Fun with Fascist Dictators
“Arguably the funniest movie ever made… only Dr. Strangelove matches its audacity in sending up the follies of nationalism and conflict.” —Scott Tobias, AV Club
Hail, Fredonia!
The world’s greatest comic anarchists—Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and yes, even Zeppo, in his final appearance—lay waste to dictatorship, religion, warfare and any other number of sacred cows in this utterly audacious, eternally hilarious masterpiece.
The plot—mostly a platform for the absurdity that follows—takes us to the bankrupt state of Freedonia, forever teetering on the edge of war with its bellicose neighbour Sylvania. The country accepts a multi-million dollar loan from a wealthy American widow (Margaret Dumont, of course) on the condition that they install as president her friend, the wildly eccentric Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho), who, being Groucho, instantly creates chaos. Meanwhile, two Sylvanian spies—Harpo and Chico—seek to infiltrate the new regime.
For a movie that’s barely an hour long, it’s stuffed with classic set pieces, including the oft-imitated but never-bettered mirror scene with Harpo and Groucho, the final battle scene, and Chico and Harpo’s tormenting of a street vendor.
The film was produced by Herman Mankiewicz, who would later write (and win an Oscar for) Citizen Kane, and directed by the comic master Leo McCarey, who would win two Oscars for directing films that aren’t this funny. Coolly received by both audiences and critics upon its release, Duck Soup’s reputation has grown by leaps and bounds. Benito Mussolini banned the film in Italy, a sure sign of on-target satire.
As for the title, well, “duck soup” is archaic American slang for an easily completed task, but Groucho had a different explanation: “Take two turkeys, one goose, four cabbages, but no duck, and mix them together. After one taste, you’ll duck soup for the rest of your life.”