A Night in Casablanca

Starring: Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Charles Drake, Lois Collier, Sig Ruman
Directed by: Archie Mayo
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Comedy
1946

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A hotel manager (Groucho Marx) in Casablanca faces a plot to murder him, just like the last several managers.

Review:

Tim: A Night in Casablanca was one of the Marx Brothers' later efforts, but is also considered a strong movie. They made some bad movies over the years, and this was a return to form, of sort. I would agree that the film is good, although it certainly has some limitations as well. This movie doesn't reach their earlier heights.

The movie was supposed to be a spoof of Casablanca, but the script was eventually rewritten as a more original, unique story. There are definitely elements of Casablanca here, but there's also references to To Have and Have Not and other similar films, so this movie is really a spoof of a genre, not really of a certain film. I like that the film offers up its own story, but it so clearly was designed to spoof a certain movie that it is a bit disappointing it doesn't do that more.

There are a few very funny scenes with Groucho, Harpo, and Chico. I always enjoy watching the zany, elaborate comedy scenes they come up with. While the ones here don't reach the heights of their most famous scenes, several are pretty enjoyable. I like watching what passed as comedy in the 1940s. It was very different than from today. Some of the jokes are still funny, but others are just so corny that they don't hit modern audiences the same way.

Part of the problem I have with this film is that it's too absurd to be very good. The plot is oftentimes nonsensical and just doesn't add up. It is hard to care about characters or the events that take place simply because it's all too ridiculous. The plot hangs together by the thinnest of threads.

Despite all this, the film is still pretty enjoyable. It's always fun watching Groucho, Harpo, and Chico doing their shtick. They put together some nice, high-energy comedic scenes and some very funny moments. While the film is a bit uneven, all in all, it works. While this isn't the best Marx Brothers film, it is still a solid effort, and A Night in Casablanca emerges as a good movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



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