It is a matter of debate whether Harpo joins in with the singing. Įarly on in Monkey Business, the Brothers-playing stowaways concealed in barrels-harmonize unseen while performing the popular song " Sweet Adeline". Well, we can clean and tighten your brakes, but you'll have to stay in the garage all night." In 1935, Todd died in her car inside a garage, apparently from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. Alone with Todd in her cabin, Groucho quips: "You're a woman who's been getting nothing but dirty breaks. A line of dialogue in Monkey Business seems to foreshadow Todd's death. A few years later, in December 1935, Todd died in unexplained circumstances. This is the first Marx Brothers film not to feature Margaret Dumont: this time their female foil is comedian Thelma Todd, who would also star in the Marx Brothers' next film, Horse Feathers. In Ireland, the film was passed on January 8, 1932, with '16 unspecified cuts to script', including characters falling over each other in a dance scene. Monkey Business was banned in Ireland because censors feared it would encourage anarchic tendencies. Typical for many Marx Brothers films, production censors demanded changes in some lines with sexual innuendo. MacLeod later said that up to 12 writers worked on the film, and that Eddie Cantor contributed when he visited the set during shooting. The final script was the result of five months of work by the brothers, gag writers, director Norman Z. This is an ordeal by fire, make sure you wear asbestos pants." Of the original script delivered by Perelman and Johnstone, Groucho said, "It stinks." He considered Perelman too intellectual to write for the Marx Brothers manic comic style. I hate to depress you, but you'll rue the day you ever took the assignment. He called the brothers "mercurial, devious, and ungrateful. Mankiewicz advised them to lower their expectations. Johnstone were excited to be working with the Marx Brothers. Bess Flowers as wife of man dressed as Indian at party.Billy Bletcher as Man buried in deck chair.Maxine Castle as Mrs Schmalhausen, opera singer performing " O Sole Mio".Charlotte Mineau as Emily, woman on veranda of mansion having an illicit affair.Cecil Cunningham as Madame Swempski, opera singer giving interview on ship.They are referred to simply as "the stowaways". The daughter is rescued, and Groucho attempts to find a needle in a haystack.Įxcept in the credits and in the screenplay, the Marx Brothers' characters have no names in this film. The former stowaways follow and a fight ensues. Briggs' men kidnap Big Joe's daughter and take her to an old barn. The four escape the authorities after hiding under a covered load of baggage.īig Joe and his daughter, whom Zeppo met and romanced on board, host a party at which Groucho makes announcements, Chico plays piano and Harpo plays harp. He is unsuccessful, however, and passes the passport to Chico, Groucho and Harpo, who each attempt unconvincing portrayals of Chevalier singing the same song, with Harpo resorting to a phonograph strapped on his back with an actual record of Chevalier singing. The four butt in line at customs and Zeppo impersonates Chevalier.
#MARX BROTHERS FILM MOVIE#
Zeppo steals the passport of movie star Maurice Chevalier, and demonstrates his ability to mimic Chevalier's singing. Groucho offers his services to Big Joe, who says he will think it over.Īs the ocean liner is about to dock in the United States, the stowaways realize that to get off the boat they must steal passports and fool customs officials. Briggs gives them loaded guns, which they immediately ditch in a bucket of water. Groucho's audacity convinces Briggs to hire him and Zeppo. Groucho dances and romances with Briggs' wife, Lucille, until he is caught and threatened by Briggs. After they scare off Briggs, Big Joe hires Chico and Harpo to be his bodyguards. Chico and Harpo disrupt a chess game and confiscate the board, taking it into the stateroom of racketeer Big Joe Helton and his daughter Mary, during a confrontation with rival gangster Alky Briggs. The naval officers spend the rest of the voyage chasing and attempting to arrest the stowaways. After singing " Sweet Adeline", they are discovered. On board an ocean liner, four stowaways hide in barrels in the ship's cargo hold.