Rating: 
Summary: WHO EVER HEARD OF SHOOTING A ELEPHANT IN THEIR PAJAMAS!
Review: Groucho might be the only person I know who is capable of doing such a thing! This movie contains one of the funniest scenes I have ever seen! Everytime I watch it I just have to laugh. Chico decides to entertain everybody by playing his piano at a party. When he starts to play he forgets the rest of the song! So he keeps on playing the same thing OVER AND OVER again! Finally Groucho tells him "When you get near a song PLAY IT!" Chico tells him once he kept this up for three days! Groucho gives the suggestion of paying him HUSH MONEY,to see if he'll stop. Absolutely great!
Rating: 
Summary: A Glimpse Into The Marxs' Past...and Future
Review: Highly reminiscent of their first talkie "The Cocoanuts" (also originally done on Broadway) this film also holds much entertainment value, mostly from the classic "Hooray..." early production number; the Chico-Harpo "entertainment" section, culminating in Groucho's famous tale of heroism; and some sharp dialogue. Unfortunately, there are many superfluous scenes with alot of unfunny babble - perhaps this type of dialogue was interesting when heard on stage. On celluloid it can cause boredom, which I recall at the New York City revival in '74 during the attempted lampoon of "Strange Interlude" and Detective yarns: "Left-handed moths...". I would recommend "Duck Soup", "Cocoanuts", and "Horse Feathers" for new fans.
Rating: 
Summary: it can't get better than this
Review: I agree with ruthbug that this has got to be one of the funniest movies ever! Every time I watch this movie it just cracks me up! This group of people have got to be the funniest ever. I can't get over how good these guys are. I only have 2 words for you and that is WATCH THIS. You'll really enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: Very Funny Stuff
Review: I really do enjoy this video, it is simply one of their best. The picture quality does suffer at points, being that it was filmed in 1930, and I can't comprehend what the 'chorus' is singing at points, but otherwise no complaints. They must have realized that nobody liked the cruddy music and dancing from 'The Cocoanuts' and got rid of Irving Berlin (who went on to be one of the foremost songwriters of the 20th century, ironically). I am thankful that the love interests were also replaced, and there is in Mary Eaton's place a very cute dark haired girl, and replacing Oscar Shaw is a guy that is not so weird looking. I'm also VERY thankful that the dancing girls were rid of.
Groucho plays Captain Spaulding, his most memorable character he ever played as. His lines, singing, and goofy dancing are all etched into my memory in a good way. Chico and Harpo are both still basically bums that go around and cause trouble. Their rountines are fantastic as well, not a dull moment whenever they are on the screen. Margaret Dumont is back from "Cocoanuts" as the high society widow, who throws an extravagant party for Groucho, not realizing how bizzare and chaotic he can be until it's too late. She's basically the straight guy. I don't mention Zeppo because he does literally nothing except act as a dopey servant to Groucho.
With tons of humor, great dialouge, less dancing and at least one beauty to gawk at during the less funny scenes, it's a definite classic. The Marx Brothers are the funniest guys of all time, bar none.
Rating:
Summary: Groucho and the boys ahead of their time
Review: If the Marx Brothers were young men today - and making these movies today - their sense of timing and humor would still be 50 years ahead of its time.
Rating:
Summary: Good place to start
Review: If you need to find a Marx brothers' film to give you a taste of what they're like, Animal Crackers is a fine place to start. This movie highlights each of the brothers (even Zeppo) in their absolute best characters. An upper-class party is held where a scandal involving a famous painting evolves... and of course the outrageously silly brothers are caught in the middle of it. Animal Crackers has some hilarious dialogue and very memorable scenes (such as the card game with Harpo and Chico). However, not all is well when the plot starts to drag and near the end, the movie gets very tiresome with a "too lengthy" conversation between Chico and Groucho. It's also hampered down by two consecutive (and boring) songs. But all in all: Animal Crackers shows the Marx brothers how they really should be. A great, fun-filled classic that I never grow tired of watching (as long as I know which areas to fast forward).
Rating:
Summary: MARX INSANITY
Review: In 1929, a new kind of movie comedy burst into view when THE COCOANUTS gave movie audiences their first dose the Marx Brothers' hilarious anarchy; the cinema had introduced the public to Marx insanity much to the delight of the hoi polloi. ANIMAL CRACKERS was an adaptation of a Marx Bros. Broadway show and it made an even better movie than their first screen effort, which was made rather crudely technically (at the Astoria Studios on Long Island) and was obviously very set-bound with a nearly immobile camera. The George S. Kaufman-Morrie Ryskind story, tailored to celluloid by Ryskind and Pierre Collings - and frequently forgotton while the brothers ran riot - concerned the theft of a painting from Margaret Dumont, whose love-hate relationship with Groucho was fast becoming one the greatest film affairs of all-time. Groucho gave voice to HOORAY FOR CAPTAIN SPALDING - which was later his radio signiture song. Harpo and Chico did their musical specialties while Zeppo stooged and Lillian Roth soubretted as the others merely acted under Victor Heerman's direction. The still-primitive microphone technique gave the Walter Wagner production a rather static look, but the Marxian puns, one-liners, non-sequiturs and miming scored repeatedly.
