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Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Kitty Carlisle, Walter Woolf King ... see more see more... , Edward Keane , Sig Rumann , Allan Jones , Margaret Dumont , Robert E. O'Connor , Harry Allen , Lorraine Badges , Al Bridge , Gino Corrado , Jay Eaton , Otto H. Fries , Billy Gilbert , William Gould , Jonathan Hale , Rodolfo Hoyos Jr. , George Irving , Selmar Jackson , Jack Lipson , Wilbur Mack , Marx Brothers , Inez Palange , Claude Payton , Purnell Pratt , Rolfe Sedan , Phillips Smalley , Harry Tyler , Leo White , Frank Yaconelli , Samuel Marx , George Guhl

Although some purists hold out for Duck Soup (1933), many Marx Brothers fans consider A Night at the Opera the team's best film. Immediately after the credits roll, we are introduced to Groucho Marx a... read more read more...s penny-ante promoter Otis B. Driftwood. After a sumptuous dinner with a beautiful blonde at a fancy Milan restaurant, Driftwood tries to cadge another free meal from his wealthy patroness, Mrs. Claypool (Margaret Dumont). The dignified dowager complains that Driftwood had promised to get her into high society, but has done nothing so far. Otis B. counters by introducing Mrs. C to pompous opera entrepreneur Gottleib (Sig Rumann); all Mrs. Claypool has to do is invest several hundred thousand dollars in Gottleib's opera company, and her entree into society is in the bag. Contingent upon this plan is Driftwood's signing of Rodolfo Lassparri (Walter Woolf King), a self-important tenor. Backstage at the opera, Driftwood meets Fiorello (Chico Marx), who poses as a manager and offers to sell Driftwood the "world's greatest tenor"-not Lassparri, as Driftwood assumes, but Fiorello's pal Ricardo Baroni (Allan Jones). Instantly the two sharpsters try to draw up a contract ("The party of the first part shall hereafter be known as the party of the first part..."), which they proceed to tear up piece by piece whenever coming across a clause that displeases them (Driftwood: "That's a sanity clause"; Fiorello: "You no foola me. There ain't no Sanity Claus"). Having lost Lassparri to Gottleib, Driftwood sails back to America with Mrs. Claypool and the opera company. Gottleib arranges for Driftwood to get the tiniest, least accessible stateroom on the ship. Unpacking his trunk, Driftwood discovers that he's got to share his postage-stamp quarters with Ricardo Baroni, who has stowed away because he's in love with the opera troupe's leading lady Rosa (Kitty Carlisle). Also hiding out in Driftwood's trunk is Fiorello, who's come along because he's still Ricardo's manager, and the wacky Tomasso (Harpo Marx), Lassparri's former dresser, who has come along for the hell of it. Anxious to arrange a tete-a-tete with Mrs. Claypool in his stateroom, Otis finds out that his unwelcome guests won't leave until they're fed ("Do you have any stewed prunes? Well, give them some black coffee, that'll sober 'em up"). After ordering a huge dinner, Otis and his new friends are crowded even farther by a steady stream of intruders, including an engineer and his assistant, a cleaning lady, a manicurist, a girl looking for her Aunt Minnie, and a dozen waiters. The celebrated "stateroom scene" comes to a rollicking conclusion when Mrs. Claypool has the misfortune of opening the door. On the last night of the voyage, Fiorello, Tomasso and Ricardo sneak out of their stateroom to enjoy an impromptu ethnic festival in steerage. Ricardo sings, Fiorello "shoots the keys" on the piano, and Tomasso plays the film's theme song Alone on the harp. The stowaways are caught and thrown in the brig, but with Driftwood's help they escape. To avoid recapture, the stowaways don heavy beards and pose as three famed Russian aviators. After making a shambles of a public reception, the three reprobates hide out in Driftwood's New York apartment, where everyone conspires to drive an investigating detective (Robert Emmet O'Connor) crazy. Driftwood is fired from the opera company for associating with the stowaways, while Rosa is dismissed for refusing Lassparri's affections. In order to restore Rosa's job and put the deserving Ricardo in Lassparri's place during the opening performance of La Traviata, Driftwood, Fiorello and Tomasso concoct a scheme that will reduce the opera to comic chaos. The actual night at the opera in A Night at the Opera must be seen to be believed, but the spirit of the scene can be summed up by Gottleib's anguished cry "A battleship in Il Trovatore!" Opera was the Marx Brothers' first film for MGM, and they dearly coveted a hit after the disappointing box-office showing of their final Paramount films. With the blessing of MGM production chief Irving Thalberg, the Marxes went on the road with their brilliant writing staff (including George S. Kaufman, Morrie Ryskind and Al Boasberg) to test their comedy material before live audiences. As a result of this careful preplanning, Night at the Opera was a smash-hit gigglefest, grossing over $3 million and putting the Marxes back on top in the hearts and minds of filmgoers everywhere. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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35 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 32 min.

