Duck Soup is a popular comedy in the silent era, with a memorable plot. It revolves around the adventures of an aspiring actor named Groucho Marx, played by Harpo Marx.
The film tells the story of how he goes from being a struggling newspaper reporter to an established actor. The plot is hilarious, and all the characters are memorable. It’s one of the best comedy films ever made.
Contents
The Storyline of Duck Soup
The script, which was made up of 20 pages, explains how you can use this guide to get a hold of more customers and how it all started from the moment when Mr. Smith came to know about the duck soup recipe.
He could not believe that something so simple as duck soup could be such a big hit among people who are crazy about food.
The problem is that nobody knows how to make it right or even knows where to find the recipe. Duck Soup is a 1933 American silent comedy film starring Rob Paulsen and Carl Reiner. The film was directed by Frank Capra and written by Erich Segal and George Gershwin.
College students Dooley (Rob Paulsen) and Peanut Butter (Carl Reiner) dream of making it big as filmmakers. They stumble upon an old movie projector in a dumpster and use it to make a low-budget film entitled Duck Soup.
When they show their finished product to two eccentric millionaire men, they are given ridicule instead of financing, so the duo decides to chase them down and prove to the tycoons that their movie is a hit.
Duck Soup was released on VHS by Image Entertainment in 1993, 1996, 1999 and 2001 with an audio commentary track on the last two releases.
In 2002 it was also briefly available as part of Section 8’s “Section 8 Past” series consisting of selected scenes from classic movies where only 30 minutes or less’ worth had been made apparent through promotional marketing materials (although these releases have since then lost any further information).
The film has subsequently never received a DVD release due to rights issues. Still, after acquiring the early IMDb’s from the website, we’re able to say that.
The Film Preservation Foundation (“FPF”) has restored a print of it as part of “Friendship Dies” in which vintage copies have been paired up with fan-submitted commentaries for some silent films (the excuse being both types were released by their respective studios within two years).
The Cast of Duck Soup Groucho Marx
Groucho Marx is a famous comedian who is known for his role in the film Duck Soup. The film is a political satire that has a significant role in the history of the United States.
The film is based on the Depression-era and the effects of war on the people. The film follows a group of rebels who are trying to overthrow the government.
This movie highlights the flaws of the government system and how it affects the people. The movie is based on real events and historical figures, but the film is set in the fictional character of Huey Long.
Groucho Marx played a role as Adolph Duchampezer, who was described as “a sardonic and eccentric millionaire arms manufacturer with hobbies such as drowning rats, shooting Mexicans or attacking soldiers during wartime.”
Harpo Marx
Harpo Marx, a Jewish-American, is a very funny comedian. He was one of the first comedians to perform using dialects and accents, which were all new to American audiences. He was also one of the first comedians to use physical comedy.
He is known for his contributions to the development of modern comedy, especially as a pioneer in the field of physical comedy. Harpo’s most famous movie is Duck Soup, where he plays Groucho Marx’s father.
Zeppo Marx
Zeppo Marx, the youngest of the Marx Brothers, is not really a famous name. But he was an important part of the Marx Brothers’ creative process.
He is one of the main actors in their movies. His role in the movies was always that of a fool or an idiot. He was often used to taking the spotlight away from his brothers. His role in Duck Soup is no different.
Chico Marx
Chico Marx is the main character of the famous movie Duck Soup. He is a very eccentric character, and his eccentricity is the driving force behind the movie.
His eccentricity makes him look silly and funny, but at the same time, it is his strength. He is a great leader, and his strength helps him make his dream come true.
Margaret Dumont
Margaret Dumont is an American actress and comedian who is famous for her role in the film Duck Soup. She was born on March 2, 1894, in New York City.
Her father, Louis Dumont, was a French-born Jew who immigrated to the United States. Marie (née Fels), Margaret Dumont’s mother, was also of French-Jewish descent.
The Plot of Duck Soup
Mrs. Teasdale, the affluent, demands that Rufus T. Firefly be made leader of the little, financially troubled country of Freedonia before she would continue to offer much-needed financial assistance.
Meanwhile, Sylvania, a neighboring nation, is plotting to invade Freedonia. Trentino, a Sylvanian envoy, attempts to instigate a revolution and woo Mrs. Teasdale while sending spies Chicolini and Pinky to dig up dirt on Firefly.
Chicolini and Pinky are able to enter the government despite failing to obtain any meaningful evidence on Firefly when Chicolini is named Secretary of War when Firefly observes him selling peanuts outside his window.
Shortly thereafter, Firefly’s secretary, Bob Roland, informs him that he suspects Trentino’s objectives and suggests that he get rid of the thin-skinned Trentino by insulting him.
Firefly agrees to the idea, but after exchanging personal insults with Trentino, the plot backfires when Firefly hits Trentino instead of being slapped by him.
