Daily Archives: May 2, 2013

A Night at the Opera
Directed by Sam Wood
1935/USA
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Repeat viewing
#90 of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

[box] Otis B. Driftwood: I saw Mrs. Claypool first. Of course, her mother really saw her first but there’s no point in bringing the Civil War into this.[/box]

Let’s see, is there a plot?  Well, Mrs. Claypool (Margaret Dumont) has hired Otis B. Driftwood (Groucho Marx) to get her into high society, an unlikely proposition if ever there was one.  His brilliant idea is for her to invest in the New York Opera.  In the meantime, Fiorello (Chico Marx) and Tomasino (Harpo Marx) are promoting a tenor (Allan Jones) who is in love with a soprano played by Kitty Carlisle.  They all end up on a ship at some point and hilarity ensues.

This is the one with the “sanity clause” contract bit and the stateroom scene.  There are a lot of laughs but perhaps a little too much singing.  As usual, my favorite part of any Marx Brothers movie is when Chico plays the piano.  Here he does a rendition of “All I Do Is Dream of You” to a group of enthralled children.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUS-FnxUJb8

Re-release trailer

Mutiny on the Bounty
Directed by Frank Lloyd
1935/USA
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Repeat viewing
#89 of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

[box] Captain William Bligh: I’ll live to see you – all of you – hanging from the highest yardarm in the British fleet.[/box]

In 1787, the HMS Bounty departs Portsmouth for Tahiti, carrying a crew largely composed of impressed sailors.  The ship is helmed by Captain William Bligh (Charles Laughton).  His second in command is Fletcher Christian (Clark Gable) .  Christian befriends a first-voyage midshipman Roger Byam (Franchot Tone).  Bligh’s idea of enforcing discipline is with the lash and he also keeps his men on tight rations to line his own pockets.  When Christian takes Bligh to task for this, Bligh plots revenge.  Bligh’s cruelty only increases on the return journey from Tahiti.  Christian then takes matters into his own hands and casts Bligh and the men loyal to him adrift in a launch, but Bligh refuses to admit defeat.

As soon as I heard Herbert Stothart’s rousing score coming up under the credits of this big-budget MGM production, I had that comforting feeling that this movie would be, if nothing else, entertaining and I was right.  The script moves along at a good pace and the production values are first-rate.  We are even treated to location shots in French Polynesia.  Kudos must go to Charles Laughton for one of his very best performances.  I always enjoy his work but usually feel like I am watching an actor wink at the audience.  Here, he plays it very straight and is excellent. Highly enjoyable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtmV2tpbnjA

Trailer