The Marx Brothers invade a college. Groucho is the head and Chico and Harpo are accidentally hired as football players (!!!). Zeppo has a romantic subplot by dating the "college widow" (whatever that means) played by Thelma Todd. She's actually romancing him to get the football signals they'll use in their games against Darwin University.
The plot is secondary in this one. This is considered the most surrealist Marx Brothers comedy ever made. I don't disagree and that's it's problem. The film careens all over the place and it was almost impossible to get a grip on the characters and situations. There's the bedroom sequence with Todd and three of the brothers--it has been obviously censored and looks very jumpy and confused. Also there are pointless musical interludes with Chico (on the piano) and Harpo (on the harp). And there's a REAL sappy love song called "Everybody Says I Love You". The climatic football game isn't even remotely funny.
Still it DOES have its moments. It's not a total bomb but it's not as consistently funny as "Duck Soup" or "A Night at the Opera". Worth seeing for a few moments and Thelma Todd before her tragic murder a few years later. (OFFICIALLY it's a suicide but since then it' come to light that she was murdered).
The plot is secondary in this one. This is considered the most surrealist Marx Brothers comedy ever made. I don't disagree and that's it's problem. The film careens all over the place and it was almost impossible to get a grip on the characters and situations. There's the bedroom sequence with Todd and three of the brothers--it has been obviously censored and looks very jumpy and confused. Also there are pointless musical interludes with Chico (on the piano) and Harpo (on the harp). And there's a REAL sappy love song called "Everybody Says I Love You". The climatic football game isn't even remotely funny.
Still it DOES have its moments. It's not a total bomb but it's not as consistently funny as "Duck Soup" or "A Night at the Opera". Worth seeing for a few moments and Thelma Todd before her tragic murder a few years later. (OFFICIALLY it's a suicide but since then it' come to light that she was murdered).