As a consequence, both nations are on the verge of war. Adding to the international strife is the fact that Firefly is also courting Mrs. Teasdale and, like Trentino, wants to inherit her late husband’s fortune.
Trentino hears from seductive spy Vera Marcal that Freedonia’s war plans are in Mrs. Teasdale’s safe, and he instructs her to help Chicolini and Pinky take them.
Chicolini is finally apprehended by Firefly and placed on trial, during which time war is formally proclaimed, and everyone is overtaken with war fever, bursting out in song and dancing. Chicolini and Pinky fight with Firefly and Bob Roland in anarchic combat, culminating in widespread mayhem.
After a lengthy conflict, the film ends with Trentino imprisoned in a makeshift pillory, with the Brothers pelting him with fruit. Trentino surrenders, but Firefly instructs him to wait till the fruit runs out.
Mrs. Teasdale starts singing the national hymn of Freedonia in her operatic voice, and the Brothers begin throwing fruit at her instead.
The Humor in Duck Soup
Duck Soup is a highly lampooned film that takes extensive jabs at various aspects of society and politics. By parodying well-known films, characters, and events, the filmmakers were able to create an entire world that is full of wacky humor.
One particularly potent tool for poking fun at politicians and international affairs was through the use of puns.
For example, when Chicolini is named Secretary of War in Firefly’s government, he is selling peanuts outside his window (a reference to the war in Vietnam). Shortly afterward, Bob Roland informs him that he suspects Trentino has been selling secrets to the enemy.
“Then don’t worry,” responds Chicolini, snapping his peanut picker’s top back on, “I didn’t get my lies from a candy store.” Later in the film, he is forced by war demands to shut down Freedonia’s garbage dump and coffeehouse:
Later I got orders direct from Führer confetti-fluff head telling me we had too many nuts for underground storage.
The Music in Duck Soup
In a departure from their typical routine, neither Harpo’s harp nor Chico’s piano is featured in the picture, albeit Harpo momentarily pretends to play harp on piano strings, plucking chords in accompaniment to a duck-shaped music box that is playing.
The musical introduction of Groucho’s persona is similar to that in Animal Crackers and Horse Feathers, although it does not become as intimately connected with him as “Hooray for Captain Spaulding” from Animal Crackers did.
In his last on-screen appearance with his Brothers, Zeppo, as usual, portrays “a peerlessly cheesy upgrade on the standard straight man,” according to James Agee.
He performs with the group (including soloing the first few lines of the first song, “When the Clock on the Wall Strikes 10”). He also sings with the others in “Freedonia’s Going to War,” completing the four-cornered symmetry created by the Brothers singing and dancing in pairs throughout the piece.
The Cinematography in Duck Soup
The movie’s visual style is by now well established, “a combination of broad slapstic and deadpan” satire (exemplified in scenes such as that showing the Brothers dressed up like secret police and ordering Chaplain Darrow to leave his church – after which he follows them out.), according to film analyst Robert Sklar.
On one happy note for fans, however, substituting country crooner Eddie Fadal for Bob Dylan at music time was indeed a mistake on producer Hal Roach Sr.’s part. Many studio artists have been hired during production, including Leon Errol and Marcel Dalio.
The studio in which the film was made, Hal Roach Studios (later renamed MGM-Hal Roach Studios), did not have a stage when Duck Soup went into production, so Chaplain Darrow had to play the piano on his knees and perform during various times of the day.
Film historian David Thomson points out that when Groucho Marx entered a Stooge line for one of his most famous movies, he would insist, “this is my real name.” He goes on to say about another time:
“They went ‘We have come to speak with you, sir. We would like to dub your voice as one of our characters,’ and he said ‘No – I told it better.’”
History also repeats itself: according to Marx’s daughter Kristina “My father used his real voice for the roles.” She goes on to explain that when she was a young child, her father insisted they use his alias George Manouras not just in the films but during The Asta-Drama Hour radio show.
The Effects in Duck Soup
The effects for the movie Duck Soup were created using a combination of live-action and animation. The live-action scenes included the stunts for Buster, Harpo and Chico.
Two animators “head-swapped” Groucho with his body double in some of these shots to give an effect that he was running through a large crowd carrying someone else who could not run very fast (this is called Plywood).
In addition, the various backgrounds were created by cutting down tree trunks and carving them into facades. The background trees are viewable in more detail on the DVD release.
A stenographer reading records punches holes onto all dialogue as it happens, reads one off at a time and blows the holes away after each line.
Later, when she’s done punching out new dialogue, she turns to a typewriter that emits “pop-pop-pop”s at random intervals to create all those hilarious little noises you hear in films.
The backgrounds were created by getting actual trees that had been carved up into facades and cutting them down with wood chisels.
