A Night at the Opera (1935) | |
| Director(s) | Sam Wood, Edmund Goulding (uncredited) |
| Producer(s) | Irving Thalberg (executive uncredited) |
| Top Genres | Comedy, Musical |
| Top Topics | Fame, Mistaken Identity, Romance (Comic), Romance (Musical), Slapstick |
Featured Cast:
A Night at the Opera Overview:
A Night at the Opera (1935) was a Comedy - Musical Film directed by Sam Wood and Edmund Goulding and produced by Irving Thalberg.
SYNOPSIS
Probably the finest hour in the Marx Brothers' stellar career, this was their first film for MGM and their first without Zeppo. It was assembled after Irving Thalberg's dictate that the show go on the road before it went in front of the cameras. The result was a polished, blissful union of critical and commercial smash. It features the seminal Marx Brothers juxtapositions of high society and absurdly crooked con men, in this case Groucho trying to waylay the fortune of perennial nemesis Dumont by persuading her to invest in an opera company. The stowaways in the jammed stateroom scene is one of the greatest bits of comedy ever put on film.
(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).
.A Night at the Opera was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1993.
BlogHub Articles:
Musical Monday: A Night at the Opera (1935)
on Aug 10, 2026 From Comet Over HollywoodIt?s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals. In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals. This week?s musical: A Night at the Opera (1935) ... Read full article
A Night at the Opera (1935) – Updated
By 4 Star Film Fan on Dec 29, 2015 From 4 Star FilmsThat’s in every contract, that’s what you call a sanity clause.” – Groucho You can’t a fool a me there ain’t no sanity clause” – Chico The Marx Brothers had a set formula, where everyone else played the drama straight and they do what ever they want. S... Read full article
Review: A Night at the Opera (1935) (1)
By 4 Star Film Fan on Dec 29, 2015 From 4 Star Films“That’s in every contract, that’s what you call a sanity clause.” – Groucho “You can’t a fool a me there ain’t no sanity clause” – Chico The Marx Brothers had a set formula, where everyone else played the drama straight and they did whateve... Read full article
Review: A Night at the Opera (1935) (2)
By 4 Star Film Fan on Dec 29, 2015 From 4 Star Films“That’s in every contract, that’s what you call a sanity clause.” – Groucho “You can’t a fool a me there ain’t no sanity clause” – Chico The Marx Brothers had a set formula, where everyone else played the drama straight and they did whateve... Read full article
A Night at the Opera (1935, Sam Wood)
By Andrew Wickliffe on Mar 2, 2015 From The Stop ButtonAs good as the Marx Brothers are in A Night at the Opera–and George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind’s strong script is important too–director Wood really brings the whole thing together. The film has its obligatory musical subplot and romantic leads. Wood knows how to balance those e... Read full article
See all A Night at the Opera articles
Quotes from
Otis B. Driftwood: [resting his foot on Lassparri, who's been knocked out] Hello.
Fiorello: What's the matter Mr.?
Otis B. Driftwood: Oh, we had an argument and he pulled a knife on me so I shot him.
Fiorello: [raises a foot] Do you mind if I...?
Otis B. Driftwood: No-no, go right ahead. Plenty of room.
Otis B. Driftwood: I am sure the familiar strains of Verdi's music will come back to you tonight, and Mrs. Claypool's cheques will probably come back to her in the morning.
Mrs. Claypool: Get off that bed. What would people say?
Otis B. Driftwood: They'd probably say you're a very lucky woman.
read more quotes from A Night at the Opera...
Facts about
Premiere voted this movie as one of "The 50 Greatest Comedies Of All Time" in 2006.
In the scene where Harpo Marx, Chico Marx and Allan Jones are impersonating the three aviators in front of the mayor, Groucho Marx turns around to speak to them in a "foreign language." What is actually being said is a direct response to the accusations of imposters, only the audio track is played backwards. The first time Groucho Marx actually says, "Did you hear what he said? He said you were frauds and imposters!" which is then followed by Chico Marx and Riccardo protesting loudly, "How can he say a thing like that?", "This is ridiculous," and other such comments.
read more facts about A Night at the Opera...
