Horse Feathers (1932)

Director:

Norman Z. McLeod

Writers:

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

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

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: During the "I'm against it" number, Groucho kicks a stack of papers off the desk, and we see them landing on the floor. The papers can be seen on the desk in subsequent shots.

Quotes:

Professor Wagstaff: And I say to you gentlemen that this college is a failure. The trouble is we're neglecting football for education.
Professor in Wagstaff's Study, Professor in Wagstaff's Study: Exactly. The professor is right.
Professor Wagstaff: Oh, I'm right, am I? Well, I'm not right, I'm wrong. I just said that to test you. Now I know where I'm at- I'm dealing with a couple of snakes. What I meant to say was that there's too much football and not enough education.
Professor in Wagstaff's Study, Professor in Wagstaff's Study: That's what I think.
Professor Wagstaff: Oh, you do, do you? Well, you're wrong again! If there was a snake here, I'd apologize.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Unearthly (#4.20)" (1991)

Soundtrack:

Whatever It Is, I'm Against It

classic

Oh come on! You know the Marx brothers! Groucho, with his cigar, says something that sounds serious, but then makes it into a joke; Chico, with his Italian accent, mangles certain phrases, among other things; Harpo doesn't speak but (literally) has all sorts of tricks up his sleeve; Zeppo actually is serious...to an extent. In this case, Quincy Wagstaff (Groucho) becomes dean of Huxley College and hopes to defeat rival college Darwin in a football game. He hires two goof-balls, Baravelli (Chico) and Pinky (Harpo), while the other college gets the real players.

The truth is that you don't even have to understand the plot to have a good time. The movie is all about the Marx brothers' anarchic humor, particularly when Harpo causes a traffic jam and then plays a trick on a cop. The football game at the end is not like any game that you've ever seen. You're sure to love the whole movie. And just remember: swordfish.