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Apr 08, 2018
I really like The Marx Brothers. At the height of their popularity (between 1935-1945), Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and, sometimes, Zeppo (always playing the straight man), were one of Hollywood's funniest comedy teams, ever. Their unique brand of humour (a zany mix of slapstick, absurd situations, and racy innuendo/word-play) is genuinely hilarious, even when judged by today's standards. When The Marx Brothers were good, they were very, very, good. Indeed. But when they weren't so good - Well - Their wit and charm floundered somewhat, just as it did here in 1937's "A Day At The Races". A good part of this flick's problem can easily be blamed on there being way too much focus put on a boring romance. And this left The Marx Brothers out of the picture's limelight far too often. In "A Day At The Races" - Groucho, Harpo, and Chico (as characters Dr. Hackenbush, Stuffy, and Tony, respectively) try to save Judy's Health Sanatorium from being turned into a Casino by the ruthless villain, Morgan. This flick also contains a really splendid musical number that includes about 30 black performers whose ages ranged from about 5 to 40. It really rocks.