A Night at the Opera
A Night at the Opera is a 1935 American comedy film starring the Marx Brothers (Groucho, Harpo and Chico), and featuring Kitty Carlisle, Allan Jones, Margaret Dumont, Sig Ruman, and Walter Woolf King. It was the first of five films the Marx Brothers made under contract for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer after their departure from Paramount Pictures, and the first after Zeppo left the act. The film was written by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind from a story by James Kevin McGuinness, with additional uncredited dialogue by Al Boasberg. The film was directed by Sam Wood.
Plot
At a restaurant in Milan, Italy, wealthy widow Mrs. Claypool has apparently been stood up for dinner by her business manager, Otis B. Driftwood. After she discovers him dining with another woman and seated directly behind her, Driftwood joins Mrs. Claypool and soon introduces her to Herman Gottlieb, director of the New York Opera Company, also dining at the restaurant. Driftwood has arranged for Mrs. Claypool to invest $200,000 in the opera company, allowing Gottlieb enough money to engage Italian tenor Rodolfo Lassparri, the "greatest tenor since Caruso".
More details
author | Al Boasberg Buster Keaton George S. Kaufman James Kevin McGuinness Morrie Ryskind |
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director | Sam Wood |
editor | William LeVanway |
genre | comedy |
keywords | best friend business man caruso dresser enrico caruso hide out hotel room il trovatore ocean liner opening night opera house police sergeant soprano stateroom scene steamer trunk tenor travel trunk wealthy widow |
musicBy | Herbert Stothart |
producer | Irving Thalberg |
productionCompany | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
publisher | Loews Cineplex Entertainment |
theme | musical comedy |