Monkey Business Reviews

One of the Marx Brothers' funniest films, MONKEY BUSINESS was their first to be written directly for the screen and is noticeably less stagy than earlier efforts. The boys have stowed away on an ocean liner and race from stateroom to stateroom in order to keep from being clapped in the brig. Harpo gets involved with a Punch and Judy show and delights all of the kids on the vessel (as well as all the adults in the audience). The Marxes become embroiled with Fellowes and Woods, a pair of well-dressed and well-heeled gangsters. Hall, the daughter of a hoodlum, is kidnapped and winds up in a barn after being at a masquerade ball. In the finale, Zeppo, the "straight" brother, goes after the tough hoodlum, while Groucho leaps from one bale of hay to another, offering one-liners as punctuation to the punches. Things slow down a bit when Chico tickles the ivories and Harpo plucks the harp. Thelma Todd handles the female ingenue work well enough and dances the tango well with Groucho. All members of the supporting cast are as effective as they can be in the midst of the comedic cyclone.