While we recently explored the vast comedic talents of The Marx Brothers in their late-period entry A Night In Casablanca, by all accounts this was not the group at their most dynamic and creative. While still very funny, few films can compare to the output they were delivering at the height of their creative powers in the 1930s. After a very impressive run at Paramount with classics such as Horse Feathers and Duck Soup, the brothers changed tactics and made the switch to MGM. With this move came the departure of the youngest brother Zeppo along with a softening of some of the more scathing collateral damage suffered by the common person in their films. The first film created under these circumstances was the 1935 comedy A Night At The Opera, and it is one that would prove to be one of their most beloved. The film was a decent hit at the time of its release, but the appreciation of the film has only grown over the years to the point where it is considered an essential piece of cinema.
As one might surmise from the title, the primary action of this story takes place in the high society world of the opera. With The Marx Brothers involved, you can guess that it is not going to remain a sophisticated endeavor for long. Groucho plays Otis B. Driftwood (shoutout to the Rob Zombie fans), the business manager to wealthy dowager Mrs. Claypool (Margaret Dumont). With a little help from her in the form of $200,000 cash influx to the New York Opera Company arranged by Otis, the director of the company, Herman Gottlieb (Sig Ruman), has been able to secure the voice of Rodolfo Lassparri (Walter Woolf King), the so-called “greatest tenor since Caruso“. Elsewhere we find the other two brothers; Fiorello (Chico) is the newly-christened manager of a lowly member of the choir, Ricardo Baroni (Allan Jones), who is in love with the soprano, Rosa Castaldi (Kitty Carlisle), who is also being pursued by Lassparri. Finally there is Tomasso (Harpo), who works for Lassparri for a short while before kicking off the convoluted plot with a mallet.
This description may seem bursting at the seams with complicated character dynamics, and it is, but the film itself is not too concerned with the actual plot threads. After a case of mistaken identity where Otis believes Fiorello represents Lassparri, you are really just invited to marvel at a series of hilarious gags. The comedic timing between these three brothers is truly a work of art. One of the early highlights is contract negotiation between Groucho and Chico that relies on clever wordplay and precise retorts to garner the most laughs. Even relatively silly lines such as “You can’t fool me! There ain’t no San’ty Clause” bring about a huge grin when delivered in a faux Italian accent by Chico. The premiere gag of the feature is described as the “Stateroom scene.” What starts as the three brothers in one cramped cabin evolves as food is ordered and hospitality is dispensed filling the room with an absurd number of people all doing their part to bring humor to their portion of the frame. It is one of the all-time great comedic sequences in cinema.
The characters of Groucho, Chico and Harper are so much fun to spend time with, and the way in which they continue to be refined in this first MGM entry is a lot of fun. Groucho has always been a bit of a jerk, but he seems a bit more focused in his wordplay and more put-together as a whole. Chico has sprouted a bit more intelligence and has more of a kinship with some of the secondary characters. Harpo is still basically Harpo, but he is portrayed in a way that tugs at your heartstrings a bit more. The scenes where he gets to show off his prowess with instruments are pulled off well within the story. The film builds up to a chaotic finale that has a lot of moving pieces that provides copious laughter and even emotional payoff within the story. Some may miss the anarchy present during their Paramount years, but the MGM-era is no slouch in the pantheon of great comedy. The Marx Brothers were one of the funniest groups to ever live, and A Night At The Opera ranks among their best.
Video Quality
A Night At The Opera makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to Warner Archive with a brand new 1080p master from a 4K scan of the best surviving preservation elements. This comedy classic has been granted a truly marvelous presentation. The new transfer shows off a great amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s varied production design. The setting of the film shifts from the busy locations of the restaurant and the boat to opera house and more. There is a fantastic amount of detail present with nice textures on the clothing, especially in some of the stunning outfits sported by Rosa. The stunning black-and-white photography shot by Merritt Gerstad sparkles in high definition with natural grain intact. Black levels are very deep with no trace of black crush or compression artifacts. The contrast is well defined, and there is virtually no print damage to be found. Warner Archive continues its solid streak of restorations with another brilliant effort.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a strong DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that serves this movie perfectly well. The warmth and vitality of the Herbert Stothart score sounds as lovely as ever here. Despite the strength of the music, nothing ever overpowers the dialogue or other important information. Dialogue and background noises are represented in perfect harmony with all competing elements. This track shows a small bit of discernible age related wear and tear with some hissing and few instances of distortion that likely dates back to the source elements. There are also optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. Warner Archive has delivered as pleasing of an audio track as the source elements will allow.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Film Critic Leonard Maltin provides a breezy and informative commentary track in which he discusses his personal love for the film, the history behind certain jarring edits in the film, the “fifth” Marx brother, the careers of the performers, the loose references to past films and more. Maltin is a wealth of knowledge and does a nice job of bringing interesting facts to the table.
- Remarks On Marx: A 34-minute vintage featurette in which entertainment figures and historians discuss the stories behind the names and characters, relay personal memories, track their career, talk about some of the secondary performers and more. This is a well-done and fun piece.
- Groucho Marx on The HY Gardner Show: A five-minute interview with an older Groucho in which he relays some of his Hollywood antics.
- Vintage Shorts
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- How To Sleep: An eleven-minute short from 1935 in which Robert Benchley humorously takes you through tips on how to fall asleep.
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- Sunday Night At The Trocadero: A twenty-minute short from George Sidney (Show Boat) which allows for a cavalcade of Hollywood luminaries to make cameos.
- Los Angeles – Wonder City Of The West: A nearly nine-minute short which takes viewers on a tour of Los Angeles including a stop at Disney Studios.
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-minute trailer for the film is provided here which begins with an inventive take on the MGM logo.
Final Thoughts
A Night At The Opera is a hilarious new step for the comedy group as they transition from their Paramount years into their stint at MGM. The trio continue to refine their personas and enhance their timing until they achieve something in the realm of brilliance. A few of the sequences in this feature are some of the most iconic ever put to film. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a fantastic A/V presentation and a nice selection of special features. Any fans of The Marx Brothers should consider this an essential addition to their collection. Highly Recommended
A Night At The Opera can be purchased directly through the Warner Archive Amazon Store or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
