Horse Feathers
Composite Score: 82.33
Starring: Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx, Zeppo Marx, Thelma Todd, and David Landau
Director: Norman Z. McLeod
Writers: Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby, S.J. Perelman, and Will B. Johnstone
Genres: Comedy, Family, Musical, Sports, Romance
MPAA Rating: Passed
Box Office: N/A
Why should you Watch This Film?
Horse Feathers is a classic Marx Brothers film that follows the story of a newly appointed college president who wants to improve his school’s athletic department through some shady dealings. It features all four Marx Brothers in starring roles and plays heavily into each of their brands of comedy. First and foremost, it is a film focused on comedy, everything else follows. The comedy ranges from witty lines, comedic songs, and situational irony to slapstick and physically involved. As comedic entertainment goes, it is a fairly family-friendly production, and its range of humor should have something for every sensibility in the audience.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
As I mentioned, this film puts its comedy over all other aspects, and that includes the story. The film’s story feels more like a minimalistic skeleton that comedy sketches and bits have been draped over to provide entertainment. It probably doesn’t help that mistaken identity comedy, the core of the film’s story, has become a far-too-often used trope in comedy films and television in the modern day, so it feels fairly unoriginal (and unbelievable, given the appearance of the two men mistaken for top-notch football players). In its story, the film feels like an extended episode of children’s television, and only the film’s music and other comedy can help bail it out. The “romance” plot, in particular feels like a hollow attempt to provide some humor for the adults in the audience to get that will go over the heads of most younger viewers.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
Horse Feathers succeeds as a showcase of the Marx Brothers’ comedic talents, so if that is what you have come to see, you will be fully satisfied. Groucho’s quick wit and ability to spin double entendre and pun with every other word that comes out of his mouth is brilliant. Harpo’s clown-like, physical mime humor is an impressive feat that I couldn’t help but appreciate. Zeppo’s hopeless romantic/crooner act serves as a predecessor to and parody of many of musical theater’s greatest performers. Even Chico’s aggressively Italian New Yorker performance feels familiar and does wonders when played off of the comedy of the other brothers. The film succeeds in creating an avenue to consume many forms of humor in one short sitting, making it a prototypical comedy film and, as such, one of the Greats; however, its style over substance method may not be for everyone.
