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IMDb > The Gorilla (1939)

The Gorilla (1939) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
4.7/10   459 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 4% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Ralph Spence (play)
Rian James (screenplay) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Gorilla on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
26 May 1939 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
A Ritz is afraid of nothing ... but ... THIS ... IS ... SOMETHING! more
Plot:
When a wealthy man (Atwill) is threatened by a killer known as The Gorilla, he hires the Ritz Brothers to investigate... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
User Comments:
The Marx Brothers They AIN'T! The Marx Brothers They AIN'T! more (34 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
Jimmy Ritz ... Ben Garrity - a Ritz Brother
Harry Ritz ... Harrigan - a Ritz Brother
Al Ritz ... Mulligan - a Ritz Brother
Anita Louise ... Norma Denby
Patsy Kelly ... Kitty - the Maid
Lionel Atwill ... Walter Stevens

Bela Lugosi ... Peters - the Butler
Joseph Calleia ... The Stranger
Edward Norris ... Jack Marsden
Wally Vernon ... Seaman
Paul Harvey ... A.P. Conway
Art Miles ... Poe the Gorilla
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
The Ritz Brothers ... The Stars Above the Title
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Additional Details

Runtime:
66 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)
Certification:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The original play opened in New York on 28 April 1925. more
Quotes:
Kitty: The Gorilla? HIM? Oh, I'll never trust another man if I live to be a thousand! more
Movie Connections:
Featured in 100 Years of Comedy (1997) (V) more

FAQ

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8 out of 13 people found the following comment useful.
The Marx Brothers They AIN'T! The Marx Brothers They AIN'T!, 3 October 2007
2/10
Author: ccthemovieman-1 from Lockport, NY, United States

I had gotten the impression from a fellow Marx Brothers fan that the Ritz Brothers also were funny, that "if like like the Marx Brothers, you'll like these guys, too."

Are you kidding? The Ritz Brothers aren't even close to the MB in humor and entertainment. These guys were not funny; just stupid. I know humor was different back in the late 1930s, but this was just plain dumb. Maybe the Ritz's are an acquired taste.

With a story that involves detectives battling sinister characters, an ape who had escaped from a carnival, secret passageways and hidden doors-in-walls in a haunted-type house environment, etc., this should have been a really funny and entertaining movie.....but these guys just aren't funny. They botched it up. The Marx Brothers, or the The Three Stooges, would have made this story hilarious.

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Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
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