The Marx Brothers themselves are a maniacal circus, so it is only fitting that they would be the stars of the MGM feature "At the Circus", and for a latter-day Marx Bros. film, this one is very good, in my opinion. Groucho as usual is uninhibited with wordplay, sexual innuendo, and insults for his consistent foil Margaret Dumont (but try not to be distracted by Groucho's awful hairpiece). Bearing the snazzy name of J. Cheever Loophole, Groucho supposedly portrays an attorney hired to help a traveling circus recover its stolen income. As circus employees, Harpo and Chico are allotted plenty of opportunities to apply their unique brands of comedy. And the two romantic leads, played by Kenny Baker (as Jeff Wilson, circus owner) and Florence Rice (as Julie Randall, performer) are very likable, except for that really corny musical number called "Two Blind Loves" that they sing together ("Step Up and Take a Bow" is considerably better). The rest of the cast, like the circus itself, is quite colorful.
Probably the greatest highlight of "At the Circus" is Groucho's vocalizing one of his most beloved standbys for the remainder of his career: "Lydia the Tattooed Lady"! As you listen to Groucho (as Mr. Loophole) sing the tune, notice how everyone else around him (particularly Harpo) joins in the barrel of fun. Other highlights: Did I just say "barrel"? Well, Chico (as Antonio "Tony" Ferrelli) provides his one-of-a-kind ivory-tickling rendition of the Beer Belly, er, the Beer Barrel Polka, complete with his hard-to-resist smile and wink to the camera. (It amazes me that Chico was able to smile at all, what with the enormous wads of cash he blew away with his compulsive gambling.) Punchy (Harpo) plays checkers while a friendly seal "coaches" him. Loophole and Antonio go through a badge bit at the train station, during which the puns & horseplay never stop. While Loophole is trying to trap a cigar-smoking little person into a confession, Antonio is too dimwitted to realize that he is bungling Loophole's plan. The wild rope/trapeze chase at the end (to the musical accompaniment of "Tiger Rag") is hilarious, particularly with Gibraltar the gorilla starting the whole commotion. And although African-Americans today would be outraged seeing people of their race degrading themselves in this film, I must admit that "Swingali" is not a bad jazz number.
A few gags in "At the Circus" don't really work, particularly the lengthy sequence of Tony and Punchy searching a bedroom belonging to an arrogant muscle man, but not to worry. For anybody who enjoys a good circus, this Marx Bros. film is a special treat, as sweet as the lemonade we might sip with all the popcorn.
Probably the greatest highlight of "At the Circus" is Groucho's vocalizing one of his most beloved standbys for the remainder of his career: "Lydia the Tattooed Lady"! As you listen to Groucho (as Mr. Loophole) sing the tune, notice how everyone else around him (particularly Harpo) joins in the barrel of fun. Other highlights: Did I just say "barrel"? Well, Chico (as Antonio "Tony" Ferrelli) provides his one-of-a-kind ivory-tickling rendition of the Beer Belly, er, the Beer Barrel Polka, complete with his hard-to-resist smile and wink to the camera. (It amazes me that Chico was able to smile at all, what with the enormous wads of cash he blew away with his compulsive gambling.) Punchy (Harpo) plays checkers while a friendly seal "coaches" him. Loophole and Antonio go through a badge bit at the train station, during which the puns & horseplay never stop. While Loophole is trying to trap a cigar-smoking little person into a confession, Antonio is too dimwitted to realize that he is bungling Loophole's plan. The wild rope/trapeze chase at the end (to the musical accompaniment of "Tiger Rag") is hilarious, particularly with Gibraltar the gorilla starting the whole commotion. And although African-Americans today would be outraged seeing people of their race degrading themselves in this film, I must admit that "Swingali" is not a bad jazz number.
A few gags in "At the Circus" don't really work, particularly the lengthy sequence of Tony and Punchy searching a bedroom belonging to an arrogant muscle man, but not to worry. For anybody who enjoys a good circus, this Marx Bros. film is a special treat, as sweet as the lemonade we might sip with all the popcorn.