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Animal Crackers
Available on DVD:
Animal Crackers (1930)
- DVD, Region 1: Universal, 2004 / included in the "Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection" (see below)
Their second film released in 1930 was also a big hit on Broadway. It stars Groucho as the infamous Captain Jeffrey T. Spaulding the African explorer. Chico is musician Signor Emanuel Ravelli. Harpo is the Professor, of what nobody knows. The plot involves a party and a stolen painting. (J. Bradley Main)
SPAULDING: As I say, we tried to remove the tusks. But they were embedded so firmly we couldn't budge them. Of course, in Alabama, the Tuscaloosa but that is entirely ir-elephant to what I was talking about.
In 1998 Turner Classic Movies has broadcast an original documentary entitled, "Glorious Technicolor," about the development and use of Technicolor. It included a 13-second sequence from a rehearsal of Animal Crackers which was in vibrant color. It was, apparently, the scene in which Harpo arrives as "The Professor" and hands Margaret Dumont his stick horn. One of the most interesting aspects of the footage is that Harpo is wearing a bathrobe and no wig (he has brown-reddish hair). (Everyone else is in full costume.) Sabucat Productions obtained it from somebody who had found it in a barn many years ago, as part of a series of color film clips that were pieced together. This is the ONLY Marx footage in this reel of film.
Color footage of "Animal Crackers" from www.sabucat.com
(low quality - the larger, higher quality version is available below)
This footage was shot in 1930 at Astoria Studios in (probably) 2-color Multicolor, a precursor to Cinecolor. This clip is all of the footage that Sabucat have. It is obviously some sort of rehearsal. There is no sound. Sabucat don't know any details as to why and how this footage was shot. In fact, they are hoping maybe YOU have some information to tell them.
Download the larger higher quality version of our color Animal Crackers Footage:
24 frames per second transfer (normal speed)
Windows Media | Real Video | Quicktime | MPEG
A line has been cut from "Hooray for Captain Spaulding" -- when Maggie sings "He is the only white man, to cover every acre," Groucho's response is supposed to be "I'll think I'll try to make 'er," but this line was obviously removed later.
Related Links
Sounds
- "Hello, I must be going" and "Hooray for Captain Spaulding" at http://members.tripod.com/Cleo256/marx
Quotes
- "Hooray for Captain Spaulding" at http://members.tripod.com/Cleo256/marx
- "Hooray for Captain Spaulding"
- Introduction of Ravelli
General
- Plot line and quotes at http://www.filmsite.org
Cast:
| Groucho Marx | Captain Jeffrey T. Spaulding | ||
| Harpo Marx | The Professor | ||
| Chico Marx | Signor Emanuel Ravelli | ||
| Zeppo Marx | Horatio Jamison | ||
| Margaret Dumont | Mrs. Rittenhouse | ||
| Lillian Roth | Arabella Rittenhouse | ||
| Louis Sorin | Roscoe W. Chandler | ||
| Hal Thompson | John Parker | ||
| Margaret Irving | Mrs. Whitehead | ||
| Kathryn Reece | Grace Carpenter | ||
| Robert Greig | Hives, the Butler | ||
| Edward Metcalfe | Inspector Hennessy | ||
| The Music Masters | Six footman | ||
| Anna Roth | Girl | ||
| Donald MacBride | Bit Part |
| Director | Victor Heerman | ||
| Written by | Morrie Ryskind (also play) | ||
| George S. Kaufman (also play) | |||
| Music & Lyrics | Bert Kalmar | ||
| Harry Ruby | |||
| Music Arranger | John W. Green | ||
| Cinematography | George J. Folsey | ||
| Recording engineer | Ernest F. Zatorsky | ||
| Continuity | Pierre Collings | ||
| Art director | Ernst Fegté | ||
| Production company / Distributor | Paramount Publix (A Paramount Picture) | ||
| Runtime | 98 min. | ||
| New York Premiere | 29 Aug 1930 | ||
| Release date | 06 Sep 1930 | ||
| Spanish title | El conflicto de los Marx | ||
| French title | L'explorateur en folie | ||
| Italian title | Matti da legare! | ||
| Finnish title | Koirankeksit |
Click on posters to enlarge
