Duck Soup (1933)

Director:

Leo McCarey

Writers:

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

Release Date:

17 November 1933 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical

Plot:

Rufus T. Firefly is named president/dictator of bankrupt Freedonia and declares war on neighboring Sylvania over the love of wealthy Mrs. Teasdale.

Plot Keywords:

Dowager | Widow | Ambassador | Dictator | Spy

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Groucho Marx	...	Rufus T. Firefly
Harpo Marx	...	Pinky
Chico Marx	...	Chicolini
Zeppo Marx	...	Lt. Bob Roland
Margaret Dumont	...	Mrs. Gloria Teasdale
Raquel Torres	...	Vera Marcal
Louis Calhern	...	Ambassador Trentino of Sylvania
Edmund Breese	...	Zander
Leonid Kinskey	...	Sylvanian Agitator (as Leonid Kinsky)
Charles Middleton	...	Prosecutor (as Charles B. Middleton)
Edgar Kennedy	...	Lemonade Vendor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Edward Arnold	...	Politician (uncredited)
Wade Boteler	...	Officer at Battle Headquarters (uncredited)
Sidney Bracey	...	Mrs. Teasdale's Butler (uncredited)
E.H. Calvert	...	Officer in battle sequence (uncredited)
Davison Clark	...	Minister of Finance #2 (uncredited)
Louise Closser Hale	...	Reception Guest (uncredited)
Carrie Daumery	...	Reception Guest (uncredited)
Mario Dominici	...	Minister (uncredited)
Maude Turner Gordon	...	Reception Guest (uncredited)
Verna Hillie	...	Trentino's Secretary (uncredited)
Edward LeSaint	...	Secretary of Labor (uncredited)
George MacQuarrie	...	First Judge (uncredited)
Edwin Maxwell	...	Freedonia's Secretary of War (uncredited)
Eric Mayne	...	Third Judge (uncredited)
Edmund Mortimer	...	Minister (uncredited)
Dennis O'Keefe	...	Bridegroom at Firefly's Reception (uncredited)
Leo Sulky	...	Agitator (uncredited)
Frederick Sullivan	...	Second Judge (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	...	A Palace Guard (uncredited)
Florence Wix	...	Reception Guest (uncredited)
William Worthington	...	First Minister of Finance (uncredited)

Directed by
Leo McCarey

Writing credits
Bert Kalmar		(story) and
Harry Ruby		(story)
Arthur Sheekman		(additional dialogue) and
Nat Perrin		(additional dialogue)

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

Original Music by
John Leipold		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Henry Sharp

Film Editing by
LeRoy Stone		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Hans Dreier		(uncredited)
Wiard Ihnen		(uncredited)

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

Sound Department
Harry Lindgren	....	sound mixer (uncredited)

Stunts
Dale Van Sickel	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Edward Dmytryk	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Arthur Johnston	....	music advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1933) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MCA/Universal Pictures (1958) (USA) (TV)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (????) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Cinéma La Pagode (1965) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Image Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Video (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2005) (UK) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Emka Ltd.  current copyright proprietor

Also Known As:

Cracked Ice (USA) (working title)
Firecrackers (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

68 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

France:U | Ireland:G | UK:U | South Korea:All | Australia:G | Germany:6 | Sweden:Btl | USA:Passed

Filming Locations:

Arbor Mansion, Pasadena, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

This film marks the last appearance of Zeppo Marx in a Marx Brothers film.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Ambassador Trentino has announced, he steps down the stairs followed by two gentlemen and crosses two ladies before he kisses Mrs. Teasdale's hand. Next shot the two ladies are just behind him yet and the last man after him is already on Mrs. Teasdale right hand-hand side, giving his back to the wall.

Quotes:

Rufus T. Firefly: Well, that covers a lot of ground. Say, you cover a lot of ground yourself. You better beat it - I hear they're going to tear you down and put up an office building where you're standing. You can leave in a taxi. If you can't get a taxi, you can leave in a huff. If that's too soon, you can leave in a minute and a huff. You know, you haven't stopped talking since I came here? You must have been vaccinated with a phonograph needle.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Family Guy: Road to Germany (#7.3)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Gypsy Love Song

Best comedy movie ever made

"Duck Soup" is so funny that you can watch it with the sound off and you will still laugh hysterically. Of course, then you would miss some of the best dialog in comedy history, especially from Groucho Marx, who may be the funniest human being ever. How many other comedians or comics can you name that have excelled at both physical comedy and at telling jokes? The sight gags are brilliant and perfectly timed; a big influence on other comedies that reaches all the way to "A Hard Day's Night," as well as the "Monty Python's Flying Circus" TV series. Some of the jokes in this movie fly by very fast, so each repeated viewing reveals something new. I believe this movie bombed when originally released, but then again so did "It's A Wonderful Life."