A DAY AT THE RACES

US, 1937, 111 minutes. Black and white.
The Marx Brothers, Allan Jones, Maureen O’ Sullivan, Margaret Dumont, Leonard Ceeley, Douglass Dumbrille, Esther Muir, Sig Ruman.
Directed by Sam Wood.

A Day at the Races is considered one of the classics of the Marx Brothers’ work at MGM. However, A Night at the Opera, also directed by Sam Wood, stands out as the best of these films. A Day at the Races was followed by At the Circus, Go West and The Big Store.

The film has entertaining turns from each of the brothers. Groucho Marx is a vet, Doctor Hugo Hackenbush who is instated as the head of medicine at a sanitarium The reason he is there is that he has been recommended by Mrs Upjohn, played, as usual, by Margaret Dumont – one of her best roles, which she seems to be relishing, especially in the dance sequences and in the final song. The romantic leads are Allan Jones and Maureen O' Sullivan. Douglass Dumbrille is once again the villain – as he was in The Big Store. Esther Muir plays a vamp – and audiences will remember her exchanges of ‘thank you’ with Groucho Marx.

The screenplay is corny – the sanitarium with financial difficulties, the various devices to help get the money to save the sanitarium, Chico Marx inviting Doctor Hackenbush to the sanatorium, Harpo Marx as a jockey, Allan Jones inheriting a horse, the sheriff after the horse – and the fickle accountant (Leonard Ceeley) and Douglass Dumbrille wanting to take over the sanitarium.

There are some highlights, as always, in the Marx Brothers’ films. There is a scene where Chico persuades Groucho to pay up for getting various books to help him place a bet on a horse (a similar routine is to be found in Go West). There is also a dance sequence in a casino, there is a rendezvous sequence which Chico and Harpo invade, there is the final race.

Chico has the opportunity as always to play the piano. Harpo plays the piano and then demolishes it, getting the strings out of it to make a harp. There is also a very long featured sequence with African American children and adults, a blend of negro spiritual and jive. It is interesting for a film of 1937 to give such prominence to African American singers and dancers, especially in the grand finale with everybody singing.

Allan Jones appeared in The Firefly singing The Donkey Serenade, in A Night at the Opera. He was the father of singer Jack Jones. Maureen O’ Sullivan is attractive as the leading lady, appearing as Jane Parker in several Johnny Weismuller Tarzan films at this time.

Director Sam Wood had made A Night at the Opera, was to go on to make much more serious films including Goodbye Mr Chips, The Pride of the Yankees, For Whom the Bell Tolls.

Essential viewing for the history of the Marx Brothers in cinema.