Duck Soup (1933)
91%RT Audience Score: 91%
Awards & Nominations: 2 wins & 2 nominations
Fueled by inspired silliness and blessed with some of the Marx brothers’ most brilliant work, Duck Soup is one of its — or any — era’s finest comedies.
Duck Soup is a timeless classic that will have you laughing out loud. The Marx Brothers’ humor is sharp and witty, and the slapstick is still hilarious today. The film’s commentary on dictatorship, religion, and warfare is still relevant, making it a must-watch for anyone who loves political satire. Plus, who doesn’t love a good mirror-smashing scene? Even if you’re not a fan of old movies, give Duck Soup a chance – you won’t regret it!
Production Company(ies)
Highline Pictures, Camera One Endless Picnic
Distributor
Paramount Pictures, MCA/Universal Home Video
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Loja, Granada, Andalucía, Spain
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
1933
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Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
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Runtime:1h 10m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Nov 17, 1933 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 9, 2004
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
Comedy, Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Margaret Dumont, Leo McCarey, Herman J Mankiewicz, box office, budget, reviewed by Kate Muir, Peter Bradshaw, David Jenkins, Tom Huddleston, Brian Eggert, Sarah Brinks, Forsyth Hardy, MPAA rating, Paramount Pictures, MCA/Universal Home Video, mono sound mix, Rufus T Firefly, Pinky, Chicolini, Lt Bob Roland, Vera Marcal, Freedonia, Sylvania, revolution, war, slapstick, puns, physical gags, musical numbers, timeless humor, Marx Brothers, Marx films, comedy genre, inspiration, election night, mayhem, dictatorship, religion, pointless warfare
Worldwide gross: $103,800
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $2,901,826
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,323
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 316,448
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Harpo Marx – Pinky
Chico Marx – Chicolini
Zeppo Marx – Lt. Bob Roland
Margaret Dumont – Mrs. Gloria Teasdale
Raquel Torres – Vera Marcal
Director(s)
Leo McCarey
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
Herman J. Mankiewicz
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 2 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (53) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (5)
It turns out that the sharp-tongued humour of Groucho Marx is ageless, the slapstick timely and the subject matter still pertinent: loony dictatorship, religion, pointless warfare.
January 16, 2015 | Rating: 4/5
Kate Muir
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
The sheer silliness is inspired …
January 15, 2015 | Rating: 5/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Questioning the canonical standing of a titan such as Duck Soup seems like an exercise in questioning the tastes of those who like it rather than the upbraiding the comedy mechanics of the film itself.
January 15, 2015 | Rating: 3/5
David Jenkins
Little White Lies
TOP CRITIC
Genius just about covers it.
January 12, 2015 | Rating: 5/5
Tom Huddleston
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Duck Soup should make practically everybody laugh.
June 27, 2007
Joe Bigelow
Variety
TOP CRITIC
The Marx Brothers’ best movie…
June 27, 2007
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Duck Soup might be the only Marx Brothers film that feels completely in tune with their brand of humor, which, then and now, is downright radical.
February 12, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
I found it tedious and not very funny. The fact that it was short was a relief but I don’t think I will seek out any more films by the Marx Brothers.
April 1, 2021
Sarah Brinks
Battleship Pretension
One incidental sequence of slapstick in which Harpo smashes a mirror and then appears opposite Groucho as his reflection, is the funniest thing in any Marx film since The Cocoanuts.
February 3, 2021
Forsyth Hardy
Cinema Quarterly
Babbling absurdity is the main ingredient and chaos is the result, with random jokes, skits, and sketches composing the bulk of the story.
July 26, 2020 | Rating: 9/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
The Marx Brothers in one of their slighter divertissements. Funny and wild, but not wildly funny.
July 23, 2019
Ann Ross
Maclean’s Magazine
Obviously desperate for material, the Four Marx Brothers tried everything from musical comedy sequences to a I-et ‘Em Eat Cake burlesque revolution. An uneven production but some of the sketches are worth the money.
June 6, 2019
Pare Lorentz
Vanity Fair…
Plot
The country of Freedonia is in the middle of a financial crisis and on the brink of revolution. In order to gain a bail-out from the wealthy Mrs Teasdale, the government appoints Rufus T Firefly as its president. However, Mr Firefly shuns the pomp and pretentiousness of government; along with the prudence and rationality of it too. Meanwhile, the neighbouring country of Sylvania is plotting to overthrow Freedonia and sends Pinky and Chicolini to spy on Firefly. War seems inevitable.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Groucho Marx’s character, Rufus T. Firefly, has been compared to Charlie Chaplin’s character in The Great Dictator and had a clear influence on Sacha Baron Cohen’s Admiral General Aladeen.
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