Madcap mayhem from the Marx Brothers

Rating: 10/10 (3 October 2019)

The nation of Freedonia is in dire financial trouble and on the brink of revolution; its leader asks its wealthiest citizen, Mrs Teasdale, to bail it out with a twenty million dollar loan... she has one condition; Rufus T Firefly must be the new leader of the country. The leadership of the neighbouring country are determined to control Freedonia; when it looks as though the revolution has been stalled the plan to ferment a war between the two countries. To further this goal two spies are dispatched.
The basic plot could come from a serious film but as this stars the four Marx Brothers there is almost nothing obviously serious about it. The gags come thick and fast. We get the usual screwball slapstick, sight gags, verbal jousting and puns... if one joke doesn't amuse you there is a good chance that the next will. Groucho is on fine form as Firefly and Chico and Harpo impress as the two spies; as is often the case Zeppo has a fairly small role. While there are many great scenes my personal favourite had to be the perfectly executed 'mirror scene' where Groucho and 'Harpo disguised as Groucho' move in unison as if an image in a mirror with Groucho unsure if he is looking at a reflection of not. Overall I'd definitely say this is a classic and should be watched by anybody wanting a good laugh whatever their age.