Duck Soup - 1933

Edgar Kennedy delivers his famous "slow burn" in a minor role as a street vendor. In 1942 he played the lead in a short of his own also called Duck Soup (1942).

This film marks the last appearance of Zeppo Marx in a Marx Brothers film.

In the original script, Chicolini and Pinky were cousins and Bob was Firefly's son.

Groucho Marx offered the following explanation for the movie's title: "Take two turkeys, one goose, four cabbages, but no duck, and mix them together. After one taste, you'll duck soup the rest of your life."

Early drafts of the script included scenes in an opera house and aboard a zeppelin.

The fictitious country of Sylvania was called "Amnesia" in early drafts.

Vera was Trentino's niece in early drafts.

An early draft of the script introduces Freedonia's new dictator Rufus T. Firefly as an agent for an ammunition company, which led to lots of ammunition-salesman jokes and intertwined with the movie's war theme.

The famous phrase "Well, who you gonna believe, me or your own eyes?" is often referred to as a Groucho Marx quote, but it's really delivered by Chicolini (Chico Marx) while impersonating Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho).

According to Marx Bros. biographer Joe Adamson, the elaborate "All God's Chillun Got Guns" musical number was mostly improvised on the set, as there is no reference to it in the movie's final script.

Premiere voted this movie as one of "The 50 Greatest Comedies Of All Time" in 2006.

The movie's line "You know, you haven't stopped talking since I came here? You must have been vaccinated with a phonograph needle." was voted as the #43 of "The 100 Greatest Movie Lines" by Premiere in 2007.

In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked this as the #60 Greatest Movie of All Time.

One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since.

Shortly before this film premiered, the city of Fredonia, New York, complained about the use of its name with an additional "e". The Marx Brothers' response was, "Change the name of your town, it's hurting our picture."

The mirror trick was previously used by Charles Chaplin in The Floorwalker (1916) and Max Linder in Seven Years Bad Luck (1921).

During the battle scene, Groucho Marx wears a total of five different uniforms: a Union soldier's uniform, a Confederate general's uniform, a Boy Scout troop leader's uniform, a Revolutionary War-era British general's uniform, and a Davy Crockett-style outfit.

Italian dictator Benito Mussolini banned the film from Italy because he thought it was a direct attack on him. When news of this reached The Marx Brothers, they were reportedly ecstatic.

Although this is usually considered the finest film The Marx Brothers ever made, it was not a hit when first released. In fact, the film performed so poorly at the box office that Paramount, then in serious financial straits, terminated its contract with The Marx Brothers, who then promptly signed with MGM where they produced two of their classic films, A Night at the Opera (1935) and A Day at the Races (1937) under the aegis of the legendary Irving Thalberg.

Harpo Marx recreated the "mirror gag" with Lucille Ball on a special episode of "I Love Lucy" (1951).

When asked what the political significance of this film was, Groucho Marx reportedly said, "What significance? We were just four Jews trying to get a laugh."

Harpo Marx's character was originally named "Skippy" rather than "Pinky".

Firefly (Groucho Marx) says, "The Headstrongs married the Armstrongs, and that's why darkies were born," a reference to a 1931 popular song "That's Why Darkies Were Born", written by Ray Henderson and Lew Brown and originally sung by Kate Smith (and later by Paul Robeson).

In "The X Files" Dreamland II (1998), David Duchovny and Michael McKean recreate Groucho and Harpo's mirror routine from the film.

Harpo Marx was one of only two Marx Brothers to play a recurring role in their films (not counting when they used their own names). He played the role of "Pinky" in both Horse Feathers (1932) and Duck Soup (1933).

Cast of Duck Soup

Groucho Marx as Rufus T. Firefly, who, at Mrs. Teasdale's insistence, becomes the leader of Freedonia.
Harpo Marx as Pinky, a spy for Sylvania who never talks.
Chico Marx as Chicolini, another spy for Sylvania, one who never stops talking.
Zeppo Marx as Lt. Bob Roland, Firefly's secretary.
Margaret Dumont as Mrs. Gloria Teasdale, a rich widow who underwrites the budget of Freedonia.
Louis Calhern as Ambassador Trentino of Sylvania, who schemes to have his country take over Freedonia.
Raquel Torres as Vera Marcal, a femme fatale who is working for Ambassador Trentino.
Edgar Kennedy as a lemonade vendor, who is just trying to make a living.
Edmund Breese as Zander
Edwin Maxwell as Former Secretary of War
William Worthington as First Minister of Finance
Davison Clark as Second Minister of Finance
Charles Middleton as Prosecutor
Leonid Kinskey as Sylvanian Agitator
George MacQuarrie as First Judge
Fred Sullivan as Second Judge
Eric Mayne as Third Judge