STUFF YOU GOTTA WATCH - A Day at the Races

A DAY AT THE RACES

(1937)
With Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Margaret Dumont, Allen Jones, Maureen O'Sullivan, Esther Muir, Douglas Dumbrille
Directed by Sam Wood
Black and White
Reviewed by JL and JB

The last great Marx Brothers film has several problems, but its comedy scenes are among the best they ever did. Scenes such as Groucho and Chico's "tutsi-frutsi" encounter, Groucho dancing and dining with Esther Muir, Mr. Whitmore's "Florida call," and the medical examinations of Harpo and Margaret Dumont are perhaps even funnier than anything they did in their previous and more-heralded film A NIGHT AT THE OPERA. But RACES is where the soon-to-be-predictable Marx Brothers Formula took firm hold as the brothers competed for screen time with the romantic leads, musical numbers, and horses. On Laurel and Hardy Central, we often talk about the "Day at the Races Syndrome" in filmmaking... and this is the film that suffers from it most of all. - JL

Producer Irving Thalberg forced rewrite after rewrite of A DAY AT THE RACES, and with each new script, the project became less wacky, less satirical and more conventional. RACES follows Thalberg's rules for A NIGHT AT THE OPERA slavishly, but this time, instead of the love story and musical scenes being mini-breathers in between the Marx Brothers madcap routines, the comedy scenes are vaudeville turns performed to break up the plethora of plot scenes and musical productions. Luckily, those vaudeville turns are among the funniest the Marxes ever performed, so in the end, most, of not all, is forgiven. Thalberg died before the completion of the film, leaving fans to wonder if RACES wouldn't have turned better.

It certainly could have. A few years back I was making a tape for a friend of mine, and had about an hour left to fill. So I made an abbreviated version of A DAY AT THE RACES, cutting out all the music and half the plot scenes. The thing flew by like DUCK SOUP on wheels. It could have ranked as their greatest movie instead of one of their most bloated.

On a musical note, "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm" and "Tomorrow is Another Day" are two damn fine songs, but unfortunately they appear so late in this overlong extravaganza, it is hard to care any more. It has been said that "Alone" is the only hit song to emerge from a Marx Brothers film, but if numerous jazz renditions count for anything, "All God's Chillun" will live on forever. - JB

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ADD ANOTHER QUOTE AND MAKE IT A GALLON

"I want you to hold me! Hold me closer! Closer! Closer!"
"If I hold you any closer, I'll be in back of you."

HOW IS IT A DAME LIKE THAT NEVER GETS SICK?

The first script for A DAY AT THE RACES was a wacky, Parmountish tale called PEACE AND QUIET. It was rejected by Irving Thalberg.

Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby wrote a song, "Dr. Hackenbush", as Groucho's introductory number, but it was never filmed. Groucho later recorded it for commercial release.