MovieChat Forums > Animal Crackers (1930) Discussion > Song Question...

Song Question...

posted 18 years ago by cowhouse92
6 replies | jump to latest

During the piano scene, Chico plays a certain song. I have no idea what this is called, but I can tell you that Groucho sings it while he is riding on the luggage cart to his stateroom in "A Night At The Opera". Don't quote me, but I think he does. While Chico plays the song in "Animal Crackers", Groucho takes off his jacket, ties it around his waist, and lifts up a lady's leg like a water pump while making a weird noise distantly resembling a duck. What's with that?

-Lauren

+M*A*S*H+
4077th
"Best Care Anywhere"

[–] Baravelli_the_ice_lady 18 years ago

While Chico plays the song in "Animal Crackers", Groucho takes off his jacket, ties it around his waist, and lifts up a lady's leg like a water pump while making a weird noise distantly resembling a duck. What's with that?

The song in that sequence is "The Anvil Chorus," from Verdi's opera Il trovatore. The song crops up a few other times in Marx films, including The Cocoanuts (Chico sings it while he and Harpo are playing with the cash register), and A Night at the Opera (during the opera sequence--the opera they're doing is, incidentally, Il trovatore).

Groucho sings it while he is riding on the luggage cart to his stateroom in "A Night At The Opera". Don't quote me, but I think he does.

I don't recall Groucho singing this piece while riding on the baggage cart, but rather a different song that I can't quite place at this time. (However, it's been a while since I've seen it, so don't quote me on that either! )

"No trains will be sold after the magazines leave the depot."

[–] cowhouse92 18 years ago

Thanks, but what I really wanted to know was what Groucho was doing with the lady's leg and all.

-Lauren

+M*A*S*H+
4077th
"Best Care Anywhere"

[–] ActionScaleHero 18 years ago

The song that Groucho is singing while riding his trunk is from "Pagliacci". "Ellee Pagliacci,I love you very muchy!!" He changes the words a bit. lol

When he wraps the coat around his waist and pumps the ladies leg, he is imitating one of the peasants in "Il Trovatore" most likely, the Blacksmith. He is pulling her leg and making believe he is striking the Anvil, the clanging that is heard in the song in the play. Harpo mimics the sound by banging metal together which makes Chico play the song!

Hope this helps.

JLT

[–] cowhouse92 18 years ago

Thank you very much. No one in my family could make head or tail of what Groucho was doing there. Thanks again!

-Lauren

+M*A*S*H+
4077th
"Best Care Anywhere"

[–] Gromit-7 18 years ago

I always took Groucho's actions with the woman's leg to be pumping the bellows, which forces air into the forge, making the coals and the metal even hotter.

" " ~ Harpo Marx

[–] ActionScaleHero 18 years ago

Tomato, tomAto. Since I am not a blacksmith, I believe you may be right. Thanks for clarifying.

JLT