"Duck Soup" is a comedy machine gun. Its jokes and gags come quickly and constantly in a barrage of rat-a-tat-tat amusement. It is a fully funny, wholly high-energy romp whose only misfire may be that not every bit of wit flows organically from its narrative; but this is a tiny quibble as "Duck Soup" is clearly constructed to be a showcase of Marx Brothers mirth.

A political satire that skewers foreign relations, war, national treasures, and national treasuries, Leo McCarey's "Duck Soup" begins with Groucho Marx's Rufus T. Firefly being named head of the nation of Freedonia. From there, jokes, musical numbers, and mostly solid plotting fly in torrents. The narrative is a sturdy foundation for sturdy comedy.

The timely-even-today…

I finished watching this and went immediately to my Favourite film by year list for the 30s. Somehow I put The testament of Dr Mabuse ahead of this. At least I did say in the notes that 1933 was a hell of a year and I could have chosen one of ten films.

It is, of course, pretty much perfect. Harpo and Chico and Louis Calhern, Harpo and Chico and the Lemonade seller. The songs, the mirror. Margaret Dumont. Most things Groucho says.

It does that weird cumulative thing that the best comedies do that have you laughing at the memory of having laughed or the suggestion of laughing so that you couldn't for a minute nail down just what…

2019: The Pieper Review -- Film #35 (1/17/2019)

This has been on the list for some time. I had definitely seen the last 20 minutes at some point, but I was glad I watched the entire thing so that I could appreciate the Unspooled episode. All in all, the constant stupidity is becomes a little grating and ultimately predicts the Trump administration.

There is no plot, all gags. They are barely even attempting a plot. The movie is under an hour and ten minutes. I feel like more constructed comedies impress me a little more than this does, but there is no denying that this flick has its moments. Quotable lines abound and the last ten minutes, especially the musical…

Imposible alcanzar a pescar todos los chistes que tiene esta película en sus apenas 68 minutos de duración. No había terminado de reirme con alguna frase genial de Groucho, cuando ya se me estaban yendo 3 o 4 diálogos comiquísimos, alguna secuencia física por parte de Harpo o detalles hilarantes al fondo del cuadro que, de lo que alcanzaba a cachar, me hacían reír con ganas. Y para partirse en dos, la secuencia del espejo. Seguro la hemos visto repetida más de 100 veces en caricaturas, series o en otras películas, pero lo que hace aquí Groucho frente a su impostor, como si se tratara de su reflejo, es joya pura de la comedia.

Y por supuesto siempre va a…