Duck Soup is a 1933 American pre-Code musical black comedy film directed by Leo McCarey and written by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, with additional dialogue by Arthur Sheekman and Nat Perrin. The film stars the Marx Brothers, with Groucho Marx playing Rufus T. Firefly, the cynical, sarcastic, and money-hungry leader of a fictional country called Freedonia. Margaret Dumont, a standard in the Marx Brothers’ films, was once again the butt of Groucho’s barbs, playing a rich dowager easily wooed by his questionable charms. The film is considered to be among the Marx Brothers' best films and is especially noted for its anarchic style and effective satirization of war. Although it did not do as well as Horse Feathers, it was the sixth-highest-grossing film of 1933, according to Glenn Mitchell in The Marx Brothers Encyclopedia and Simon Louvish in Monkey Business, his biography of the Marx Brothers.
Plot
Duck Soup is a 1933 American pre-Code musical black comedy film directed by Leo McCarey. The film is set in the fictional country of Freedonia, where wealthy socialite Mrs. Teasdale agrees to give the small country a sum of $20 million in order to save it from bankruptcy. Rufus T. Firefly, a con artist, is named the new dictator of Freedonia and declares war on the neighboring country of Sylvania. The film follows the anarchic and satirical style of the Marx Brothers, with Groucho Marx playing Rufus T. Firefly, the cynical, sarcastic, and money-hungry leader of Freedonia. The film is noted for its effective satirization of war and is considered to be among the Marx Brothers' best films.
Trailer
Cast
- Groucho Marx as Rufus T. Firefly
- Harpo Marx as Pinky
- Chico Marx as Chicolini
- Zeppo Marx as Lt. Bob Roland
- Margaret Dumont as Mrs. Gloria Teasdale
Director: Leo McCarey
Producer: Herman J. Mankiewicz
Box Office Gross: $103,800
Distributor: MCA/Universal Home Video, Paramount Pictures
Genre: Comedy
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 17, 1933
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 3, 2015
Theme
The theme of "Duck Soup" is a satirical take on war and politics. The film portrays the absurdity of war and the corrupt nature of politics through the character of Rufus T. Firefly, the leader of Freedonia, who declares war on the neighboring country of Sylvania for no apparent reason.
Reception
It is considered to be one of the Marx Brothers' best films and is noted for its anarchic style and effective satirization of war. Although it did not do as well as "Horse Feathers," it was the sixth-highest-grossing film of 1933.
Settings, Visual Styles, and Techniques
Duck Soup is set in the fictional country of Freedonia and features a mix of indoor and outdoor settings. The film's visual style is characterized by its use of slapstick humor, witty one-liners, and fast-paced dialogue. The Marx Brothers' trademark physical comedy is also on full display in the film.
Trivia and Fun Facts
- "Duck Soup" was the last Marx Brothers film to feature Zeppo Marx.
- The film's title is a reference to the phrase "quack medicine," which means a fake or ineffective remedy.
- The famous mirror scene in the film was later parodied in the Marx Brothers' film "A Night at the Opera."
- The film was not a commercial success upon its initial release, but it has since become a cult classic and is widely regarded as one of the greatest comedies of all time.