The Marx Brothers at war

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Movie
German title The Marx Brothers at war
Original title Duck Soup
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1933
length 68 minutes
Age rating FSK 6
Rod
Director Leo McCarey
script Bert Kalmar
Harry Ruby
production Herman J. Mankiewicz
music John Leipold
camera Henry Sharp
cut LeRoy Stone
occupation
synchronization

The Marx Brothers in War (original title: Duck Soup ) is the fifth film with the Marx Brothers Groucho, Chico, Harpo and Zeppo Marx. The film was produced and published by Paramount in 1933 ; it was not released in the Federal Republic of Germany until 1967.

action

The small country Freedonia is in a serious financial emergency, the current government sees no way out of the state crisis. The wealthy widow Teasdale, who is now single-handedly financing the country, demands for a further loan that Rufus T. Firefly ( Groucho ), whom she admires, be appointed head of government in return . It does, but it soon becomes clear that Firefly is barely performing its duties as Prime Minister. Meanwhile, the neighboring state of Sylvania is planning to invade Freedonia. Chicolino ( Chico ) and Pinky ( Harpo ) are appointed by the Sylvanian ambassador Trentino as spies on the new head of state Firefly. However, he appoints the two ministers on a whim when Chicolini sells peanuts in front of his window. Trentino also approaches the widow Teasdale, who however only has eyes for Firefly. Firefly also woos Teasdale for her fortune, causing tension between him and Trentino.

Firefly's secretary Bob Roland ( Zeppo ) advises his manager to get rid of Trentino by getting rid of him. Firefly agrees with his secretary in principle, but then a series of insults arise between him and Trentino, at the end of which Firefly beats the ambassador. With this he provokes a war against Sylvania. Trentino learns that the war plans are in the widow Teasdale's safe, and he instructs Chicolini and Pinky to steal them. Chicolini is captured and charged, but war is declared during the trial. The poorer and smaller Freedonia has extremely poor prospects of success, but the event is euphoric with songs and dances by Parliament. Eventually the battle ensues, which seems to have been lost when Trentino can be captured. The Marx Brothers throw fruit at him until he finally surrenders. Mrs. Teasdale celebrates the victory with Freedonia's hymn, but is then also pelted with fruit by the brothers.

background

The comedy is both slapstick and war satire, packed with optical gags and anarchic pun. The Marx Brothers appear in their well-known roles: Groucho as the arrogant head of state with a penchant for insults and puns, Chico as a proletarian with an aversion to any authority, Harpo as the mute, playful kid's head and Zeppo as the “straight man”, the handsome conscientious man.

When it came out in 1933, the film fell short of expectations both in terms of critics and box offices. Only over the years did it develop into one of the most successful films by the Marx Brothers and Duck Soup is considered a classic and slapstick masterpiece.

Especially the mirror scene with Groucho, Harpo and at the end also Chico as well as the war scenes at the end of the film brought it to particular fame. These scenes were quoted or recreated again and again in other films and works of art.

When the director Leo McCarey was asked shortly before his death: "Did you enjoy working with the Marx Brothers on Duck Soup [...]?" He replied: "No, not at all. They were way too irresponsible, and besides, I never managed to get them all together - one was always missing. "

synchronization

The German dubbed version was created in 1966 on behalf of ARD . The dialogue book was written by Eberhard Storeck , who also directed the dubbing. Gerd Martienzen spoke for Groucho , Gerd Duwner took over for Chico , while Claus Jurichs and Horst Keitel lent their votes to Zeppo and Charles Middleton .

Award

1990: Entry into the National Film Registry

criticism

After the television premiere in the ARD program on February 4, 1967 - 34 years after the world premiere - the Protestant film observer judged that The Marx Brothers in War was "probably the best of all Marx Brothers films" and justified his Decision with it, using the example of a dispute that has broken off the fence between two fantasy states, the comedians would "staggeringly reduce the madness of war to absurdity". The mixture of slapstick and biting was successful.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Interview with Leo McCarey 1968/1969. In Peter Bogdanovich : Who turned it? Conversations with Robert Aldrich and others, foreword by Hellmuth Karasek . Haffmans Verlag, Zurich 2000, pp. 463-530, here 494 (original title (1997): Who the Devil Made It?)
  2. ↑ The Marx Brothers at War in Arne Kaul's synchronous database , accessed on August 22, 2009
  3. ^ Page with the list of the National Film Registry [1] , accessed on February 6, 2015
  4. ↑ Evangelischer Presseverband München, Review No. 54/1967.