"A Night at the Opera" (1935) Quiz

Answer: Three

This film established the magic threesome of Groucho, Harpo and Chico. Zeppo had played the leading man in previous films but by this time he had left the act to pursue business interests. Although appearing in the early vaudeville acts, Gummo never appeared in the films.

Allan Jones plays the romantic lead - he's the father of singer Jack Jones.

Answer: Otis B. Driftwood

Groucho is always Groucho, whatever the name. Dr Hackenbush appears in "A Day at the Races". It allegedly had to be changed from Dr Quackenbush after a real Dr Quackenbush complained.

Answer: "She reminded me of you"

As usual, Margaret Dumont plays the gullible wealthy widow, worth $8 million, to Groucho's fortune hunter.

Later in the film Groucho explains to his rival, the opera producer Gottlieb:

"Listen Gottlieb, you're just wasting your time; if Mrs Claypool wants to marry a fortune hunter she's always got me. As a matter of fact, you can hardly call me a fortune hunter because when I first proposed to Mrs Claypool I thought she only had $7 million. But the extra million has never interfered with my feelings for her."

What a romantic fool!

Answer: They physically rip bits of paper out of the contract

Whenever they meet a clause that displeases either one of them they rip it out until they are left with a tiny piece of paper each.

Hey, says Chico, holding up his scrap of paper, "How is it my contract is skinnier than yours?" and Groucho replies: "I don't know, you must have been out on the tear last night." That's probably an in-joke as Chico was well known for his partying and card-playing antics, and if you look hard you can see Chico smiling at that one.

Answer: The Sanity Clause

Groucho: "That's what they call a sanity clause."
Chico: "HaHaHa. You can't fool me. There ain't no Sanity Claus."

Arguably one of their best one-liners, this is the classic Marx brothers routine where they are both trying to con the other, as well as send up the legal profession. At the very end of the film, Groucho and Chico start to replay the contract scene all over again but this time with Gottlieb as their victim.

Answer: Hide in Groucho's travelling trunk

Surprised to find people instead of clothes inside his travelling trunk, Groucho asks if they happen to have seen his spare suit.
Chico: "Yeah, it took up too much room so we sold it."
Groucho: "Did you get anything for it?"
"A dollar and 40 cents."
"That sounds like my suit alright!"

Never mind, continues Groucho, I left a spare shirt in the drawer. Then he opens it only to find Harpo curled up inside - snoring. "Shh!" says Chico. "Don't wake him up. He's gotta insomnia, he's trying to sleep it off."

Answer: Serious overcrowding

Suite 58, the ship cabin, is misleadingly named the State Room, so Groucho is shocked to see that it barely fits a single bed and his trunk. "Fifty-eight?! That's an awful big number for a birdcage this size. Wouldn't it be simpler if you just put the State Room in the trunk?"

There then ensues one of the best loved and most famous scenes of the film as more and more people pile in to the tiny space, 15 in total including a manicurist (Groucho asks her to cut his nails short as they may need the room) and a woman looking for her Aunt Minnie; when the maids come to make the bed Groucho says "Come on in, girls, and abandon all hope" - good advice with Harpo around.

Answer: Plays piano

If the tune seems familiar it was later re-used in "Singin' in the Rain" as Debbie Reynold's opening number: "All I do the whole day through is dream of you..."

Chico played this scene live, there was no dubbing track or post-production over-dubs and edits, so what you see and hear is what he really did. Charming and unique entertainment!

Answer: The three greatest aviators in the world

"The three greatest aviators but you'll notice they're travelling by boat," quips Groucho.

The stowaways impersonate the famous aviators with Groucho acting as their interpreter, and would have got away with it if it wasn't for the mute Harpo being asked to give a speech to waiting reporters on land. They feign great insult when they are accused of being imposters, allowing Groucho to say his famous line: "Of course, you know this means war!"

Bugs Bunny stole that line! In fact, Bugs Bunny stole the whole act.

Answer: Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Classic vaudeville, the orchestra plays Verdi's beautiful overture only to sweep into a full orchestral version of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game".

Chico and Harpo stand up in the orchestra pit and play a mini-baseball game using a violin as a bat, while Groucho walks through the aisle hawking peanuts! And then the entire night at the opera descends into the true classic Marx brothers comic chaos that we've all been waiting for.