Horse Feathers (1932)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Norman Z. McLeod

Writers:

Bert Kalmar (screenplay) and
Harry Ruby (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

19 August 1932 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Sport

Tagline:

The Maddest Comics of the Screen!

Plot:

Quincy Adams Wagstaff, the new president of Huxley U, hires bumblers Baravelli and Pinky to help his school win the big football game against rival Darwin U.

Plot Keywords:

College | Speakeasy | Professor | Widow | Education

Cast

Groucho Marx	...	Prof. Quincy Adams Wagstaff
Harpo Marx	...	Pinky
Chico Marx	...	Baravelli
Zeppo Marx	...	Frank Wagstaff
Thelma Todd	...	Connie Bailey
David Landau	...	Jennings
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bobby Barber	...	Speakeasy Patron (uncredited)
Reginald Barlow	...	Retiring President (uncredited)
Vince Barnett	...	Speakeasy Patron (uncredited)
Sheila Bromley	...	Wagstaff's Receptionist (uncredited)
E.H. Calvert	...	Professor in Wagstaff's Study (uncredited)
Edgar Dearing	...	Speakeasy Bartender (uncredited)
Robert Greig	...	Biology Professor (uncredited)
Theresa Harris	...	Laura, Connie's Maid (uncredited)
Edward LeSaint	...	Professor in Wagstaff's Study (uncredited)
Florine McKinney	...	Peggy Carrington (uncredited)
Nat Pendleton	...	MacHardie, Darwin Player (uncredited)
James Pierce	...	Ed Mullen, Darwin Player (uncredited)
Frank Rice	...	Doorman at Speakeasy (uncredited)
Syd Saylor	...	Speakeasy Patron at Slot Machine (uncredited)
Arthur Sheekman	...	Typing Sportswriter (uncredited)
Ben Taggart	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Phil Tead	...	Football Broadcaster (uncredited)

Directed by
Norman Z. McLeod		(as Norman McLeod)

Writing credits
Bert Kalmar		(screenplay) and
Harry Ruby		(screenplay) and
S.J. Perelman		(screenplay) and
Will B. Johnstone		(screenplay)
Arthur Sheekman		uncredited

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

Original Music by
John Leipold		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Ray June

Makeup Department
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

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

Sound Department
Gene Merritt	....	production sound mixer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Neal Beckner	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
George Bourne	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Francis Burgess	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Daniel L. Fapp	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Gordon Head	....	still photographer (uncredited)
James Knott	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Fred Mayer	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Other crew
Adolph Zukor	....	presenter
Harold Hecht	....	dance director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1932) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MCA/Universal Pictures (1958) (USA) (TV)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Video (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (Spain) (2003) (Spain) (DVD)

Runtime:

68 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

Spain:T | Portugal:M/6 | South Korea:All | USA:Approved (PCA reissue certificate no. 1713-R) | Australia:G | Finland:S | Germany:o.Al. | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Occidental College -1600 Campus Road, Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

According to Groucho Marx, when Thelma Todd fell out of the boat he kept rowing as she cried for help not knowing she really couldn't swim. Crew members got her out of the water.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the opening scene, Prof. Wagstaff suddenly appears between shots as he is introduced.

Quotes:

Connie: If icky baby don't learn about the football signals, icky baby gonna cwy.
Professor Wagstaff: If icky girl keep on talking that way, big stwong man's gonna kick all of her teef wight down her fwoat.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Psych: An Evening with Mr. Yang (#3.16)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Wedding March

Marx Brothers at their best

The Marx Brothers do it again in Horse Feathers. Next to the classic Duck Soup, this is probably their best film. Their anarchist style of comedy is unleashed on Huxley College, a troubled university with a losing football team that hasn't won a game since the 1880's. The film opens with Groucho becoming president of the college, starting off with the musical sequence "Whatever it is, I'm against it." Chico and Harpo are a iceman and a dog catcher, respectivly, and Zeppo is Grouch's son, who is enrolled in the university. The story, if it can be called that, leads up to a football game with Huxley's rival, Darwin University. This has to be seen to be believed.