Laserdisc Title: "A NIGHT AT THE OPERA"
Edition: The Criterion Collection (Double-Disc Set)
Directed By: Sam Wood
Starring: Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx, Kitty Carlisle, Allan Jones, Walter King, Siefried Rumann, Margaret Dumont, Edward Kane
Special Features: ---see footnotes below---
Production / Year: 1935 Metro-Goldwyn Renewed 1962 MGM
Running Time: 92 Minutes / Black & White
Audio Format: Digital Sound, CX Encoded
Video Format: NTSC, CAV (Standard Play)
Miscellaneous Features: Not Rated
Manufactured / Distributed By: Pioneer / 1990 The Voyager Company
Catalog / Spine Number: CC1131L (Spine Number 31)

IMPORTANT: This is a 12-inch Diameter Laserdisc, which is NOT the same as DVD and cannot be played on a DVD player!

Cosmetic Condition:
Disc (s): Very Good - Few very light to very minor hairline surface swirls or very light fingerprint marks
Jacket: Very Good - Normal shelf wear, few creases, light scuffs, slightly worn-out corners or edges but no signs of spines splitting

Synopsis:

Absolutely one of the most hilarious movies ever made, this classic farce featuring the outrageous genius of the Marx Brothers is a chance to see some of their best bits woven together seamlessly in a story of high society, matchmaking, and chaos. In order to bring two young lovers together, brothers Groucho, Chico, and Harpo must sabotage an opera performance even as they try to pass themselves off as stuffed shirts. Featuring the classic sequence where Groucho piles as many people as possible into a ship's stateroom, A Night at the Opera is a deliciously zany romp worth watching again and again.

Many have argued that A NIGHT AT THE OPERA is the Marx Brother's finest film, pointing out that it combined the best of the Brother's comedy with the biggest and boldest in MGM production values. Personally, while I really like the film, I wouldn't quite put it in the top slot. Any of the sequences containing the Marx Brothers themselves are gold, but I find that I'm not as enamored with the romantic subplot and singing as other reviewers have been (notably Leonard Maltin in this DVD's commentary). Still, arguing about which one of the fine films is actually the best is a little pointless. This is a great movie, regardless with how it compares to the others.

After 70 years, "A Night At The Opera" is still considered one of the finest comedy films ever made, and is often called the funniest film the Marx Brothers ever made; there's also a handful of fans who consider "A Day At The Races" to be the funnier of the two. Die-hard fans already have them both in the five-disc box set; if you've only got room on your shelf for one Marx Brothers film, this review should help you decide between the two.

The Marx Brothers somehow manage to get the opera's orchestra to play "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" which forces them to succumb to the irresistable temptation of yelling out "Peanuts, Popcorn." They ruin the opera in several other ways as well, like dropping random backgrounds behind the actors while they are singing, with Harpo tearing up one of backgrounds too.

One of the best scenes is when they stow away in a boat, and end up in a very small room. As if it weren't cramped enough, visitor after visitor arrives, and soon 20 more people shove their way in there. It gets so crowded a sleeping Harpo is pushed onto a woman, and while he's lying on her, Groucho says to Chico something along the lines of, "Hey, when I said work fast, I didn't mean your friend, I meant the maid."

SPECIAL FEATURES:

An audio essay by Leonard Maltin is included on the second audio track and can be listened to separately while watching the film.

A Video "Marxbook," including publicity film footage, stills, the theatrical trailer, the "farewell" trailer from The Big Store, and more.

A Guided Tour through a fan's Marx Brothers collection.

Full Feature Format (CAV) -- All laserdisc functions are available including freeze frame, slow and fast motion, and random access.

THIS IS NOT A DVD!!! THIS IS A 12" LASERDISC AND WILL NOT PLAY IN A DVD PLAYER

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