Rating:
Summary: Hooray For Animal Crackers
Review: In 1930, one year after their successful debut film, "The Cocoanuts", the Marx Bros. gave us "Animal Crackers; their second film, and one of their best and funiest.The film centers around the Rittenhouse mansion where a social gathering takes place to witness the unveiling of the painting "After the Hunt"; and without the Marx Bros. attending it would be a very dull exhibition indeed. Groucho plays Captain Spaulding, the african explorer, just back from Africa, presumably, and invited by Mrs. Rittenhouse, played by Margeret Dumont. Chico plays Signor Emanuel Ravelli, the musiscian hired to play at the mansion. When he and Groucho meet, they go into a classic dialogue about how much Chico will be payed to play; and as it turns out, Chico would make more money not playing. Harpo plays the Professor; perhaps the first and truest "nuttiest professor". Zeppo plays Mr. Jamison, Grouchos secretary. He and Groucho have perhaps their best dialogue and funniest in this film which revolves around Zeppo writing a letter for Groucho in which Zeppo omits much of what Groucho says. "Animal Crackers" is the Marx Bros. way of showing what snobs high society can be. The painting, "After the Hunt", is to be displayed by Rosco Chandler, played by Luois Sorin. As it turns out this particular painting has been copied by art students around the world, two of which are attending this social gathering, and, as a joke, they both switch their painting with the real one. One of the two fakes is a terrible reprodoction, while the other one is so good it might be better than the origonal. The really good painting is switched by John Parker, played by Hal Thompson; a starving artist whose love interest, Arebella Rittenhouse - Mrs. Rittenhouse's daughter - played by Lillian Roth, intices him to make the switch. After the switch, there is mayhem and chaos, most of which is created, delightedly, and hilariously so, by the Marx Bros. Groucho trades in his title of Captain, to "Inspection Scotland of Spaulding Yard", and he and Chico discuss who might have stolen the real painting, until they come to the conclusion it must have been perpetrated by a left handed moth. There are so many highlights to this film, they cannot all be represented here; nor should they. However, the songs "Hello I Must be Going", and "Hooray For Captian Spaulding" are true classics, as well as the dialogues between the Marx Bros. previously mentioned. As well, Harpo dons is famous overcoat with seemingly bottomless pockets which he uses to stuff all the silverwear he has stolen, leading to the film's roarous ending. I never tire of watching "Animal Crackers", nor any of the Marx Bros. films from "The Cocoanuts" to "A Day At the Races", and including "The Big Store". Their second film is indeed one of their best.
Rating:
Summary: Hooray For Animal Crackers
Review: In 1930, one year after their successful debut film, "The Cocoanuts", the Marx Bros. gave us "Animal Crackers; their second film, and one of their best and funiest. The film centers around the Rittenhouse mansion where a social gathering takes place to witness the unveiling of the painting "After the Hunt"; and without the Marx Bros. attending it would be a very dull exhibition indeed. Groucho plays Captain Spaulding, the african explorer, just back from Africa, presumably, and invited by Mrs. Rittenhouse, played by Margeret Dumont. Chico plays Signor Emanuel Ravelli, the musiscian hired to play at the mansion. When he and Groucho meet, they go into a classic dialogue about how much Chico will be payed to play; and as it turns out, Chico would make more money not playing. Harpo plays the Professor; perhaps the first and truest "nuttiest professor". Zeppo plays Mr. Jamison, Grouchos secretary. He and Groucho have perhaps their best dialogue and funniest in this film which revolves around Zeppo writing a letter for Groucho in which Zeppo omits much of what Groucho says. "Animal Crackers" is the Marx Bros. way of showing what snobs high society can be. The painting, "After the Hunt", is to be displayed by Rosco Chandler, played by Luois Sorin. As it turns out this particular painting has been copied by art students around the world, two of which are attending this social gathering, and, as a joke, they both switch their painting with the real one. One of the two fakes is a terrible reprodoction, while the other one is so good it might be better than the origonal. The really good painting is switched by John Parker, played by Hal Thompson; a starving artist whose love interest, Arebella Rittenhouse - Mrs. Rittenhouse's daughter - played by Lillian Roth, intices him to make the switch. After the switch, there is mayhem and chaos, most of which is created, delightedly, and hilariously so, by the Marx Bros. Groucho trades in his title of Captain, to "Inspection Scotland of Spaulding Yard", and he and Chico discuss who might have stolen the real painting, until they come to the conclusion it must have been perpetrated by a left handed moth. There are so many highlights to this film, they cannot all be represented here; nor should they. However, the songs "Hello I Must be Going", and "Hooray For Captian Spaulding" are true classics, as well as the dialogues between the Marx Bros. previously mentioned. As well, Harpo dons is famous overcoat with seemingly bottomless pockets which he uses to stuff all the silverwear he has stolen, leading to the film's roarous ending. I never tire of watching "Animal Crackers", nor any of the Marx Bros. films from "The Cocoanuts" to "A Day At the Races", and including "The Big Store". Their second film is indeed one of their best.
Rating:
Summary: "Bore a hole in yourself and let the sap run out..."
Review: More than funny- it's Marx! This is the best of the Marx brothers, so don't hesitate to buy. These videos contain all of the classic comedy you could want to pass an evening. With the famous "Hooray for Captain Spalding!", the lost fish routine, the elephant in my pajamas story, and Chico's hilarious, endless piano solo, who could want more? It also contains a very cute "fist-fight" between Harpo, Chico, and a larger lady ("Pick on somebody your own size, why don't you?") This will have you rolling on the floor for hours. I personally loved it! The quality of the tape itself is good, as well, especially for the film being so old. Whether you rent or buy it, I promise you won't be disappointed!
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