Horse Feathers

Starring:Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Zeppo Marx, Thelma Todd, David Landau, Arthur Sheekman, Syd Saylor, E.H. Calvert, Nat Pendleton, Reginald Barlow, Sheila Bromley, Edward LeSaint, Robert Greig, Florine McKinney, Phil Tead, Bobby Barber, Theresa Harris, James Pierce, Edgar Dearing
Director: Norman Z. McLeod
Studio: Universal Studios
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

There will be a debate of which 2004 DVD collection of Marx Brothers films was better. This Universal release of the better known Paramount-produced films are the only ones starring all four brothers: Groucho, Chico, Harpo, and Zeppo. The Warner collection contains less-vital films, but is loaded with extras and commentaries. The Universal collection contains only 20 minutes of interviews from NBC's Today Show--interesting but short--with Harpo, Groucho, and Harpo's son Bill from the '60s and '70s. All of the films in this collection were released on DVD by Image Entertainment in 2000 and the prints look the same, which isn't necessarily bad; one just wishes a major restoration had been undertaken.

The films--packaged handsomely with a booklet--are essential Marx Brothers, their first five films made from 1929 to 1933. The least timeless is their first, The Cocoanuts, based on their Broadway hit. The film--one of the first full talkies--takes place in a hotel with owner Groucho out to grab every dollar. Animal Crackers is the brothers' first classic, a lickety-split comedy about an art theft being investigated by Groucho's alter-image, Captain Spaulding. For introducing youngsters to the work of Marx, Monkey Business is the best way. The shenanigans start right at the start as the brothers stowaway on a luxury liner. It's their first film that wasn't based on a play, as they endeavored to find new material. Horse Feathers gave them more fertile ground plus a sure-fire Hollywood director at the helm (Norman McLeoad). Their fantasia of college life includes the riotous football-game finale. Music, always a key part of their plays and films is given more weight here and includes Groucho's theme, "I'm Against It." Music is again key as the musicals of the era are spoofed in the brothers' undisputed masterpiece, Duck Soup. From a land called Fredonia, Groucho plays a slapdash ruler who rewrites the rules of governing, leading to a most memorable war with Sylvania (so war gets lampooned. too). Duck Soup also boasts the most famous Marx brothers sketch: Groucho trying to fool his mirror. --Doug Thomas

Description

Celebrate the 75th anniversary of the greatest comedy act in history with The Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection. This essential DVD set features the legendary four Marx Brothers in five of their most acclaimed and best loved films - Duck Soup, Horse Feathers, Monkey Business, Animal Crackers and The Cocoanuts - the only five movies ever made with all four brothers together: Groucho, Chico, Harpo and Zeppo!

Customer Reviews:

Marx.......2007-07-02

These movies prove that you dont have to get hit to be funny. I always love to see Grucho on the screen. He talks so fast and his sexual innuendos are so funny that I cant believe they never got banned. Harpo and Chico always do a good job together. Zeppo...anyways, the only downside to the set is the speical features. The bonus disc is a joke. The transfer of the films to me seems fine, maybe because ive watched so many comedys from that era. I know some people complained about it. These movies are well worth buying but dont expect anyone to get hit with a hammer.

Marx Brothers Collection.......2007-06-21

Still one of the funniest vaudeville acts ever to grace stage, television, or silver screen, The Marx Brothers pioneered an antic, anarchic style of gut-busting entertainment that left audiences of the 1930s howling with delight. Even today, the hilarious mix of song-and-dance routines like "The Monkey Doodle-Do" and "Shirt Song"--accompanied, of course, by Harpo's harp, Groucho's guitar, and Chico's expert ivory-tinkling--combined with the sheer nuthouse fervor of their adventures simply dazzle. In fact, "Duck Soup" was a political farce so extreme that Mussolini banned it . This "Silver Screen" set collects the Brothers' early, outré Paramount outings, the only films where all four funnymen appeared together. Will social satire ever be this goofy again?

The first 5 Marx Brothers Movies.......2007-05-27

This set contains the first 5 Marx Brothers movies - all done in the 1929-33period- one a year. All 5 contain Zeppo, which is a good thing because once Zeppo was let go, they'd always have a Zeppo=like character. All 5 movies, including Cocoanuts, contain a great deal of laughs.
Not that their next 2 films "Night at the Opera" and "Day at the Races" weren't great, but these are easily among the group's best. The later films concentrated a little too much on big production song and dance numbers- these are unfiltered Marx Brothers. Great support here from Margaret Dumont and Thelma Todd also. Watch these movies and you too will become a Marxist!

The four Marx brothers.......2007-05-12

After all these years they are still better then most modern comedies. I really enjoyed watching these old films I haven't seen them in a long time so it was a great treat. Its a great set to have and if you say comedy is your favorite genre this is a must. The only bad part of this set is the special features. In the special features it shows Groucho and Harpo on the today show doing a little interview then it goes into the 70's with Harpo's son on. They were fun to watch, but for a box set like this it should have had much more.

