This was the second Marx brothers film and still on the cusp of when sound was being implemented in cinematic technique. So of course it's a little "creaky" or "stagey", as this was originally a musical for the stage and the technology didn't allow for much in the way of innovation. And yet it speaks to how fabulously insane the Marx's were that they make as good an argument for sound being introduced to the movies as any other.It's got a threadbare plot, as might be expected - Captain Spaulding comes in from being away in Africa to Margaret Dumont's mansion, and a "Professor" (good ol' Harpo) and Signor Ravelli (Chico) follow along, and there's a missing/stolen painting plot point - but who needs a plot with these guys? The joy is seeing what Spaulding will say to Dumont next, or how quickly Harpo will chase after the woman and then get into a rather bizarre series of card-shuffling (or not shuffling really), or how Chico can twist words and meaning around through his interactions. Zeppo is... also there too! I think that you either tap into this old-school madness or you don't. I feel sorry for those who don't but can sort of understand how some of this may seem uh 'dated' or even borderline "un-PC" (there may be some jokes at the expense of girls getting hit, but it's from Harpo so I find myself laughing anyway, I mean, look at the guy!) Not every moment is always sparking on comedic cylinders, and there's one point where the movie kind of stops for a romantic song (though it is genuinely, sweetly romantic) and Harpo playing the, well, the harp (is that where he gets the name?!)And of course there's Groucho throwing insult after insult in such a flow that it comes close to something like poetry or iambic pentameter for comic insults (peppered with an occasionally 4th wall break so that we know what's what). But all of the gags work off each other since there's dialog zingers, visual gags, and timing from the 'straight' players that makes it all come flying. So I can't fault it from being "dated" because, for me, this can never truly be dated so long as irrational behavior by the likes of these self-knowing, practically post-modern clowns hits hard.

The Marx Brothers' second movie is one of their funniest, despite suffering from some of the same limitations of the early sound era as their first film, The Cocoanuts. It's a great movie with the Marx Bros. at their zany best. Groucho is Captain Spaulding, Chico is Signor Emanuel Ravelli, Harpo is The Professor, and Zeppo is....well, who cares who Zeppo is? He actually gets a funny scene in this movie, taking dictation from Groucho. That's uncommon as he was usually just the straight man. The movie's plot, such as it is, revolves around a painting stolen at a party thrown by a rich dowager (Margaret Dumont) for famed explorer Capt. Spaulding. The guys are all funny and the movie's full of memorable sketches, songs, and one-liners. Lllian Roth is enjoyable as half of the obligatory romantic subplot. That's a rarity for the Marx Bros. movies, where typically the two young people shoehorned in for a romantic subplot are the worst part of the picture. Roth's charming presence makes it more bearable this time. Special mention to the amazing Margaret Dumont, who was a vital part of the success of the best Marx movies. Here she even gets to do some physical comedy in a hilarious scene with Harpo.I love the Marx Bros' Paramount films for their energy and eccentricities. From this movie until Duck Soup, the boys were at their best, in my opinion. Yes, they made some good ones after that but they were more polished and structured than the Paramount movies. Animal Crackers is a classic with many great jokes and routines, including "Hello I Must Be Going," breaking the fourth wall, the bridge scene, "elephant in my pajamas" and pretty much every line of dialogue Groucho has.

More than 30 years ago when I was a kid, I remember watching this movie on CBS on a Saturday but the only parts I remembered were the "Hooray for Captain Spaulding" number, a duet between the romantic leads, Harpo's harp solo, and the ending. So now I've watched the entire thing on DVD and let me tell you, it's a lot better than The Four Marx Brothers' previous movie, The Cocoanuts. For one thing, not only do we get another confused wordplay between Chico and Groucho but also that between Chico and Harpo when the latter pulls something different when the former asks for a "flash"! Besides Chico, Harpo also plays a little on the piano this time to another comic sequence they do with Groucho. Oh, and while Zeppo didn't do much in the last one, here he does some funny bits with Groucho concerning some dictation of a letter. And Margaret Dumont more than earns her "fifth Marx Brother" reputation with her own lines and actions with the brothers not to mention her laughs during many of them. I also liked seeing Lilian Roth, so soon after just watching her in The Love Parade, as one part of that romantic duo I referenced at the beginning of this review and though she's more subdued here than in TLP, she's still enjoyable (not to mention stunning to watch) here. If there's one disappointment in watching this again, it's that the line from Groucho's in that "Captain Spaulding" number-"I think I'll go and make her"-is still missing. Still, this was a most enjoyable Marx Brothers movie and that's good enough for me! P.S. When I read Steve Stoliar's book "Raised Eyebrows: My Years Inside Groucho's House", the most fascinating find there was his contribution to getting this movie back in re-release in the 1970s after disappearing from circulation a couple of decades ago. So we have him to thank, along with survivor Groucho's help, for this being available again.