Directed by: Sam Wood

Release Date: November 8, 1935

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DVD Release Date: May 4, 2004

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Stats: 1,036 reviews

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Groucho, Margaret Dumont, Chico and Harpo Groucho, Sig Ruman and Margaret Dumont Allan Jones, Sig Ruman, Harpo, Chico and Groucho A Night at the Opera Chico and Groucho A Night at the Opera Groucho, Harpo and Chico A Night at the Opera A Night at the Opera Chico, Allan Jones and Harpo Cabin Scene from A Night At The Opera A Night at the Opera
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Flixster Reviews (1,036)

  • fb1341085175
    October 23, 2011
    fb1341085175
    I can't still completely warm up to the Marx Brothers, but I can't deny the film has some incredibly funny moments
  • cancercapricorn2002
    April 12, 2011
    cancercapricorn2002
    Otis B. Driftwood is a small-time theatrical agent scamming the wealthy Mrs Claypool in a deal to sponsor a New York opera company. Meanwhile, the disreputable Fiorello and Tomasso are trying to help their friend Riccardo gain recognition as a tenor. The swindlers' plans collide ... read moreduring a very unorthodox production of Verdi's Il Trovatore ...

    This was the Marx Brothers first big-budget movie with MGM, and many cite it as their best film. It is a beautiful production by the legendary Irving G. Thalberg, with a first-rate script by the talented Broadplay playwright George S. Kaufman and some incredibly funny sequences. Personally, it's not my favourite but its a close second (my favorite would have to be Horse Feathers), purely because I think the romantic subplot between Carlisle and Jones gets in the way too much and there's not enough of the irresistible Dumont. That aside however, there is lots of wonderful music and plenty of side-splitting scenes; the pack-everyone-in-Groucho's-cabin episode, the contract-shortening sequence ("You no fool me, there is-a no Sanity Claus !"), the chase-the-beds-around-the-hotel-room bit and the total cultural destruction of that bastion of upper-class social prowess, the metropolitan opera, with Groucho throwing peanuts to the crowd and Harpo sliding pirate-style down the backdrops. A wonderfully nutty black-and-white comedy classic.
  • ajv2688
    September 30, 2010
    ajv2688
    Another really really funny Marx Brothers movie. It has both a good story and good jokes to go with it. A must see for Marx fans.
  • flixsterman
    April 13, 2010
    flixsterman
    "Never in my life have I received such treatment. They threw an apple at me!"

    "Well, watermelons are out of season."

    If you like the Marx Brothers, you'll love A Night at the Opera. Their most polished film and their biggest box office success.
  • FilmFanatik
    February 6, 2010
    FilmFanatik
    Can't say I was laughing that hard. I laughed, but not as much as I'd hoped.
  • TomBowler
    August 22, 2009
    TomBowler
    this has got to be one of the funniest movies ever. groucho and his brothers are all amazing. this is a great film.
  • FireStormStudios
    March 1, 2009
    FireStormStudios
    These guys are classic. A great film from years past, it's hard to find this much talent in today actors, let alone comedians.
  • DrZeek
    May 21, 2008
    DrZeek
    Otis B. Driftwood: That woman? Do you know why I sat with her? Because she reminded me of you.
    Mrs. Claypool: Really?
    Otis B. Driftwood: Of course, that's why I'm sitting here with you. Because you remind me of you. Your eyes, your throat, your lips! Everything about you reminds ... read moreme of you. Except you. How do you account for that? If she figures that one out, she's good.

