Horse Feathers

Horse Feathers



Back in the day I used to present a videocast called 'missed the boat movies'; A video review of films that were released before my time that I had guiltily never seen (www.youtube.com/kevbob79). If I were still making those, the 1932 Marx brothers romp Horse Feathers would certainly meet the criteria.

Starring the Four brothers, Grouch, Harpo, Zeppo and Chico, the film is about Huxley College who breed under-performers and, worse still, are always beaten at Football. The new President, Quincy Wagstaff (Groucho) decides to hire a couple of semi-pro football players to pretend they're students and hopefully win a few matches.

In a case of mistaken identity, Wagstaff hires a couple of loons instead; Pinky (Harpo) and Baravelli (Chico). A pair who can turn the simplest of tasks into a catastrophe.

Wagstaff's son Frank (Zeppo), meanwhile, has lady troubles as he courts the College widow and his studies suffer accordingly. Plus she may have ulterior motives for spending time with the lad.

The plot, of course, is moot. It's a mere backdrop for the Marx brothers lunacy. Everything runs along at breakneck speed with joke after joke being hurled at the screen, relentlessly.

The gag rate is so high in fact that they seem crammed in without space to breathe. Before the audience has a chance to respond to the joke, they've already cracked another. It becomes quite a chore to keep up, loosing what could possibly be some genuine laughs.

There are fans out there who love the Marx brothers and won't hear a bad word against them. Chaplin, Keaton and Laurel & Hardie all had comedy timing, which I'm afraid to say isn't apparent from my first experience of the Marx Brothers.

Verdict 5/10
Slow down guys. My head's nipping.