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
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