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A Night At The Opera (1935)
Duck Soup (1933) is currently seen as one of the best comedic films ever made, but its reception was a bit lukewarm in its time and The Marx Brothers were soon looking for a new studio for their antics. They ultimately found a juicy contract with MGM, at that point the biggest filmmaker in Hollywood. In an effort to make the Marx Brothers more marketable to audiences, MGM insisted that the comedians sand down the rough edges of their routines, alter their personas to become more likable, and commit to a crowd-pleasing formula. This would result in lesser-regarded product down the line, but A Night At The Opera was a big hit that revived the Marx Brothers brand and is looked upon by posterity as one of their finest.
Ryan is joined by Sylvan and Cheryl for a breakdown of this historic comedy, a dialogue that delves into its anarchic production and an exploration of how A Night At The Opera was a key influence on Mel Brooks, Queen, Looney Tunes, Cyndi Lauper, and much more. Discussion points also include how the film panders to its Depression-era audience, the storytelling's odd relationship with Italian fascism, how the Marx Brothers contrasted their vaudevillian background with the reputation of "high art", and why Hollywood remains an inherently conservative institution despite its reliance upon appropriating countercultural themes for its content.
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By Ryan Valentine
5
44 ratings
Duck Soup (1933) is currently seen as one of the best comedic films ever made, but its reception was a bit lukewarm in its time and The Marx Brothers were soon looking for a new studio for their antics. They ultimately found a juicy contract with MGM, at that point the biggest filmmaker in Hollywood. In an effort to make the Marx Brothers more marketable to audiences, MGM insisted that the comedians sand down the rough edges of their routines, alter their personas to become more likable, and commit to a crowd-pleasing formula. This would result in lesser-regarded product down the line, but A Night At The Opera was a big hit that revived the Marx Brothers brand and is looked upon by posterity as one of their finest.
Ryan is joined by Sylvan and Cheryl for a breakdown of this historic comedy, a dialogue that delves into its anarchic production and an exploration of how A Night At The Opera was a key influence on Mel Brooks, Queen, Looney Tunes, Cyndi Lauper, and much more. Discussion points also include how the film panders to its Depression-era audience, the storytelling's odd relationship with Italian fascism, how the Marx Brothers contrasted their vaudevillian background with the reputation of "high art", and why Hollywood remains an inherently conservative institution despite its reliance upon appropriating countercultural themes for its content.