The Overall Quality of Duck Soup
Watching Duck Soup for the first time, one might wonder why some characters are seen standing still within their backgrounds. This is because of a technique known as “Plywood.”
When stock footage was too expensive to use in many scenes, Marx simply selected actors who were exceptionally adept at physical comedy and had shorter facial hair than the cast members whose faces would be used in subsequent scenes where those same comedians starred (e.g., Groucho’s incongruously short beard appears immediately after Chico’s well-maintained full ones). The script itself featured no dialogue that contained actual words.
In order to keep the “no dialogue” rule in effect, Marx had to find places where most of the sentences did consist entirely of words that could be shown on-screen without voiceover interference and still make perfect sense together with other lines (for instance:
The cameo bit about Freed’s song beginning at three o’clock came from a scene where Groucho walks into an office and interrupts Chico reading records).
When showing characters talking, one member would say everything but their face as if they were not speaking; another character would then physically insert themselves into that closeup for the rest of their lines.
Why Was It Called Duck Soup
In the original 1920 release of Duck Soup, Groucho Marx and Harpo Marx were billed as “Duck Brothers.” After the film’s success, their real-life brother Zeppo suggested calling it Duck Soup instead.
Groucho told the audience at one of his roadshows that he made a pass at Chico and offered him $1,000 (one thousand dollars) if he would just stop wearing those silly hats.
They all laughed hysterically. Soon afterward, Groucho turned to the rest of them and said, “I’m confused; I thought this was sort of my picture.”
Duck Soup (1933) Short Reviews
“Duck Soup” was such a success that it lasted all through the summer and more than made up for losses incurred in two other Marx comedies. “Way Down East” (1920) had shown good box-office at first but disappeared afterward, and.
“A Night at The Opera,” which opened Christmas week 1927, soon fell out of favor with audiences because of Groucho’s departure from movies after making just twelve pictures.
Now Duck Soup is built on top of A Night at The Opera to repeat heartily again its original figure. It also knocked off another film by Chico:
“Reaching for the Moon” by R.C.Bennett, which at first had revealed brisk business but apparently did not “strike some nerves.”
The gross receipts from Duck Soup were nearly double those of A Night At The Opera: $4,930,000 (at about fifteen million dollars apiece in 2009) to that picture’s 2-million-dollar take.”
Conclusion
Duck Soup is a 1930 Marx Brothers film that consists of vaudeville sketches. The plot revolves around various characters in the midst of a nationwide economic depression who are trying to get rich quickly by any means necessary.
Although considered to be a comedy, there are many poignant and political messages mixed into the humor.
Our “Duck Soup” comedy review is finally done! The review had a relatively long duration, but the result was worth it.
FAQs
1.Is Duck Soup a Good Movie?
Ans: There is no one definitive answer to this question as everyone has their own opinion. However, if you are looking for a funny movie to watch, then Duck Soup is definitely a good choice.
2.What Is the Message of Duck Soup?
Ans: The message of Duck Soup is that it is always fun to be part of a team. The film follows the misadventures of three brothers who are trying to get rich and return home to their father’s estate.
Along the way, they join forces with a variety of characters, each with their own unique skills and abilities. The film’s humor comes from the interactions between these different characters and their interactions with the various situations they find themselves in.
It is a classic example of an ensemble comedy, in which all the elements work together to create a funny story.
3.Which Are the Characters in Duck Soup, and What Do They Represent?
Ans: Duck Soup is a comedy film that was released in 1933. The main characters are the Marx Brothers, who play two brothers, Groucho and Chico. Duck Soup is a satire of the 1930s Hollywood system and its stars.
Groucho is the comic genius of the Marx Brothers, and his trademark line is “I didn’t get where I am by sitting around.” He plays roles such as a corrupt politician, an inventor with no ideas, and a sleazy nightclub owner.
Chico is Groucho’s sidekick and performs many of the physical comedy scenes in the film. He also has a strong emotional connection to his brother, which makes him one of the most memorable characters in Duck Soup.
4.Who Is Mrs. Teasdale in Duck Soup?
Ans: Mrs. Teasdale is a character in Duck Soup and was played by Mae Questel, who also appeared as the Boy Who Cried Wolf in both Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs (1937).
It’s hard to describe her role because it seems that she doesn’t have one – or at least there isn’t enough of it for us to really make sense of what happens when she appears on screen with Groucho and Chico for two scenes total.
5.Is Duck Soup 1933 a Silent Film?
Ans: Duck Soup is a black and white film. It does not have any sound effects or music. The only moments in the movie without dialogue are when there isn’t anyone speaking on screen, usually to introduce someone else who’s going to speak but doesn’t get around to it until a bit later (usually within 5-10 minutes into the clip).
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