“One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don’t know.” —Captain Spaulding
Today’s quick review: Animal Crackers. Freshly returned from an expedition to Africa, the intrepid Captain Jeffrey Spaulding (Groucho Marx) attends a high society party hosted by Mrs. Rittenhouse (Margaret Dumont) as the guest of honor. He is joined by his aide Horatio Jamison (Zeppo Marx), the musician Emanuel Ravelli (Chico Marx), and Emanuel’s pal the Professor (Harpo Marx), who all cause quite a stir among the party’s distinguished guests.
Animal Crackers is a zany comedy from the Marx Brothers. As with most Marx Brothers comedies, the movie is dedicated to showcasing the brothers’ unusual talents. What plot there is involves a valuable painting that two separate pairs of guests get the idea to replace, throwing the party into chaos when the replacement is discovered. But the movie stops frequently along the way for songs, comic interludes, and bouts of slapstick, a menagerie of entertainment.
The movie’s humor is unique to the Marx Brothers, a whirlwind of wordplay and slapstick that almost always earns a laugh. The jokes are so densely packed that they become difficult to catch, a problem exacerbated by the brothers’ willingness to embark on lengthy tangents given the slightest opportunity. The story mostly serves as an excuse for various flavors of comedy routines, a perfectly reasonable decision given the strength of the humor.
Animal Crackers does have a bit more to it than just Groucho’s fast-paced verbal barbs, Chico’s crafty tricks, and Harpo’s mute antics. Chico and Harpo both have the chance to show off their respective talents at piano and harp, while the supporting cast serves up a pleasant love song and one or two group numbers. For her part, Margaret Dumont, the boys’ perennial straight woman, keeps up with Groucho admirably, grounding his elaborate routines.
Watch Animal Crackers if you are in the mood for a frenetic classic comedy with a light, jovial attitude. While not much for story or character, Animal Crackers delivers an excellent variety of entertainment, from puns to physical humor to virtuoso musical performances. Hold off if you are in the mood for a comedy with a more modern approach to timing, emphasis, and storytelling.
7.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 to 8.0 for outstanding, if somewhat overwhelming, humor.