Rating: 
Summary: The Last Marxian Classic
Review: "A Night at the Opera" (1935) remains one of the Marx Brothers' finest efforts and a comic masterpiece. However, the seeds of the Marxes' creative demise were planted in this particular film: the strong focus on music and romance; the gradual softening of the brothers' comedic personas; and the MGM studio gloss at odds with Marxian anarchy. Thanks to the guiding hand of producer Irving Thalberg, everything clicks in "A Night at the Opera." Groucho, in particular, is brilliant and razor-sharp. Harpo's freewheeling spirit has been toned down, yet he has some truly inspired moments. In the immortal role of Herman Gottlieb, character actor Sig Rumann makes a welcome addition to the Marx Brothers stock company. A splendid night is guaranteed for all!
Rating:
Summary: Best of Marxmania!
Review: "A Night At The Opera" is tied with "Duck Soup" at being the #1 best Marx brother movie! Otis B. Driftwood (Groucho) with Fiorello (Chico) and Tomasso (Harpo) try to get opera newcomer Ricardo Baroni (Alan Jones) to be the center of the New York Opera company instead of Rodolfo Lasparri. On the night debut of Lasparri in New York, Groucho makes a very funny speech before the opera starts. He concludes with, "Let there be dancing in the streets, drinking in the saloons, and necking in the parlor. Play, Don." The result: one hilarious evening complete with a baseball game skit, a scenery change during the opera, Lasparri's kidnapping, and Baroni becoming the star of the opera with Rosa (Kitty Carlisle) back in the biz. Excellent Marx Brothers masterpiece!
Rating:
Summary: The Last Marxian Classic
Review: "A Night at the Opera" remains one of the Marx Brothers'
finest efforts and a comic masterpiece. However, the seeds of
the Marxes' creative demise were planted in this particular film: the
strong focus on music and romance; the gradual softening of the
brothers' comedic personas; and the MGM studio gloss at odds with
Marxian anarchy. Thanks to the guiding hand of producer Irving
Thalberg, everything clicks in "A Night at the Opera."
Groucho, in particular, is brilliant and razor-sharp. Regrettably, the
freewheeling spirit of Harpo has been toned down, yet he has some
truly inspired moments. Overall, "A Night at the Opera" is a
lot of fun and the last genuine Marx classic.
Rating:
Summary: At long last, the return of the Marx Brothers to DVD.
Review: "A Night at the Opera" was released on DVD back in the late 90s by Image. Image had licensed the film from WB, and once that licence expired the disc was pulled. Since then that OOP DVD has fetched in the hundreds on Ebay. Finally WB has released it as a special edition.Extra features are as follows:
Commentary by Leonard Maltin
All-New Documentary "Remarks On Marx"
The Hy Gardner Show (1/1/61) excerpt featuring Groucho Marx
Theatrical Trailer
Three Vintage MGM Shorts: Fitzpatrick Traveltalk's Los Angeles: Wonder City Of The World
Sunday Night At The Trocadero
Robert Benchley's Academy Award -Winning How To Sleep WB is releasing 6 other Marx Brother's films all at the same time. Universal also is preparing to release their Marx Brothers films this year, including "Duck Soup."
Rating:
Summary: A comedy classic.
Review: "A Night at the Opera" is generally regarded as the Marx Brother's best movie. Filled with classic scenes and a very clever script, "A Night at the Opera" is a comedy classic that constantly improves with each viewing. "A Night at the Opera" follow's the story of an unknown opera singer named Ricardo who, along with Chico and Harpo, sneak on a boat with Groucho and go to New York where Ricardo's girlfriend Rosa is singing in an Opera. A very funny and clever movie. Well worth watching.
Rating:
Summary: Best of Marxmania!
Review: "A Night At The Opera" is tied with "Duck Soup" at being the #1 best Marx brother movie! Otis B. Driftwood (Groucho) with Fiorello (Chico) and Tomasso (Harpo) try to get opera newcomer Ricardo Baroni (Alan Jones) to be the center of the New York Opera company instead of Rodolfo Lasparri. On the night debut of Lasparri in New York, Groucho makes a very funny speech before the opera starts. He concludes with, "Let there be dancing in the streets, drinking in the saloons, and necking in the parlor. Play, Don." The result: one hilarious evening complete with a baseball game skit, a scenery change during the opera, Lasparri's kidnapping, and Baroni becoming the star of the opera with Rosa (Kitty Carlisle) back in the biz. Excellent Marx Brothers masterpiece!
Rating:
Summary: The Last Marxian Classic
Review: "A Night at the Opera" remains one of the Marx Brothers'finest efforts and a comic masterpiece. However, the seeds ofthe Marxes' creative demise were planted in this particular film: thestrong focus on music and romance; the gradual softening of thebrothers' comedic personas; and the MGM studio gloss at odds withMarxian anarchy. Thanks to the guiding hand of producer IrvingThalberg, everything clicks in "A Night at the Opera."Groucho, in particular, is brilliant and razor-sharp. Regrettably, thefreewheeling spirit of Harpo has been toned down, yet he has sometruly inspired moments. Overall, "A Night at the Opera" is alot of fun and the last genuine Marx classic.
