Nickel Tour: Duck Soup (1933)

Here's the nickel tour:

Yep, this is a Marx Brothers film. Someone over on the IMDB calls this one of the greatest comedies of all time. I disagree. I've seen too much of this film already. Too many of my contemporaries have aped the Marx Brothers' routines and gags and bits. Almost every time Groucho set up a bit, I knew the punchline already. Whenever Harpo did something obnoxious, I'd wonder why nobody saw him and/or cleaned his clock. Whenever Chico spoke, I wondered what was up with the lingo. I don't recall Zeppo doing anything particularly notable. I'll say this, though- watching the camerawork really hits home the fact that back then, movies weren't really movies yet; they were stage productions on film. I give it a "I'd rather watch Buster Keaton."