Duck Soup (film)
"Duck Soup" is a 1933 comedic film produced by Paramount Pictures and features the iconic Marx Brothers—Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and Zeppo. This political satire centers on the fictional bankrupt country of Freedonia, where a wealthy widow agrees to lend money on the condition that Rufus T. Firefly is appointed as the leader. Under Firefly's rule, tensions escalate into war with the neighboring country of Sylvania, largely instigated by the Sylvania ambassador, Trentino, who has ulterior motives involving the widow. The film incorporates slapstick humor and memorable musical numbers, notably the extravagant "The Country's Going to War," which critiques nationalism and authoritarianism.
Despite its initial box office disappointment and mixed critical reception, "Duck Soup" has gained recognition over time and is now celebrated as a classic of American cinema. It is noted for its clever satire, including commentary on political figures and social norms of the era, leading to its ban in Italy by Mussolini, who perceived it as a personal affront. The film has been preserved in the United States National Film Registry for its cultural and historical significance, and is frequently regarded as one of the Marx Brothers' finest works.
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Duck Soup (film)
- Release Date: 1933
- Director(s): Leo McCarey
- Writer(s): Bert Kalmar; Harry Ruby
- Principal Actors and Roles: Chico Marx (Chicolini); Groucho Marx (Rufus T. Firefly); Harpo Marx (Pinky); Zeppo Marx (Bob Roland); Louis Calhern (Ambassador Trentino); Margaret Dumont (Mrs. Gloria Teasdale)
Duck Soup is a comedic film released in 1933 by Paramount Pictures. The film, a political satire that makes fun of fascist dictators, stars the four Marx Brothers—Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and Zeppo. Its premise: a wealthy woman agrees to lend money to bankrupt country of Freedonia and puts Rufus T. Firefly in charge, whose rule sends the country into war with nearby Sylvania.
Following the great success of the Marx Brothers’ previous release, Horse Feathers (1932), which was Paramount Pictures’ most successful film of the year, studio executives were desperate for a repeat. At the time, the studio was in a state of flux, facing bankruptcy, and quickly pressured the brothers into churning out another hit. The Marx Brothers, who were under contract for four feature-length films at Paramount, were doubtful that the studio would be reliable for outstanding payments. After many intense contract disputes with executives at Paramount, the Marx Brothers threatened to terminate their contract and start their own production company, Marx Bros., Inc. The Marx Brothers even began writing scripts for production by their company, including one called Firecrackers (and later known as Cracked Ice). The Marx Brothers and Paramount finally came to an agreement in 1933, and proceeded with plans for a new film, and the Cracked Ice script was adapted into the final screenplay for Duck Soup. The film upheld the animal naming convention of their previous three films, which were titled Animal Crackers (1930), Monkey Business (1931), and Horse Feathers (1932), respectively, although the title is in no way related to the film’s plot.
Duck Soup was the final Marx Brothers film to be released by Paramount Pictures, as well as the last of their films to feature Zeppo, who went on to become an entertainment agent.
Plot
Duck Soup takes place in the fictional country of Freedonia, which is in the midst of a crisis as the government has declared bankruptcy. Freedonia’s richest widow, Mrs. Teasdale, has agreed to bail out the government in the form of a $20 million loan under the non-negotiable condition that Rufus T. Firefly be appointed as the country’s new leader. Unbeknownst to Firefly, his favor with Mrs. Teasdale has made him a new enemy: Trentino, the ambassador to the neighboring country of Sylvania, who has been scheming to win the wealthy woman’s hand in marriage.
Trentino begins plans to instigate war between Freedonia and Sylvania, and hires spies Chicolini and Pinky to dig up dirt on the newly appointed Firefly. Chicolini and Pinky fail to uncover any useful information, but unintentionally land themselves positions in the new administration. The only person suspicious of Trentino and his plan is Firefly’s secretary, Bob Roland, who counsels Firefly to get rid of the ambassador. Tensions between the two countries rise after the men’s competition for Mrs. Teasdale increases, and after Firefly slaps Trentino, he threatens war. Trentino devises a plan to steal Freedonia’s plans for war, which are kept at Mrs. Teasdale’s residence, but Chicolini is caught in the act and put on trial. During the trial, war between the two countries is officially declared, and caught up in all of the excitement, everyone breaks out into a musical number.
In the end, Freedonia is named the victor of the war after Trentino gets his head stuck in the door of the Freedonian government building and surrenders. Trentino is repeatedly pelted with fruit, despite his surrender, and the throwing continues until Mrs. Teasdale begins singing Freedonia’s national anthem, and the men throw their fruit at her instead.
Significance
Duck Soup includes an iconic scene in which Pinky dresses up as Firefly and pretends to be his reflection in a mirror, mimicking all of his gestures, no matter how ridiculous. This bit has been used in many films since Duck Soup, and though that film’s bit was the most well known, the Marx Brothers were not the first to use this gag. In Charlie Chaplin’s The Floorwalker (1916), there is a similar scene, as well as in the 1921 film Seven Years Bad Luck. Additionally, the film’s extravagant "The Country’s Going to War" musical number was memorable for its satire and social commentary. In the scene, the Marx Brothers use the military uniforms of many different countries to symbolize the ridiculousness of nationalism and compare it to musical spectacles like minstrel shows. This scene was also influential in the Woody Allen film Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), whose lead character’s viewing of the scene renews his excitement for life. The Marx Brothers used Firefly as a vessel to poke fun at the world’s authoritarian dictators, and included scenes that laughed at the Hays Code censorship restrictions. When the film premiered, the Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini believed it to be a satire of himself, and was so offended that he banned the film in Italy.
The film opened in November of 1933, but was considered a disappointment at the box office. The film was by no means a failure—it was still the sixth highest grossing film of the year—but fell far short of expectations and the turnouts of previous Marx Brothers films. Critical reception of the film was similar, with contemporary reviewers believing it to be the weakest of the Marx Brothers films. Many film historians attribute the underwhelming box office performance and general opinion of the film to its release during the height of the Great Depression. The public did not appreciate the political cynicism of the film, especially during such a time of economic peril. However, opinions of the film have vastly improved over time, and Duck Soup is now considered a seminal classic, as well as the best in the Marx Brothers’ filmography. Securing the film’s influential place in history, Duck Soup was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 1990, deeming it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
Bibliography
Anstey, Robert G. The Marx Brothers: Their World, Their Movies, Their Lives, Their Humour and Their Legacy. Sardis: West Coast Paradise, 2011. Electronic.
Blount Jr., Roy. Hail, Hail, Euphoria!: Presenting the Marx Brothers in Duck Soup, the Greatest War Movie Ever Made. New York: Harper, 2010. Print.
"Duck Soup (1933)." Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Turner Entertainment Networks, 2015. Web. 14 Sept. 2015. <http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/73717/Duck-Soup/>.
Gardner, Martin A. The Marx Brothers as Social Critics: Satire and Comic Nihilism in Their Films. Jefferson: McFarland, 2009. Print.
Louvish, Simon. Monkey Business: The Lives and Legends of The Marx Brothers. New York: Macmillan, 2000. Print.