Rating:
Summary: No Ordinary Night At The Opera
Review: "A Night At the Opera", the Marx Bros. sixth film, released in 1935, will make opera lovers very squimish indeed. Groucho, playing Otis B. Driftwood, has been hired by Mrs. Claypool (Margaret Dumont) to place her into society. All he has done thus far is to draw a very handsome salary, which he later states, "How many people are drawing a handsome salary these days"; a reference to the Depression Era.In the opening scene, Groucho has arranged for Dumont to meet Herman Gottleib (Sig Ruman), the dirctor of the New York Opera Company, at a restaraunt in Milan. Dumont sits alone at a table, waiting for Groucho, not knowing he is dining with a blonde directly behind her, which leads to Groucho's line, "When I dine with a woman I expect her to look at my face - that's the price she has to pay". With the introduction of Mrs. Claypool and Gottlieb, it is off to the Opera to sign the leading opera tenor, Rodolfo Lassparri (Walter Woolf King). Groucho, just in time to catch the last few minutes of the opera, scorns his carraige driver for not driving slower, and orders him to drive around the park once more. "On account of you, I nearly heard the opera", he bellows to the driver. Lassparri is to be paid a thousand dollars a night to sing for the New York Opera Company; and it is at this jucture Groucho sees his influence on Mrs. Claypool diminishing. He needs a piece of the action, otherwise he will be left out cold. Rushing to sign the tenor first he spots Lassparri, unaware of who he is, beating up on Hapro, who plays Lassparri's dresser. "Hey you big bully," Groucho says, "stop beating up on that little bully". Harpo knocks the tenor out with a sandbag just as Chico enters. The two begin a humorous dialogue with leads to Groucho signing the wrong tenor. The contract to be signed is continually shredded by the two, as neither can come to an agreement to any of the stipulations. The tail end comes as Chico asks what part of the contract this is. "That? Oh, that just says if anyone is shown not to be in their right mind, the contract is null and void." Chico then reveals that Groucho has signed Ricardo Baroni (Allen Jones) to the contract, and not Lassparri; though, nothing has actually been signed; and Gottlieb ultamitely signs Lassparri first. Lassparri and Baroni are in love with the same woman, Rosa (Kitty Carlisle), another opera singer. She, at Lassparri's insistance has also been signed to the New York Opera Company, and are to take a cruise ship to the states. She is in love with Baroni, but lacking money he will not marry her. All are now aboard the cruise ship, including Chico, Harpo, and Baroni, who are there as stowaways. Groucho discovers all three in his oversized trunk. Gottlieb has personally picked out Groucho's stateroom, which turns out to be smaller than a bathroom, leading to the classic scene where person after person is piled into the room until nor more can be held. Starving, Chico, Hapro and Baroni slip away to get something to eat, putting themselves at risk for capture. Chico says, "If they catch us, they got to feed us." Chico and Hapro play their trademark instruments for the amusement of poor immigrants until Gottlieb discovers them and has the three put in the brig. Three bearded aviators are also aboard, and the three stoways subdue them and don their clothes, as well as their beards, which allows them to slip off the ship when it docks in New York. They are led to a podium where a large crowd of people have gathered to celebrate the feat of the aviators. Groucho is the only one who knows they are imposters until Harpo, asked to give a speach, drinks glass after glass of water, wetting the fake beard and loosening it from his chin. Detective Henderson (Robert O'connor) chases them all, and tracks them to Groucho's room. Before getting there, the Marx Bros. enjoy one last meal, where Harpo dines on a hotcake sandwich, stuffed with Groucho's cigar and Chico's tie. Henderson arrives, and Chico and Harpo flee, leaving Groucho to explain their whereabouts. Henderson begins to look around, and is amazed to find that the adjacant room keeps changing, and furniture keeps disappearing. "There was one bed in here, now there's two", Henderson says to Groucho, "Well, you know those things breed like rabbits." In the meantime, Lassparri makes one more attempt to attain Rosa's love, only to discover that Baroni is there too. This is the final straw. he goes to Gottlieb with the news and he persuades Mrs. Claypool to fire Groucho. With Groucho out of a job, and discovering that Lassparri has replaced Rosa with another singer, the stage is set for revenge against the opera company, its director, and overpaid tenor. The Marx Bros. reek havoc at the opening of Il Trovatore, replacing the musical score with "Take Me Out To The Ballgame", and committing other offenses true opera lovers would surely find troubling and unnerving. "A Night At The Opera" is a Marx Bros. treat which will have you laughing and rolling around on the floor more times than it is worth to get back in your chair.
Rating:
Summary: One of Their Best
Review: "A Night at the Opera," the first movie the Marx Brothers made for MGM, is one of their best. Yes, it is more conventional that their earlier films, and the love story (while not as offensively bad as some make it out to be) is forgettable. Still, the comic moments (including the famous stateroom scene) remain very funny, and there are numerous one-liners (especially from Groucho).
The DVD, part of Warner Brothers' "Marx Brothers Collection," is pretty good. The image is in its original 1.33:1 full-frame aspect ratio, and is relatively clear. The commentary by Leonard Maltin, while having a few gaps and providing little information on the Marx Brothers' earlier years, is fine. There is an entertaining (although somewhat unbeiievable) story from Groucho on a mid-sixites talk show. Also included are a trailer and (in an interesting move) some old shorts and cartoons from around the time this film was made.
The only real fault of the disc is in its thirty minute documentary, "Remarks on Marx." Most of the interviewees have little of interest to say (especially the always affordable Dom DeLuise, who actually tries to be funny), and the analysis of several classic scenes (especially the stateroom) is obvious at best and boring at worst. An interesting interview with romantic lead Kitty Carlisle is the saving grace.
Rating:
Summary: Anyone Who Rates This at Less Than 5 Stars...
Review: ...knows nothing about comedy!
"...And two hard-boiled eggs."
"...Oh, that's alright. That's in every contract. It's a sanity clause."
"...Senor Lassparri comes from a very famous family. His mother was a well-known bass singer. His father was the first man to stuff spaghetti with bicarbonate of soda, thus causing and curing indigestion at the same time."
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