Monkey Business (1931)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Norman Z. McLeod

Writers:

S.J. Perelman (screenplay) and
Will B. Johnstone (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

19 September 1931 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

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.

Plot Keywords:

Gangster | Marx Brothers | Frog | North Atlantic | Customs

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eddie Baker	...	Ship's Officer (uncredited)
Bobby Barber	...	Barber's hoarse customer (uncredited)
Billy Bletcher	...	Man in Deck Chair (uncredited)
Eddie Borden	...	Joe--Photographer (uncredited)
James Bradbury Jr.	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Maxine Castle	...	Opera Singer at Party (uncredited)
Maurice Chevalier	...	Singing Voice (voice) (uncredited)
Davison Clark	...	Passport Official (uncredited)
Cecil Cunningham	...	Madame Swempski (uncredited)
Bobby Dunn	...	Gangster (uncredited)
Al Flosso	...	Punch and Judy puppeteer (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Indian's Wife at Party (uncredited)
Otto Fries	...	Ship's Second Officer (uncredited)
Sherry Hall	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Pat Harmon	...	Indian at Party (uncredited)
Ethan Laidlaw	...	Cab Driver at Barn (uncredited)
Sam Marx	...	Passenger on Boat / Man at quayside upon arrival (uncredited)
Charlotte Mineau	...	Emily (woman caught in illicit affair on balcony at party) (uncredited)
Harold Minjir	...	Emily's Lover (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Evelyn Pierce	...	Manicurist (uncredited)
Cyril Ring	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Constantine Romanoff	...	Butch--Gangster (uncredited)
Rolfe Sedan	...	Barber #2 (uncredited)
Frederick Sullivan	...	Pickpocket Victim #1 (uncredited)
Ben Taggart	...	Capt. Corcoran (uncredited)
Leo White	...	Barber #1 (uncredited)
Leo Willis	...	Gangster (uncredited)

Directed by
Norman Z. McLeod		(as Norman McLeod)

Writing credits
S.J. Perelman		(screenplay) and
Will B. Johnstone		(screenplay)
Arthur Sheekman		(additional dialogue)
Ben Hecht		story (uncredited)
Roland Pertwee		story (uncredited)

Produced by
Herman J. Mankiewicz	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
John Leipold		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Arthur L. Todd

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles Barton	....	first assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Harry Caplan	....	props (uncredited)

Other crew
Al Flosso	....	puppeteer: "Punch" and "Judy" (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1931) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MCA/Universal Pictures (1958) (USA) (TV)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Continental Home Vídeo (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Video (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (Spain) (2004) (Spain) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Western Electric  noiseless recording

Runtime:

77 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

Spain:T | Finland:S (1976) | UK:U | USA:Unrated | USA:Approved (re-release)

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the Passport scene, when the brothers try to get off the boat by impersonating Maurice Chevalier, neither Zeppo (the first brother to try) nor Groucho (the third to try), get Chevaliers passport back from the officer in charge, yet Chico and Harpo each have it as they approach the front of the line.

Quotes:

Groucho: Oh no, you're not gonna get me off this bed.
Lucille: I didn't know you were a lawyer. You're awfully shy for a lawyer.
Groucho: You bet I'm shy. I'm a shyster lawyer.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Pervert's Guide to Cinema (2006)

Soundtrack:

You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me

Marx brothers madness continues

The Marx brothers are on an intercontinental voyage in this film which offers more than one hilarious moment. My favorite scene involved the four brothers doing their impressions of Maurice Chevalier at customs -- one after the other!