The Marx Brothers
Horse Feathers (1932)

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Horse Feathers


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horse feathers
Quincy Adams Wagstaff (Groucho) takes over as President of Huxley College. His son Frank (Zeppo) convinces him to buy a couple of football players at a local speakeasy so Huxley can have a winning team. For some bizarre reason, Wagstaff mistakes Baravelli (Chico) and Pinky (Harpo) for the genuine article, after getting involved with Baravelli in the famous "Swordfish" scene.
Meanwhile, Wagstaff and his son are competing for the affections of the college widow (Thelma Todd), who is trying to get a hold of Huxley's football signals. Wagstaff first encounters the college widow during a very funny scene in his Office.

This picture contains the most hilarious lesson ever given by a college professor as Wagstaff's lecture turns into a brawl. It also contains a few cute musical numbers, for example "I'm Againt It", and as usual, terrible choreography performed by people who just can't dance. All ends in a completely insane football game.

Note: the previous links all point to sections of dialog from "Horse Feathers." You can read all these scenes in chronological order by choosing Selected Bits from "Horse Feathers."

BARAVELLI: Hey, what'sa matter? You no understand English? You can't come in here unless you say "swordfish". Now, I give you one more guess.


Some footage is missing from the "Horse Feathers"-version available today. Removed was a scene of Harpo catching different sizes of dogs with different sizes of fire hydrants and also some various small moments from the scene in Connie's apartment, like Harpo doing a headstand in Connie's lap. The cuts may have been done as an act of censorship and/or for showing on TV.


Related Links

Sounds

Quotes

General


Cast:

Groucho Marx   Professor Quincy Adams Wagstaff
Harpo Marx   Pinky
Chico Marx   Barovelli
Zeppo Marx   Frank Wagstaff
Thelma Todd   Connie Bailey, college widow
David Landau   Jennings
Robert Greig   Biology Professor
James Pierce   Mullen
Nat Pendleton   MacHardie
Reginald Barlow   Retiring President
E.H. Calvert   Professor in Wagstaff's Study
Edward Le Saint   Professor in Wagstaff's Study
Edgar Dearing   Bartender
Syd Saylor   Man at Bar
Florine McKinney   Peggy Carrington
Theresa Harris   Laura, Connie's maid

Director  Norman Z. McLeod
Written by  Will B. Johnstone
  Bert Kalmar
  S.J. Perelman
  Harry Ruby
Music & Lyrics  Bert Kalmar
  Harry Ruby
Cinematography  Ray June
Dance director  Harold Hecht
Producer  Herman J. Mankiewicz (uncredited)
Production company / Distribution  Paramount Publix (A Paramount Picture)
Runtime  68 min.
New York premiere  10 Aug 1932
Release date  31 Aug 1932
Spanish title  Plumas de caballo
French title  Plumes de cheval
German title  Blühender Blödsinn
Italian title  I fratelli Marx al college
  Cavalli di razza
Finnish title  Hevosen sulat
Extracts published on Super 8 titled  Pigskin Caper

Posters and Lobby Cards for this movie. Click to enlarge.
Poster Poster Poster Poster Poster Poster


Musical numbers

Performed byComments
 Main Title 
Music and lyrics by: Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby
  
I'm against it
view
I'm against it 
Music and lyrics by: Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby
  
Ev'ryone Says
view
Ev'ryone Says "I Love You" 
Music by: Harry Ruby
Lyrics by: Bert Kalmar
 this title is performed several times in the movie by different people 
 End Title 
Music and lyrics by: Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby
  

This site uses material originally created by Frank Bland for his website Why A Duck?. Frank did kindly give me permission to use this material.

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