At the Circus

After 30 years, I just rewatched this latter-day Marx Brothers movie. After being loaned to RKO for Room Service, the Marxes return to M-G-M without their beloved mentor there, Irving Thalberg, having died during their last hit picture there, A Day at the Races. That movie was very enjoyable, if a little long. This one is much shorter, if not as funny. Still, there's more than enough highlights here: a couple of Chico and Groucho scenes like the "need-a-badge-to-get-on-train" and "new-cigar-needed-but-from-suspect-not-Chico", Groucho's number of "Lydia the Tattooed Lady", Harpo's number with some cool black singers mixed with his as-always touching harp solos, Chico's piano playing, and, of course, Groucho's wisecracks with Margaret Dumont, the unofficial fourth Marx brother now that Zeppo left by this time. Oh, and funny enough reunion with Nat Pendleton from Horse Feathers. Also, Fritz Feld has an amusing bit as a symphony conductor. The romantic leads of Kenny Baker, who I know from old broadcasts of radio's "The Jack Benny Program", and Florence Rice don't intrude too much so I didn't mind them or their singing. Oh, and Eve Arden was also a hoot opposite the one and only Groucho. So on that note, At the Circus is worth a look for any Marx fans out there, still.

No, this isn't the Cecil B. De Mille big top opus, it's the Marx Brothers one. The boys were slowing down a bit when they made it, and as it came out in 1939, it kind of got buried under all the other movies of that remarkable film year, and is now somewhat neglected. This is a pity, for while it isn't their best movie, it's far from their worst. The plot isn't worth going into,--does anyone really want a synopsis of a Marx Brothers film?--and grande dame Margaret Dumont is on hand as the woman of Groucho's nightmares come to life. Kenny Baker and Florence Rice are the leads, and I've seen far worse. This isn't a belly laugh movie but it's very amusing. The production values are excellent, and the circus itself is fun, and so is the gorilla. Every comedian should encounter a gorilla at least once in his career. At the Circus is Groucho's chance, and it provides the movie with its funniest moment. This isn't a great comedy, but it's a very good movie.

Mercilessly and outrageous Marx Brothers comedy that partially works well , thanks to some funny sketches , though they've done it better before . It suffers from excessive musical comedy plotting , but it gives the zany threesome some funny and really comic elaboration . Here the Marx Brothers try to help the owner of a circus recover some stolen funds before he finds himself out of a job. Antonio Pirelli (Harpo Marx) and Punchy (Chico Marx) , who work at the circus, together with roguish lawyer Loophole (Groucho Marx) , attempt to find the thief and get the money back. The 3 Mad Mullahs of Mirth in their grandest, goofiest roar rodeo! . A tentful of girl-gorgeous musical fun! . Not suitable for general exhibition ! .They're a circus.... in a circus !. This Way Folks...to a tentful of Girl Glamorous Musical Fun! A 30-ring circus of laugh-splashed thrills! The animals are in cages...but the Mad Marxes are on the loose! The Show of Shows...to keep the world Singing and Laughing!. Keep the world laughing!

Relentlessly comical and busy comedy with musical interludes that still works at times . Definitely sub-standard Marxism as the brothers set about saving a circus from bankruptcy in various hilarous set pieces. Amusing moments , mucho ado with badges , Groucho singing ¨Lydia the Tattoooed Lady¨ and the endless insulting repartee with Margaret Dumont , but the whole thing is rather dull and over-familiar. Beginning of the end for the Marxes , a step down in quality from their classic work , though frequently dam fun . Excellent Harpo Marx , as usual , he even did many of his own stunts , he later said it was a silly thing for a 49-year-old . At the Circus (1939) is annoyed by a lot of dated and bored songs , such as : Step up and take a bow , Lydia and Tattoed lady , two blind loves , blue moon . The motion picture was regular but professionally directed by Edward Buzzell , known for : Transient Lady (1935), Little Johnny Jones (1929) y Ain't Misbehavin' (1955) , among others .

Other important films starred by Marx Brothers -many of them Broadway farce plays transfered by scenarists into vehicle for the Brothers- , they are the following ones : ¨Animal crackers¨, ¨Duck soap¨ that was a flop when first released but today considered a masterpiece , ¨Horse Feathers¨, ¨At the circus¨, ¨A night at the Opera¨,¨Day at the races¨ , ¨Room service¨ , ¨Go West¨, ¨Love Happy¨ and ¨Night in Casablanca¨, though in 1946 the Marx formula was weak and wearing thin . Any film with Groucho , Chico , Harpo and Margaret Dumont is well worth seeing .

Middle-of-the-road Marxes, with some good scenes and laughs unevenly weighted down by those ever-intrusive and out-of-place musical numbers that so often plagued these movies. No, I'm not referring to Groucho's spirited rendition of 'Lydia the Tattooed Lady'; I'm talking about hearing those two useless lead lovers crooning their sappy romantic tunes to each other ('Two Blind Loves', which is sung over and over at intervals throughout the picture, is especially grating on the nerves). There is also a song and dance sequence that comes out of left field later in the film that really feels out of place and gets in the way of things.

There are certainly some witty Groucho zingers, as well as vintage Harpo madness, to be found here. It's just that there's not enough consistency and too much of the fluff. It's a pity the filmmakers just didn't realize that it's the Marx Brothers we're here to see; not Kenny Baker and Florence Rice.

Not one of the best Marx Bros. Movies (i.e., Duck Soup, A Day at the Races, and A Night at the Opera) but also not one of the worst either. So, solidly mid-pack. The romantic subplot involving Florence Rice's character is a total waste of time because her suitor, the singer Kenny Baker (no, not Star Wars' Kenny Baker; this movie is from 1939!), is a terrible non-actor. Harpo's musical number, surrounded by black dancers, singers, and musicians, is way above average. And the best part of this one is the supporting role played by Eve Arden as a female "daredevil" circus acrobat who is also a pickpocket and scammer. As was so often the case with any movies featuring her "2nd banana" characters, she's the best thing about any scene she is in, and that's hard to pull off when Groucho Marx is your scene partner!