Great movies, OK box set.......2007-04-23

Definitely great movies deserving of five stars and more! These are the Marx Brothers' best films, including the great Duck Soup. Having read other customer reviews about how Universal "slapped" this set together, however, I was surprised how classy the presentation is on the surface. There is a nice booklet and an extras disc. What were they talking about? Well, the extras really are kind of lame. I mean, they are great, but they really have nothing to do with the films, and they are short -- just interview footage from much later. And truth be told, I didn't get any new information out of the booklet, either. So, if you are optimistic Universal will take another stab at this and invest more in remastering and providing extras that mean something, you might want to wait. I felt it was time for me to have these movies, and I couldn't find any evidence a new version would be forthcoming. I am not disappointed I bought this box set, which has some of the best comedies ever filmed. But Universal definitely did not go the extra mile. "Jamison, take a letter to my lawyer..."

Average customer rating:

Only the Marx Brothers Hold Up.
Quotable Insanity
The Marx Brothers At Their Zaniest
Great!
Swordfish!

Horse Feathers
Starring: Groucho Marx , Harpo Marx , Chico Marx , Zeppo Marx , and Thelma Todd
Director: Norman Z. McLeod
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Monkey Business
Duck Soup
Animal Crackers
A Day at the Races
A Night at the Opera

ASIN: 6305080410
Release Date: 1998-08-05

Amazon.com essential video

Imagine Groucho as the president of a college and Harpo and Chico as football players. It doesn't get much wackier than this. Horse feathers, indeed. Groucho is hilarious to watch as a hip professor. He's at his most rebellious singing "Whatever it is, I'm against it." Thelma Todd does some of her best vamping to help fix the big football game, which Harpo and Chico are supposed to throw. Naturally, the brothers have other ideas. For sheer laughter, this has to rate almost as high as Duck Soup, with the memorable speakeasy sequence, and the funniest football finale of all time, complete with banana peels and a chariot. --Bill Desowitz

Description

The quintessential Marx Brothers comedy. Groucho, Harpo, Chico and yes, Zeppo, are at their manic peak in this uproariously anarchic parody of college life.

Customer Reviews:

Only the Marx Brothers Hold Up. .......2007-02-26

I've never been a Three Stooges guy, and, frankly, I think most of the stuff from the twenties and thirties, humor wise, is utterly dated today--except for the Marx Brothers. Groucho et al remain horn and painted moustache above their peers with the only type of shtick that consistently holds up in our new century. Horse Feathers, like Duck Soup, is timeless due to the volcanic creativity of its dialogue. Groucho's cranial word play is an asset which he brings into his every scene appearance. Yes, Chico and Harpo are quite good, but Groucho is absolutely exquisite. I was surprised by how many times I laughed aloud during these seventy minutes. The spin on college and football, while rather superficial, remain fresh on the ear. Hopefully, young people can be persuaded to give these old masters a chance; they'll be extremely pleased should they do so.

Quotable Insanity.......2006-10-01

All four Marx Brothers star in this hilarious movie set at a college. Groucho becomes the president of a college and everything goes haywire. His son Zeppo is seeing the "college widow" (Thelma Todd), so pop takes it upon himself to romance her himself to steal her away from his son! Also, he goes to a speakeasy to enlist the help of two men to make the football team better than any other. Instead, he enlists Chico and Harpo which wreaks havoc on the school. Goodbye books, goodbye plot, goodbye sanity; the Marx Brothers are here!

This movie is a laugh a minute, and even if you're not a fan of black and white movies, you'll love this film. It is filled with puns, wit, visual humor, fast pacing, random events, and fun. It's got something for everyone, and everyone must see this movie.

The Marx Brothers At Their Zaniest.......2006-04-24

To anyone who has never seen a Marx Brothers film, it's hard to describe. "Horse Feathers" just may be the wackiest, corniest, dumbest, funniest and just plain craziest movie you've ever seen. It could be any one of those adjectives. In my opinion, it's all of them. It's my favorite film of these guys.

Perhaps no film has so many of the above-listed descriptions, in spades, as this one does. It just leaves you shaking your head. Some of the lines in here are some of the best I've ever heard and some of the scenes and jokes are the dumbest I've ever seen. One thing for sure: they come at you at a machine-gun pace. You barely have time to digest what you just saw and heard and there's another joke coming at you. You can barely keep up with it all. The football scenes at the end of the film are the most outrageous I have ever seen. They, like much of the movie, have to be seen to be believed. Yes, the latter is a little too ridiculous but, hey, that''s the Marx Brothers.

The only breaks from the non-stop jokes comes when one of the brothers decides to sing a song or play the piano or harp. Those tunes are so-so. The long harp solo by Harpo is too long. I read once where the brothers were opposed to having that in this movie...and they were proved right; it didn't fit. Other than that, this is 67 minutes of pure insanity.

Great!.......2005-07-10

Here is one of my favorite Marx brothers movies. This time Groucho plays professor Wagstaff. He shaves just seconds before he lectures, and, well, like in every other Marx brothers movie, even though he's put in an important position requiring lots of responsibility, he just goofs off and horses around.

