Duck Soup Overview:

Duck Soup (1933) was a Comedy - Musical Film directed by Leo McCarey and produced by Herman J. Mankiewicz.

SYNOPSIS

One of the Marx Brothers' funniest, loaded with zany antics and a famous battle scene, which has been copied by many. Groucho plays the incompetent king of Fredonia who wages war on a neighboring country.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

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Duck Soup was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1990.

BlogHub Articles:

Review: Duck Soup (1933)

By 4 Star Film Fan on Oct 20, 2018 From 4 Star Films

Up until this point in time, The Marx Brother’s all-out assault on humanity had still mostly been geared at the likes of stuffy socialites, gangsters, college campuses, authority figures, etc. Albeit entertaining but fairly straightforward worlds where there was not that much to be navigated b... Read full article


My favorite scene in Duck Soup (1933)

By Carol Martinheira on Sep 8, 2017 From The Old Hollywood Garden

My favorite scene in Duck Soup (1933) On September 8, 2017 By CarolIn Uncategorized We all love Duck Soup (1933). It?s as crazy as a box of cats and every scene is comedy gold. But there?s one scene that stands out for me. No, not the mirror scene (I know, I know…... Read full article


Duck Soup (1933, Leo McCarey)

By Andrew Wickliffe on May 29, 2017 From The Stop Button

Duck Soup is madness. It?s not divine madness or sublime madness. It?s comedic madness, which is fine, but it?s a tad frantic and a tad distracted. The film opens with Margaret Dumont?s wealthy widow getting Groucho Marx installed as a head of state. Turns out evil Louis Calhern?a neighboring countr... Read full article


Duck Soup

By Joey on Oct 9, 2014 From Wolffianclassicmoviesdigest

?duck soup review https://www.facebook.com/Wolffianclassicmoviesdigest Duck soup is probably the most famous and note-worthy of?the Marx Brothers.?Mrs. Teasdale, who has donated twenty million dollars to the failing country, becomes the object of affection for Rufus, who has to battle for her hand... Read full article


Duck Soup

By Joey on Oct 9, 2014 From Wolffianclassicmoviesdigest

?duck soup review https://www.facebook.com/Wolffianclassicmoviesdigest Duck soup is probably the most famous and note-worthy of?the Marx Brothers.?Mrs. Teasdale, who has donated twenty million dollars to the failing country, becomes the object of affection for Rufus, who has to battle for her hand... Read full article


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Quotes from

Rufus T. Firefly: [to Chicolini] I wanted to get a writ of habeas corpus, but I should have gotten a-rid of you instead.


Rufus T. Firefly: Here are the plans of war. They're as valuable as your life. And that's putting them pretty cheap. Watch them like a cat watched her kittens. Have you ever had kittens? No, of course not, you're too busy running around playing bridge. Can't you see what I'm trying to tell you, I love you.


Rufus T. Firefly: Oh, I'm sick of messages from the front. Don't we ever get a message from the side? - What is it?
Bob Roland: General Smith reports a gas attack. He wants to know what to do.
Rufus T. Firefly: Tell him to take a teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda and a half a glass of water.


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Facts about

An early draft of the script introduces Freedonia's new dictator Rufus T. Firefly as an agent for an ammunition company, which led to lots of ammunition-salesman jokes and intertwined with the movie's war theme.
Although this is usually considered the finest film The Marx Brothers ever made, it was not a hit when first released. In fact, the film performed so poorly at the box office that Paramount, then in serious financial straits, terminated its contract with The Marx Brothers, who then promptly signed with MGM where they produced two of their classic films, A Night at the Opera and A Day at the Races under the aegis of the legendary Irving Thalberg.
During the battle scene, Groucho Marx wears a total of five different uniforms: a Union soldier's uniform, a Confederate general's uniform, a Boy Scout troop leader's uniform, a Revolutionary War-era British general's uniform, and a Davy Crockett-style outfit.
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National Film Registry

Duck Soup

Released 1933
Inducted 1990
(Sound)




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Also directed by Leo McCarey




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Also produced by Herman J. Mankiewicz




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