Duck Soup (1933)

My Review

“Duck Soup” is a musical comedy featuring the Marx Brothers in a story about a small mythical country going bankrupt, with Groucho becoming president. A neighboring country sends in spies, played by Harpo and Chico, to set the stage for a revolution. Director Leo McCarey (“Going My Way” 1944) put together a respectable comedy that offended Benito Mussolini so much that he banned the film from Italy!

The stars of the show are Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, and Zeppo Marx. This would be Zeppo’s final film appearance. Co-stars include Margaret Dumont, Louis Calhern, Raquel Torres, Edgar Kennedy, Edmund Breese, Edwin Maxwell, and Verna Hillie. The watchable “Duck Soup” was a break-even at the box office for producer Herman J. Mankiewicz and Paramount Pictures.