Room Service Overview:

Room Service (1938) was a Comedy - Black-and-white Film directed by William A. Seiter and produced by George Abbott.

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Classic Films in Focus: ROOM SERVICE (1938)

By Jennifer Garlen on Jan 23, 2013 From Virtual Virago

There are several truly brilliant Marx Brothers films, including Duck Soup (1933) and A Night at the Opera (1935), but Room Service (1938), directed by William A. Seiter, offers little to compare with them. It's a shame, too, because in addition to the brothers we get Lucille Ball and a very young A... Read full article


Classic Films in Focus: ROOM SERVICE (1938)

By Jennifer Garlen on Jan 23, 2013 From Virtual Virago

There are several truly brilliant Marx Brothers films, including Duck Soup (1933) and A Night at the Opera (1935), but Room Service (1938), directed by William A. Seiter, offers little to compare with them. It's a shame, too, because in addition to the brothers we get Lucille Ball and a very young A... Read full article


Classic Films in Focus: ROOM SERVICE (1938)

By Jennifer Garlen on Jan 23, 2013 From Virtual Virago

There are several truly brilliant Marx Brothers films, including Duck Soup (1933) and A Night at the Opera (1935), but Room Service (1938), directed by William A. Seiter, offers little to compare with them. It's a shame, too, because in addition to the brothers we get Lucille Ball and a very young A... Read full article


Room Service

By RBuccicone on Jun 27, 2011 From MacGuffin Movies

Room Service (1938) ???? From what I have found?in my encounters with the Marx Brothers so far is that the films using some material of their stage shows and/or focused more on their antics than the actual story line are the ones that most tickle my fancy. Room Service, unfortunately, does neither. ... Read full article


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Quotes from

Harry Binelli: [taking off layers of clothing] Now I know how Gypsy Rose Lee feels.


Leo Davis: Well, if you fellows don't mind, I'm going to wash up.
Harry Binelli: Yeah, go ahead. The rest of us are already washed up.


Harry Binelli: Hello? Room Service. Bring up enough ice to cool a warm body.


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Facts about

The original play was adapted into a Marx Brothers screenplay by Morrie Ryskind, who co-wrote the stage and screen versions of The Cocoanuts and Animal Crackers and also co-wrote A Night at the Opera. Much of the original play's strong language had to be toned down for the screen, into milder expletives such as "Jumping Butterballs!"
The Broadway play "Room Service" opened at the Cort Theater on May 19, 1937 and ran for 500 performances (without The Marx Brothers). Cliff Dunstan, Donald MacBride, Philip Wood and Alexander Asro originated their movie roles in the play. Also in the opening night cast was Eddie Albert as Leo Davis, Betty Field as Hilda, Teddy Hart as Faker, Sam Levene as Gordon Miller and Philip Loeb (also in the movie) in a role cut from the screenplay. The play was revived in 1953 with Jack Lemmon as Leo Davis.
This is the first (and last) time The Marx Brothers worked with material not specially created for them.
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Also directed by William A. Seiter




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Also produced by George Abbott



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Also released in 1938




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