girl. She’s taken. There’s complications. It’s Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in “Carefree.”
Astaire plays a psychiatrist who tries to do the right thing for his patient portrayed by Rogers. Guess what it leads to? Yep, dancing and romance.
One of the best dance numbers is a solo by Astaire dancing and driving — driving golf balls. Not the usual fancy footwork found on the links.
While this isn’t the best of the Astaire-Rogers movies, it’s certainly worth watching and great late-night fare. (83 min.)

Not rated - 1938

Director:
Mark Sandrich

Starring:
Fred Astaire
Ginger Rogers
Ralph Bellamy
Luella Gear
Jack Carson
Clarence Kolb

Writers:
Marian Ainslee (story)
Guy Endore (story)
Dudley Nichols (story)
Ernest Pagano (writer)
Allan Scott (writer)
Hagar Wilde (story)

Carefree

movieMoll — Sun, 17 May 2009 05:15:18 +0000

This movie would be worth seeing for the slow motion dream sequence dance number alone. Fortunately, there’s plenty more to recommend “Carefree,” Astaire and Rogers eighth film pairing. Fred Astaire plays psychiatrist Tony Flagg, who takes on Amanda Cooper (Ginger Rogers) as a patient at the request of her fiancé, played by Ralph Bellamy. It seems the bride-to-be keeps getting cold feet when it comes to walking down the aisle. Rogers gets to flex her comedic muscles more than usual in this film, particularly while her character is under the influence of pharmaceuticals and hypnosis. There are also a few nice dance numbers. In addition to the dream sequence, Astaire does some impressive steps on the golf course and he and Ginger do some fancy footwork on “The Yam,” where he literally sweeps her off her feet with a series of dance lifts. “Carefree” is missing the memorable, sing-along tunes featured in many of the pair’s other movies, causing this fun film to be perhaps the most underrated Astaire-Rogers pic. (83 min.)

Not rated - 1938

Director:
Mark Sandrich

Starring:
Fred Astaire
Ginger Rogers
Ralph Bellamy
Luella Gear
Jack Carson
Clarence Kolb

Writers:
Marian Ainslee (story)
Guy Endore (story)
Dudley Nichols (story)
Ernest Pagano (writer)
Allan Scott (writer)
Hagar Wilde (story)