Director Sam Wood also helmed the Marx Bros. film A NIGHT AT THE OPERA, which came out in 1935. Most of the same cast appeared in both films. OPERA is often listed as the better film, but I think that RACES is a more complete film. As you can see from my three star rating, I don’t find it a classic though.
Groucho, Chico and Harpo are wonderful comedians and performers, but their films are stock comedies, which are relatively just a string of gags. Throughout watching this and OPERA, I kept thinking, “Will future generations view Adam Sandler films as art?” I’m not saying that the Marx Bros. are bad in a Sandler kind of way, but they’re the same culturally. Broad comedy that appeals to the masses, which were very successful.
In RACES, Chico plays Tony, a driver for a sanitarium, which is run by the beautiful Judy Standish (Maureen O’Sullivan, TARZAN THE APE MAN). The sanitarium is about to go under, so Judy’s singer boyfriend Gil Stewart (Allan Jones, SHOW BOAT) buys a racehorse to win the money to save the place. However, Judy doesn’t like that Gil is gambling his savings away. Judy’s real hope is that rich patient Emily Upjohn (Margaret Dumont, DUCK SOUP) will donate money to the hospital.
However, Ms. Upjohn has been wooed by a doctor named Hackenbush (Groucho), who she met in Florida. To keep Upjohn happy, Judy hires Hugo Z. Hackenbush. What no one knows is that Hackenbush is really a horse doctor. And lets not forget Harpo as Stuffy the jockey.
The arch of the story is Gil, Chico and Harpo’s attempts to save the sanitarium, especially keeping Hackenbush’s secret from the serious people in the cast. Each of the brothers has their own shtick. Harpo is the silent clown, Chico is the straight conman and Groucho is the witty, sarcastic scammer. I like Groucho the best because he’s witty and comments on the action. My favorite Marx Bros. joke is in this film when Groucho is courting Flo Marlowe (Esther Muir, THE GREAT ZIEGFELD) and she asks him several times to hold her closer. His response, “If I hold you any closer, I’ll be behind ya!” Chico is the heart of the three, but sometimes his gags go on too long like the book gag at the racetrack. Harpo is really hit or miss for me. He is a clown and when it serves the action it can be very funny, but when it’s completely random it feels like awkward filler.
The Marx Bros. films seem like they’re formed by committee at times. Constructed instead of written. They pick settings and come up with jokes to fit. Each film has to have a few songs, a dance number and a chance for Chico and Harpo to show off their piano and harp playing skills respectively. The plots are all formula with the Marx Bros. kind of standing on the side and helping the plot along.
That’s another problem with the film, Gil and Judy have the real problem, but they’re boring filler, so that the Marx’s don’t have to be on screen the whole time. Unlike Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, Fields, these clowns aren’t at the heart of the story. Other parts of the film seem like improv, which sometimes makes for a great spontaneous feeling, but at other times seems like the brothers are reaching for material to fill dead space.
So in the end why do I recommend them? Because they’re funny. Funny enough to warrant a watch. The Marx Bros. have influenced countless comedians who have stolen their vibe straight out or even improved upon it in some cases. I don’t care if I see this film again, but I do care to see other Marx Bros. films. They’re fun, but a bit disposable in my book.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