    The Marx Brothers are easily some of the most entertaining performers of all time. The combination of Groucho's puns, Chico's conning and piano playing, and Harpo's physical comedy works in any situation.

    Here, there is a slight change from the standard Marx brother movie. Its their first MGM picture, lacks Zepo, has more of a plot, and takes to having the Marx's play against the more villainous characters, as opposed to anyone in their path. Still, it is very funny and also features a number of very good musical interludes.

    The basic plot revolves around the Marx's being involved with an opera company, and their attempts to bring in a talented opera duo to America and get them the recognition they deserve...through their own means. Hilarity ensues.

    The humor is a combination of styles, of course, very old fashioned, but that does not make it any less funny if you like the humor used.

    This is a very funny movie when the Marx's are up front and center, doing what they do best.

    Henderson: You live here all alone?
    Otis B. Driftwood: Yes. Just me and my memories. I'm practically a hermit.
    Henderson: Oh. A hermit. I notice the table's set for four.
    Otis B. Driftwood: That's nothing - my alarm clock is set for eight. That doesn't prove a thing.
  • danperry17
    November 11, 2007
    danperry17
    What can one really say about this film that hasn't been said? It's a comedy classic - the comedy classic - and is said by many to be the defining Marx brothers' film. It's clear that so much of comedy as we know it was invented by the Marx brothers, and Harpo particularly shines... read more as a mute, which allows us to remember the silent movie and the comedy pioneered by Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin before audio recording entered the film world. A great film - it's hilarious, and if you ever watched Bugs Bunny cartoons as a kid, you'll recognize a ton of lines that became standbys for vintage comedy. Definitely put this on the "at any cost, see before dying" list.
  • jennifxu
    July 3, 2007
    jennifxu
    first introduction to the marx brothers. groucho is fantastic in every scene, other brothers patchy. the singing got annoying but other than that solidly hilarious film.

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Critic Reviews

Variety Staff
June 26, 2007
Variety Staff, Variety

The backstage finish, with Harpo doing a Tarzan on the fly ropes, contains more action than the Marxes usually go in for, but it relieves the strictly verbal comedy and provides a sock exit. Full Review

Dave Kehr
June 26, 2007
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

Never was a director more aptly named than Sam Wood: his movies are redwood forests of unrelieved monotony. Full Review

Andre Sennwald
March 25, 2006
Andre Sennwald, New York Times

The loudest and funniest screen comedy of the Winter season. Full Review

Nell Minow
December 21, 2010
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media

Marx Brothers masterpiece is still hilarious. Full Review

Pablo Villaca
March 11, 2009
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena

Embora empalideça diante de Diabo a Quatro, melhor filme dos irmãos, traz algumas das cenas mais memoráveis da trupe, dos jogos de palavras às gags físicas.

June 26, 2007
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Fondly remembered for such classic comedy bits as Groucho and Chico drafting a contract, the stateroom scene, and the hilarious climax where the brothers make a shambles of Il Trovatore. Sans Duck Sou... Full Review

Mark Bourne
April 4, 2006
Mark Bourne, DVDJournal.com

[The Marx Brothers] still let the air out of stuffed shirts and barbecue a few sacred cows, but something got lost in all that MGMness when the screen's ultimate anti-authoritarian team starting worki... Full Review

David Nusair
February 28, 2006
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

...generally an entertaining piece of work... Full Review

January 26, 2006
Time Out

The Brothers get to perform some of their most irresistible routines. Full Review

Carol Cling
January 13, 2006
Carol Cling, Las Vegas Review-Journal

Classic, classy Marxist mayhem

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Facts

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    • Otis B. Driftwood: [After receiving a hug from Kitty Carlisle] I'm going out and get another prescription.
    • Otis B. Driftwood: It's alright, that's in every contract. That's what they call a sanity clause.
    • Fiorello: You can't fool me! There ain't no Sanity Claus.
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A Night at the Opera Trivia

  • Which two Marx Brothers movies were also the names of albums by Queen?  Answer »
  • The very funny ship's cabin scene where many people cram into a small space was from what Marx Brothers movie?  Answer »
  • what two queen albums were named after marx brothers films?  Answer »
  • In which Marx Brothers film are a whole crowd of maids, waiters, manicurists, and other ship's personnel crammed into a tiny ship's cabin?  Answer »
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