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Monkey Business
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Monkey Business (1931) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   4,033 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 6% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Norman Z. McLeod
Writers:
S.J. Perelman (screenplay) and
Will B. Johnstone (screenplay) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for Monkey Business on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
19 September 1931 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy more
Plot:
On a transatlantic crossing, the Marx brothers get up to their usual antics and manage to annoy just about everyone on board the ship. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
User Comments:
aptly titled, and wacky good fun more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Groucho Marx ... Groucho

Harpo Marx ... Harpo

Chico Marx ... Chico
Zeppo Marx ... Zeppo
Rockliffe Fellowes ... J.J. 'Big Joe' Helton
Harry Woods ... Alky Briggs
Thelma Todd ... Lucille Briggs
Ruth Hall ... Mary Helton
Tom Kennedy ... First Mate Gibson
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Additional Details

Runtime:
77 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)
Certification:
Spain:T | Finland:S (1976) | UK:U | USA:Unrated | USA:Approved (re-release)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Early in the movie, the Marx Brothers -- playing stowaways concealed in barrels -- harmonize unseen while performing the popular song 'Sweet Adeline.' It is debated whether Harpo was actually singing or not. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Groucho and Chico hide under the table in the chart room (before their encounter with the Captain) Chico has a cigarette in his right hand. He didn't have it before diving under the table. more
Quotes:
Captain Corcoran: [describing the stowaways] One of them goes around with a black moustache.
Groucho: So do I; if I had my choice, I'd go around with a little blonde.
Captain Corcoran: I said, one goes around with a black moustache.
Groucho: Well, you couldn't expect a moustache to go around by itself. Don't you think a moustache ever gets lonely, Captain?
Chico: Hey, sure it gets-a lonely. Hey, when my grandfather's beard gets here, I'd like it to meet your moustache.
Groucho: Well, I'll think it over; I'll talk it over with my moustache. Tell me, has your grandfather's beard got any money?
[...]
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in King Kong (2005) more
Soundtrack:
O Sole Mio more

FAQ

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8 out of 8 people found the following comment useful:-
aptly titled, and wacky good fun, 22 June 2004
9/10
Author: dr_foreman

How does one review a plotless movie? In "Monkey Business," the Marx Brothers spend the first hour running around on a ship, then they crash a fancy party, then they fist-fight gangsters in a barn. Is there connecting material? Well, yeah - of the thinnest sort imaginable. Does the lack of a coherent plot hurt the film? Not really. Bottom line: it's hilarious. Groucho in particular steals the show with his weird combination flirting/insulting routines.

It's worth noting that, while I laughed a lot at "A Night at the Opera," I laughed even more at this movie. In fact, I was in exquisite pain by the end. Of course, "Opera" actually makes some sense, so it might still be the better movie.

Definitely the best Marx Brothers film that doesn't feature Margaret Dumont, and the strongest showcase for the brothers' talents as physical comedians.

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Groucho's eerie prediction? majestikmoose9
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