"One night, I saw 'Animal Crackers' in my pajamas ... how they got in my pajamas I don't know." Logically, the film would need one second viewing before the reviewing, there are so many elements to view and to review, but it doesn't matter, I just want to say that I liked what I viewed and now I review what I liked.This "Animal (Wise)Crackers" film delivered everything I expected from the Marx Brothers, no more, no less, and it was nice to see them all looking young, comfortably irreverent in their early forties, I'm talking physical, not mental age, of course. And what a delight to see the movie illuminated by the towering and exquisite presence of the divine Margaret Dumont, the straightest and funniest 'straight man' of comedy, even more than the not-so-funny-even-as-a-straight-man Zeppo Marx. With all due respect for the little bro, I've always thought he was less funny (even unintentionally) than the other unsung Marx, named Karl. And Margaret Dumont is one of the reasons, I love watching a Marx Brothers' comedy … yeah talk about a lousy pleonasm … "You mind if I'm serious a little bit, now?" There's something very touching in Margaret Dumont's eyes, here playing Mrs. Rittenhouse, a kind of inner kindness that I noticed in a few other actresses, among them, the late Patricia Neal. Mrs. Dumont is obviously a good-hearted woman, whose constant teasing by Groucho Marx, here as the unbearable Professor Spaulding makes the game look a little unfair. But she obviously doesn't get his wisecracking jokes (she never did for that matter) and I think this is what saves Groucho from being labeled as a verbal bully: his delivery is so fast, and his intentions so unclear, Mrs. Dumont never has time to get if he's making jokes or moves at her, who knows? Maybe he does have a fondness for her, after all. Anyway, the Groucho-Dumont interactions are the salt that gives the Marx Brothers' film their unique flavor, the pepper being served from the Zeppo-Chico duo … and boy, did I sneeze in this film! The slapstick humor involving the scenes with Chico and Harpo are unique in the history of cinema, the part where he's looking for a 'flash' is an endless succession of gags, and whenever I thought, they would run out of ideas, it's still goes on and on… and Harpo's suit is like a Pandora' box from which the mayhem that inhabits the film makes its unpredictable entrance. Not to mention the sumptuous "running gag" with the blonde girl that has probably been an inspiration for Benny Hill. Chico and Harpo are like the missing link between Groucho and Chaplin, between the comedic silent era and the precocious dawn of the impertinent wisecracking comedy that has inspired Bugs Bunny or Robin Williams. The movie is an explosive cocktail of slapstick, parody, verbal comedy, from beginning to end and it's so quotable; I could fill this whole review just by listing the lines I loved the most.But sometimes, the film loses its flavor … and it's my small, tiny, microscopic criticism, perhaps ... why do they feel the need to inject an artificial romance every time, except maybe for "A Night at the Opera", most of them were pretty dull, featuring very uncharismatic actors. Well it's not their fault, every actor would pale in comparison with the Marx brothers, except Margaret Dumont who had the honor to be Groucho's official foil and was –as I said- even more memorable than Zeppo Marx himself. But well, even acting-wise, the other actors are all very theatrical and so melodramatic that we can't wait for a Marx brother to come ... the Marxes were great actors, and Groucho is so fresh and modern, he's like a living anachronism. His entrance as the Professor Spaulding followed by the unforgettable "Hello, I Must be Going" song, the 'Hungadunga' dictation scene, the recitation of the African odyssey, featuring one of the most unforgettable comedic quotes, I don't know how many times they shot this scenes without having one of the audience bursting out laughing. For me, any Marx Brothers' film scene should feature one of them, and during the 'romantic' moments, I simply wanted to shout "Let me know, when you come near a gag!" And that's why, Duck Soup is probably considered the greatest, and happens to be my favorite Marx Brothers' film, a screwball comedy, from A like Amusing to Z like Zany, with no pause, no romantic subplot, not even these serious musical scenes ... I'm not talking about these catchy Broadway-type songs that reminded us that the Brothers' were also great musical writers, don't get me wrong, Chico at the piano, and Harpo at you-know-what, are always great moments and necessary pauses to recover your breath, and in the case of "Animal Crackers", the music was punctuated with Spaulding's hilarious comments anyway, but that's what the latest films lacked, when the musical scenes were just fillers as artificial as the romantic subplots … So, my little regret is that the best Marx Brothers' film I saw, was the first. I always compare them to "Duck Soup" and I'm afraid I will never have the same ecstatic reaction the film inspired me. Enthusiastic, yes, ecstatic, no ... "Animal Crackers" is now, my second favorite Marx Brothers film though and highly recommended for the fans of slapstick and irreverent comedy