Wonkette Movie Night: Duck Soup

‘Gentlemen, Chicolini here may talk like an idiot, and look like an idiot, but don't let that fool you: He really is an idiot.’

Start with a 4 pound duck, add garlic, onion and ginger…

Oh wait wrong duck soup!

For this Duck Soup add 4 Marx brothers, some spicy Margaret Dumont, several cups of slapstick and a hefty sprinkling of digs at politics for a delicious comedy of ridiculousness.

So why is this movie called Duck Soup when the only ducks are in the opening credits, although Groucho’s character of Rufus T. Firefly does eat quackers in bed? Duck soup is an old expression meaning something that is effortless or a naïve person that is easy to get one over on, a sucker.

Mrs. Gloria Teasdale is an incredibly wealthy widow who the government of Freedonia is hoping will bail it out with a $20 million loan. That would be a little over $500 million in today’s world. But Mrs. Teasdale knows she has the power to buy the government she wants, even if it is a really bad choice based purely on her affections for one man. And that man is Rufus T. Firefly. Freedonia can have the money if they put Rufus in charge.

Rufus is a very unserious man who really has no interest in governing, although he does enjoy all the pomp and circumstance that goes with the job. Mr. Firefly also doesn’t have the knowledge or the skills for the task but that won’t stop him from trying. Now who does that sound like? At least Rufus is somewhat likable.

The neighboring country of Sylvania has sent its ambassador Trentino, an ambitious man who will use any underhanded trick to instigate a revolution in Freedonia that he hopes will give Sylvania control over the country. He has hired two inept spies to help him, Chicolini and Pinky.

But Rufus outdumbs (with a b) them all by making Chicolini the Secretary of War. As an insult and a slap has brought the two countries to the brink of war, Freedonia’s war plans are placed in the safe in Mrs. Teasdale’s home. Chicolini doesn’t have any interest in the testosterone of Freedonia’s army but is looking to get his hands on the war plans to gain an advantage.

With no one of intelligence or the courage to speak up in charge of Freedonia, the country stumbles into war with Sylvania. With Ambassador Trentino leading the fight for Sylvania, the bombing and shooting begin, with death and destruction following.

And this is a silly, slapstick comedy!

Duck Soup was the last film the Marx Brothers did for Paramount, where they had a five-film contract. The other movies were The Cocoanuts (1929), Animal Crackers (1930), Monkey Business (1931), and Horse Feathers (1932). I’ve included links to free versions if you want to have a Marx Brothers Marathon of your own!

Duck Soup stars Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Zeppo Marx, Margaret Dumont, Louis Calhern, Raquel Torres, and Edgar Kennedy. Directed by Leo McCarey.

Duck Soup is available for free on the Internet Archive (FF to 9:22); free on Vimeo; $3.99 in the usual places.

To make requests and see the movie lists and schedules, go to WonkMovie.

The animated short is The Three Marx Brothers. From 1962, it was a stop-motion animated show that was meant to be the start of a series from Screen Gems. But the show never happened and this animated short is all that was created.

Next week’s movie night selection is Gaslight (1944), available for free with ads on Xumo Play and Plex; $3.99 in the usual places.

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