DUCK SOUP directed by Leo McCarey (USA, 1933)
I’d forgotten just how anarchic and madcap The Marx Brothers’ movies were. I loved this manic energy as a kid and Harpo in particular still makes me crack up with his face pulling and bottomless pockets.
He’s the perfect foil to the continual wise cracking of Groucho and the bluster of Chico. The hat switching and mirror scenes are straight out of vaudeville and classic examples of comic timing.
The plot is bizarre and defies logic which is probably why it still works as an effective political satire. Continue reading
