Rufus T. Firefly is named the dictator of bankrupt Freedonia and declares war on neighboring Sylvania over the love of his wealthy backer Mrs. Teasdale, contending with two inept spies who c... Read allRufus T. Firefly is named the dictator of bankrupt Freedonia and declares war on neighboring Sylvania over the love of his wealthy backer Mrs. Teasdale, contending with two inept spies who can't seem to keep straight which side they're on.Rufus T. Firefly is named the dictator of bankrupt Freedonia and declares war on neighboring Sylvania over the love of his wealthy backer Mrs. Teasdale, contending with two inept spies who can't seem to keep straight which side they're on.
- Awards
- 2 wins & 2 nominations
- Rufus T. Firefly
- (as The Four Marx Brothers)
- Pinky
- (as The Four Marx Brothers)
- Chicolini
- (as The Four Marx Brothers)
- Bob Roland
- (as The Four Marx Brothers)
- Sylvanian Agitator
- (as Leonid Kinsky)
- Prosecutor
- (as Charles B. Middleton)
- Officer at Battle Headquarters
- (uncredited)
- Mrs. Teasdale's Butler
- (uncredited)
- Officer in Battle Sequence
- (uncredited)
- Minister of Finance #2
- (uncredited)
- Reception Guest
- (uncredited)
- Dignitary at Reception
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaItalian dictator Benito Mussolini banned the film from Italy because he thought it was a direct attack on him. When news of this reached The Marx Brothers, they were reportedly ecstatic.
- GoofsVera goes from wearing a dress that shows decolletage, to her breasts being fully covered, during the party scene.
- Quotes
Rufus T. Firefly: Not that I care, but where is your husband?
Mrs. Teasdale: Why, he's dead.
Rufus T. Firefly: I bet he's just using that as an excuse.
Mrs. Teasdale: I was with him to the very end.
Rufus T. Firefly: No wonder he passed away.
Mrs. Teasdale: I held him in my arms and kissed him.
Rufus T. Firefly: Oh, I see, then it was murder. Will you marry me? Did he leave you any money? Answer the second question first.
Mrs. Teasdale: He left me his entire fortune.
Rufus T. Firefly: Is that so? Can't you see what I'm trying to tell you? I love you.
- ConnectionsEdited into World War Brown (2014)
- SoundtracksHis Excellency Is Due
(1933) (uncredited)
Music by Harry Ruby
Lyrics by Bert Kalmar
Sung by Zeppo Marx and Margaret Dumont with chorus
I didn't think "Duck Soup" was terrible, certainly not enough to prevent me from checking out another Marx Brothers film some time. A few scenes involved humorous takes on traditional comic themes like mistaken identity and the man-in-the-mirror routine. But after viewing "Duck Soup", it would seem that I was overestimating the Marxes. Partly to blame is the hype surrounding the film, which leads one to expect comic brilliance and intelligent satire, rather than the frequently abrasive gags to be found here (and the satire that is not to).
After the unsettling title image of live ducks flailing about in what looks like a pot of steaming water, the quartet of Marxes soon makes its presence known. Zeppo is barely noticeable, and so neither good nor bad, but Chico turns out to be an Italian stereotype, and, even sadder, the star Groucho is a rude, irritating punk rather than a hilarious funnyman. A disappointment, since he is the star around whom the plot revolves. Meanwhile, the "great" Harpo is one of the most unlikable, unappealing physical comedians I've ever seen. I found nothing amusing or clever about his habits of leering at people and destroying their personal property, either with scissors or his own brute force. Nor was it funny to see him continually lift his leg in the air in an inexplicable manner, as if he was a dog about to pee or something.
Some of the funny parts are at the end during the climactic battle. The thing is, it's just Three Stooges stuff that critics would scoff at if it appeared outside of a Marx film. Sticks of dynamite with extra-long fuses, getting locked in a closet, immobilizing the bad guy and throwing garbage in his face these are all conventions of Stooge slapstick, and in "Duck Soup" seem to be filmed in the same style as those shorts. I am almost positive that I've seen Moe, Larry, and Curly do a military sketch that was much the same.
Many people have held this film up as a "comic masterpiece" and even a "brilliant political satire" about politics, with lots of tie-ins to fascism and the rise of Hitler, natch, although this film was made long before the Nazis went into full swing. I think that this praise is applied too liberally by adoring fans and critics who wish to appear well-informed and sophisticated and are only too willing to join the bandwagon. In his review for "Duck Soup", Roger Ebert quotes some British critic named Patrick McCray who called the film "an absurdist essay on politics and warfare [ that ] can stand alongside (or even above) the works of Beckett and Ionesco." Really, now, Beckett and Ionesco? Is "Duck Soup" deserving of such high regard? To me, the film seems more like a chance for a few comedian brothers to make a light comedy together, make some money, and have some fun. It's not an awful film, but not a great one, either, and certainly not a watershed in American film comedy.
I could detect little pertinent satire. While the targets being lampooned are fictional, they seem closest to the old excessive European monarchies that were around for centuries until World War One. The political environment consists of lavish palaces, grand balls with royal fanfares and pomp, and continental ambassadors in ornate uniforms. But absolute monarchies no longer determine world events, even in 1933, and so a good deal of "Duck Soup's" alleged relevance is nonexistent to begin with. It's easier to ridicule a style of government that hasn't led the way since decades ago. Perhaps the strongest joke arrives within the first few minutes of the film, when a wealthy donor threatens to withhold a political donation unless the current administration appoints a new leader of her choosing. This is a sharp parody of political systems in which money has become the deciding factor. Today the scene reminds US viewers how money and connections more than anything else brought our current prez (and many pols) to power, the controversy about campaign finance reform, etc. Unfortunately, after this opening bit, the film fails to offer anything else on this level, nothing to make the work as a whole a perceptive social satire.
After this comment was first posted, I gave the Marx brothers another chance when I watched "A Day at the Races," and was pleasantly surprised. Sometime I'll get around to checking out their other movies.
Everything New on Prime Video in August
Everything New on Prime Video in August
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Cracked Ice
- Filming locations
- Loja, Granada, Andalucía, Spain(aerial view of Sylvania)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross worldwide
- $104,663
- Runtime1 hour 9 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1