This was my very first Marx Brothers movie. I am now a fan forever and for always. The four Marx brothers, Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo, stowaway on an ocean liner. While hiding from the crew, Zeppo meets the lovely Mary Helton (Ruth Hall), whose father, Joe (Rockcliffe Fellowes), is attempting to cut ties with his gangster past. Joe's biggest rival, Briggs (Harry Woods), has followed him onto the boat in order to force Joe to acknowledge Briggs as the new gang leader. Groucho immediately begins putting the moves on Briggs' attention-starved wife, Lucille (Thelma Todd). Briggs is not to be distracted, however, and kidnaps Mary from a party, forcing the Marx Brothers to band together and rescue her. Ok, mostly they provide running commentary while Zeppo attempts to rescue her.
This movie is 84 years old and still works as perfectly now as it did when released. There is something so timeless about these four and their antics that really can't be described. I've always come across quotes from Groucho Marx, mostly from his television show, but seeing him in action, especially his interactions with Chico, was magical. I'm not a huge physical comedy person so I thought I'd probably like Harpo the least, since he's always mute, but I was stunned at how charismatic and likable he was.
If you've ever been curious about the Marx brothers or are just a fan of whiplash one-liners and expert pratfalls, give them a try. They are excellent.
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