Groucho says one of my favorite puns ever in this movie. While speaking about geography, he mentions the Alps and says, "The Lord Alps those who Alps themselves." D-ohhhhh.

This movie reminds me of when the 3 Stooges played football, except the Marx Brothers are even more chaotic about it. Despite professor wagstaff not being a player in any way, shape, or form, with no uniform on, he waltzes on the field and knocks people down. Harpo drives a horse and cart onto the field too. It's madness.

This is a great family film. It's funny, it's zany, and it's appropriate.

Swordfish!.......2005-04-08

The Marx Brothers take over Huxley College - the ultimate cure for what is wrong with education. Groucho is the new president, and Chico and Harpo are "bought" out of a speakeasy to play on the school's football team. There is also something to do with a college widow and a kidnapping, but the details don't matter. This picture is among their very best, just about even with DUCK SOUP. Even the songs, especially "Everybody Says I Love You" which all 4 brothers interpret, are good. The scene in the classroom with Groucho as the teacher explaining about "phagosytes" as he dodges peas shot from peashooters is a gem. Definitely worth a watch.

The Marx Brothers Box: Animal Crackers/ Duck Soup/Horse Feathers

Average customer rating:

Must Have Classics For Any Marx Fan!
Captain Spaulding Saves the Day!!!
DO NOT BUY!
The Marx Brothers Strike Back
A must for true Marx Brothers Fans

The Marx Brothers Box: Animal Crackers/ Duck Soup/Horse Feathers
Starring: Groucho Marx , Harpo Marx , Chico Marx , Zeppo Marx , and Lillian Roth
Director: Victor Heerman , Leo McCarey , and Norman Z. McLeod
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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A Night at the Opera
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ASIN: B00001O2GJ
Release Date: 1999-10-12

Description

Animal Crackers (1930, 97 min.) - In their second film, those madcap masters of mayhem, the Marx Brothers, are at it again in a zany laughfest. When a valuable painting turns up missing at a party, the Marx boys are right in the middle of it all, gumming up the works at every turn. As pseudo-adventurer Captain Spaulding, Groucho shoots an elephant in his pajamas and sings his classic song "Hooray for Captain Spaulding." "Horse Feathers" (1932, 67 min.) - The quintessential Marx Brothers comedy. The four brothers are at their manic peak in this uproariously anarchic parody of college life, including the funniest football game in the history of film. Also starring the luminescent Thelma Todd. And remember, the secret password is "swordfish." "Duck Soup" (1933, 68 min.) - The Marx Brothers are at their hilarious best in this insanely political satire. Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo too set international relations on its ear--and puts the audience in stitches--with their rapid-fire wit and comedic hijinks. English:Mono.

Customer Reviews:

Must Have Classics For Any Marx Fan!.......2006-02-19

I absolutely love my set, contrary to other reviews i've read on here, the quality is great, sound quality is great, and overall i am extremely satisfied with the price as these are hard to find on DVD. This is a must-have for any Marx Brothers Fan!

Captain Spaulding Saves the Day!!!.......2003-11-06

I was lucky enough to get these DVDs during the monkey business stating that these films were being re-released. And the price went down from $700 to $200-$300. Still pretty expensive, but well worth it for any true Marx Brother's fan. They're only being released in the non-USA (PAL) version. And I think many (including myself) were confused by the new 5 DVD set that's coming out in Nov. I was hoping that this set would include 5 of their movies, but it's just a documentary type film (one that I'm eager to see). To sum this all up, I give this DVD set 10 stars....5 more than the amazon rating system allows.

DO NOT BUY!.......2003-10-15

As usual, you have some people trying to rip you off here, charging $305 for 3 DVDs. And they probably call themselves fans of American comedy. Ha!

There's a 5 DVD "Marx Bros Collection" coming out in November 03, and the price will be about $25. So preorder it, and spend the other $280 on your kids!

The Marx Brothers Strike Back.......2002-07-19

Groucho and his brothers serve up yet another couple of classics. Animal Crackers is a terrific movie, but Duck Soup will always be my favorite of the two. Each of the Marxes has their own unique style and personality on the silver screen, and they all blend together for a wholly entertaining mix. If you want slapstick, you'd better stick to the The Three Stooges. However, I highly recommend these videos to anyone who enjoys wordplay and intelligent comedy.

A must for true Marx Brothers Fans.......2001-11-17

This is a high quality copy of three Max Brothers classics. A Night at the Opera, and A Day at the Races would have properly complete the collection but they were from a different studio. At the time of my purchase neither was available on DVD. These are great movies for the hollidays for those people who are tired of Christmas Story or It a wonderful life.

Horse Feathers [Chico Marx and Zeppo Marx]

Average customer rating:

Horse Feathers [Chico Marx and Zeppo Marx]
Starring: Zeppo Marx
Director: Norman Z. McLeod
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

Product Description

One of the Marx Brother's greatest, most zany films, with numerous one-liners. Groucho is Professor Wagstaff, president of Huxley College, who mistakenly hires Chico, the local speakeasy bootlegger and iceman, and his assistant Harpo, a dogcatcher, as professional football players, so Huxley College can beat their rivals at Darwin.

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