Marx Brothers - Monkey Business

Marx Brothers - Monkey Business is a classic comedy. Released in 1931, it is a black and white film. It follows four characters - Groucho, Harpo, Zeppo, and Chico Marx and their antics. The story begins on a cruise ship, on which the four men are stowaways. Once discovered, they spend the remainder of the voyage attempting to elude the sailors seeking to throw them in the brig. During this process, Groucho and Zeppo somehow end up in the employment of a mob boss; Harpo and Chico end up in the employment of the rival mob boss (the daughter of whom Zeppo has fallen in love with). Needless to say, none of them are very good in their employment. More trouble for them ensues when they try to get off of the ship, for which they need passports (which they do not have). Eventually, they make it off the ship.

They next end up at the party for the daughter of the second mob boss. The first mob boss hatches a plan to kidnap the daughter, for which he seeks Groucho's help. When he is successful in kidnapping her, her father is panicked. Therefore, the four brothers go to the barn that she has been taken to in order to rescue her. Well - Zeppo goes to rescue her. The other three just add commentary and sound effects as they watch their brother being beaten up until the girl's father finally arrives and helps him out.

The film is very well made. The humor is of a kind that can be just as appreciated now as it was back then. The characters are not particularly sophisticated, nor is the humor, which adds to the charm of the film. Harpo's character adds an interesting element, as he never speaks; it works really well. There are parts of the film which were obviously filmed in slow motion and then sped up, which are very obvious (such as jabbing someone with a pitchfork). The film technology is not as sophisticated as it is today, but it is still good for its time. The film is so engaging that it is easy to forget that it is black and white. The Marx Brothers really broke the ground on this style of humor. Additionally, there are several instances which were added solely to showcase the musical talents of the brothers.