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Monkey Business
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The third film released in 1931 was their first with a script made for the screen and their first made in Hollywood.
In this outing, the boys are stowaways on an ocean voyage. Apart from a bit involving a couple of gangsters trying to put each other out of business, there's very little plot to get in the way of the gags. Speaking of gags, Groucho brought in his uncle, Al Sheen, to write plenty for this picture. If you're looking for sheer Marx Brothers zaniness without any unnecessary musical numbers or subplots, this is a movie for you.
According to Frank Bland, this picture also contains the funniest line ever delivered in a Marx Brothers film by a non-Marx Brother:
Captain: "Stowaways? How do you know there are four of them?"
Steward: "Well, they were singing Sweet Adeline."
Speaking of stowaways, check out "That's The Bunk," a very funny scene from the film, featuring Groucho, Chico, and the Captain.
MAN: What's the idea putting your hand in my pocket
CHICO: Just a little mistake. I had a suit once just looked like that, and for a moment I thought those were my pants.
MAN: How could they be your pants when I've got them on?
CHICO: Well, this suit had two pair of pants.
CHICO: Just a little mistake. I had a suit once just looked like that, and for a moment I thought those were my pants.
MAN: How could they be your pants when I've got them on?
CHICO: Well, this suit had two pair of pants.
Related Links
Sounds
Quotes
General
- more details at Mikael Uhlin's "Marxology"
- Review at The Age Of Comedy
- Review at A Day on The Internet
Cast:
| Groucho Marx | A Stowaway | ||
| Harpo Marx | A Stowaway | ||
| Chico Marx | A Stowaway | ||
| Zeppo Marx | A Stowaway | ||
| Thelma Todd | Lucille | ||
| Rockliffe Fellowes | Joe Helton | ||
| Tom Kennedy | Gibson | ||
| Ruth Hall | Mary Helton | ||
| Harry Woods | Alky Briggs | ||
| Ben Taggart | Captain Corcoran | ||
| Otto Fries | Second Mate | ||
| Evelyn Pierce | Manicurist | ||
| Maxine Castle | Madame Swempski | ||
| Ethan Laidlaw | Cab Driver at barn | ||
| Sam Marx | Passenger / man on dock | ||
| Eddie Baker | |||
| Davison Clark | Frustrated passport official ("Chevalier, ehh???") |
| Director | Norman Z. McLeod | ||
| Written by | S.J. Perelman | ||
| Will B. Johnstone | |||
| Arthur Sheekman (additional dialogue) | |||
| Cinematography | Arthur L. Todd | ||
| Assistant director | Charles Barton | ||
| Producer | Herman J. Mankiewicz (uncredited) | ||
| Production company / Distribution | Paramount Publix (A Paramount Picture) | ||
| Runtime | 77 min. | ||
| Release date | 19 Sep 1931 | ||
| New York opening | 07 Oct 1931 | ||
| Featured in | That's Entertainment, Part II (1976) | ||
| Twelve Monkeys | |||
| Spanish title | Pistoleros de agua dulce | ||
| Naderías | |||
| French title | Monnaie de singe | ||
| German title | Die Marx Brothers auf hoher See | ||
| Italian title | Quattro folli in alto mare | ||
| Finnish title | Neljä nolattua neroa | ||
| Extracts published on Super 8 titled | The Stowaways |
Posters and Lobby Cards for this movie. Click to enlarge.
Musical numbers
| Performed by | Comments | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Title | |||
| Sweet Adeline | |||
| Classical Excerpt | |||
| Potpourri | |||
| O Sole Mio | |||
| Sugar In The Morning | |||
| Harp Theme | |||
| End Title | |||
| What follows is a listing from the movie's script. I will try to work out how this matches to title names above | |||
| Monkey Business Prelude #2 Music and lyrics by: John M. Leipold | |||
| I'm Happy Over You Music and lyrics by: Chico Marx, Violinsky | |||
| Sweet Adeline Music and lyrics by: Henry Gerard, Henry Armstrong | |||
| Improvising | |||
| Sailor's Hornpipe | |||
 view | I'm Daffy Over You Music and lyrics by: Chico Marx, Sol Violinsky | The sheet music cover is from the time of "Flywheel, Shyster & Flywheel" | |
| Just One More Chance Music and lyrics by: Coslow, Johnson | |||
| Volga Boat Song Music and lyrics by: Trad. Russian | |||
| Dixie Music and lyrics by: D. D. Emmett | |||
| Argentina Music and lyrics by: Rainger, Leipold | |||
| Argentina Music and lyrics by: Rainger, Leipold | |||
| (Whistle) | |||
| Just One More Chance Music and lyrics by: Coslow, Johnson | |||
| You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me Music and lyrics by: Fain, Norman, Kahal |
