Animal Crackers (1930), like The Cocoanuts (1929), started out as a stage hit for the Marx Brothers. In fact, while they were shooting their first film at Paramount Studio's East Coast headquarters in Astoria, NY, the brothers spent their evenings performing Animal Crackers on Broadway (It was their second stage hit).

The Marx Brothers' first two films provide a unique look at how the brothers' developed their brand of humor and how they worked on stage, since both were essentially filmed versions of their popular theatre plays. In Animal Crackers, musical numbers are interspersed with a storyline concerning the theft of a valuable painting. The film even parodies contemporary theater: Eugene O'Neill's play, Strange Interlude, inspired a scene in which Groucho's character, Captain Spaulding, has an interior monologue concerning his marriage proposals to two different women.

The unrestrained anarchy of the brothers' antics onstage was often mirrored in their off-stage behavior. Typically, the brothers arrived late on the set, sometimes slept in their dressing rooms or departed for a game of golf or an early lunch. While their nonconformist lifestyle and humor attracted audiences, it was a headache for Paramount Studios and the director of The Cocoanuts. To ensure a more stabile work environment on Animal Crackers, Paramount hired Victor Heerman, a director who had a reputation as a disciplinarian.

Heerman was also charged with reining in the ingenue of the film, Lillian Roth, who had gained a "difficult" reputation working with Cecil B. DeMille on her previous film. As Roth remembered it, she was informed of her assignment by B.P. Schulberg, new head of the West Coast office, at a party given by David O. Selznick. Schulberg stated, "We're sending you back to New York to be kicked in the rear by the Marx Brothers until you learn to behave." Stunned, she fled the room in tears. Roth found her experiences on the set to be "one step removed from the circus."

Although Heerman and the Marx Brothers clashed over who had final control of the film, Heerman successfully convinced them to drop some of the musical numbers to emphasize the comedy routines. Still, Heerman's attempts to gain control over the madhouse set resulted in at least one tall tale. Lillian Roth reported to friends that a jail had been constructed on the set to hold the brothers between takes. Heerman issued a repudiation, stating "(t)here was a jail left over from another picture, and we used it as a makeup room or for the actors to lie down in. It was never locked."

Animal Crackers received raves from audiences and critics; its international acclaim earned the brothers a lucrative stage contract in London and further success in Hollywood. The film would also be the last film adaptation of a Marx Brothers' stage play.

Director: Victor Heerman
Screenplay: Bert Kalmar, Morrie Ryskind, Harry Ruby
Art Direction: Ernst Fegte Cinematography: George Folsey
Original Music: Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby
Cast: Groucho Marx (Capt. Jeffrey Spaulding), Harpo Marx (The Prof.), Chico Marx (Signor Emanuel Ravelli), Zeppo Marx (Horatio Jamison), Lillian Roth (Arabella Rittenhouse), Margaret Dumont (Mrs. Rittenhouse), Louis Sorin (Roscoe Chandler).
BW-97m. Closed captioning.

by Genevieve McGillicuddy