Animal Crackers

"The maddest comics of them all!"

1930 1h 38m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

🔥

97%

CERTIFIED FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

7.4

IMDB

★6.9TMDB · 275🍅97%Rotten Tomatoes●77Metacritic★7.4IMDB · 15,486

ComedyMusic

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The well-known explorer and hunter Captain Spaulding has just returned from Africa, and is being welcomed home with a lavish party at the estate of influential society matron Mrs. Rittenhouse when a valuable painting goes missing. The intrepid Captain Spaulding attempts to solve the crime with the help of his silly secretary Horatio Jamison, while sparring with the anarchic Signor Emanuel Ravelli and his nutty sidekick The Professor.

“The maddest comics of them all!”

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Cast

Groucho Marx
Captain Jeffrey T. Spaulding
Harpo Marx
The Professor
Chico Marx
Signor Emanuel Ravelli
Zeppo Marx
Horatio Jamison
Lillian Roth
Arabella Rittenhouse
Margaret Dumont
Mrs. Rittenhouse
Louis Sorin
Roscoe Chandler
Hal Thompson
John Parker

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Victor Heerman
Writers: Morrie Ryskind, George S. Kaufman
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

96 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

CRAFT

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Victor Heerman, shot by George J. Folsey. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Max Reese. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Groucho Marx and Harpo Marx and Chico Marx carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The maddest comics of them all!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0020640 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Victor Heerman directs. George J. Folsey behind the camera. Max Reese scores. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

196 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
3Directed by Victor Heerman, shot by George J. Folsey. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Max Reese. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Groucho Marx and Harpo Marx and Chico Marx carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "The maddest comics of them all!".
7IMDB entry: tt0020640 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: George J. Folsey
Original score: Max Reese
Runtime: 98 min · 1h 38m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): G
IMDB: Animal Crackers (1930)
Rotten Tomatoes: 97% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 77/100
IMDB rating: 7.4/10 · 15,486 votes
MPAA: G
US box office: $910,015

Awards

2 nominations

Also by

Victor Heerman

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-06-13
★ 7/10
So a renowned explorer ("Capt. Spaulding" - Groucho Marx) returns from doing his David Livingstone in Africa and attends a lavish reception in his honour. Whilst at this swanky soirée, a very valuable painting is stolen and so he, along with Harpo, Chico & Zeppo all pitch in to recover it for their hostess; the glamorous but no-nonsense "Mrs. Rittenhouse" (Margaret Dumont - who frequently struggles to keep a straight face during the ensuing shenanigans!). It quickly accelerates into a rapid-fire series of set-piece sketches - and the best game of bridge you're ever likely to see on screen - with some wonderfully timed one liners. I always found Groucho's accent a bit tiring after a while - his really thick New York accent is not so easy on the ears, but that's an incidental criticism of a really fun vehicle for four folks who just knew how to make us laugh. Maybe one too many musical hiatuses that slow it down somewhat, but hey - you're bound to enjoy most of it.

Production companies