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A Night at the Opera
MGM pictures
Released: November 15, 1935
Runtime: 96 minutes
In his first Marx Brother film, Allan joins the team and gets a fantastic opportunity to perform comedy routines and sing a little bit of opera.
Rosa Castaldi and Riccardo Baroni are two aspiring opera singers in Italy who are very much in love. Their problem is that they cannot sing together as long as egotistical tenor Rodolfo claims the lead roles and fights to have Rosa for himself. Riccardo is also still a chorus singer and has yet to build his reputation. Fortunately, Riccardo’s best friend and new manager, Fiorello, runs into business manager Otis B. Diftwood, who is looking for a tenor to sign with the Metropolitan opera…
Driftwood is currently employed by widowed millionaire Mrs. Claypool, who wants to break into society. He convinces her to fund the opera after Metropolitan Opera director, Mr. Gottleib threatens to woo her business away. The trouble comes when Driftwood signs a contract with Fiorello, thinking that he has signed a tenor with the fame of Rodolfo, who has signed with Gottlieb. Sadly, that means that Rosa must leave for New York as well, for Rodolfo agreed only to sign if she would sing opposite to him. Rodolfo, Gutlieb, Mrs. Claypool, Driftwood, and Rosa board a ship the next day for New York. Rosa makes her last farewell to Riccardo with the romantic ballad, “Alone,” and he joins in for the rest of the song.
Once aboard, Driftwood discovers that Fiorello, Riccardo, and zany friend Tomasso snuck on board by hiding in his traveling trunk. The stowaways manage to hide until the evening when they venture onto the deck in search of food. They stumble upon a festive gathering with free food and music. Riccardo sings “Cosi, Cosa” and everyone dances along. Fiorello then plays “All I Do Is Dream of You” on the piano and Tomasso reprises “Alone” on the harp. Soon after, they are discovered and imprisoned on the ship. They manage to escape and pose as famous aviators who were also aboard the ship, and eventually hide in Driftwood’s New York apartment.
Meanwhile, Rodolfo and Rosa are to perform in “Il Trovatore” and Mrs. Claypool is growing angry with Driftwood’s association with the three stowaways. She eventually fires him and he along with the stowaways is wanted by the police. Rosa learns that Riccardo made it to the states and is also fired from the show because of her siding with him. In an effort to make the opera let Rosa sing and to unite the two lovers, Driftwood, Tomasso, and Fiorello sabotage the opening of the opera that night. They also manage to detain Rodolfo and thoroughly enrage Gottleib. Desperate to save the opera, Gottlieb agrees to lift the charges on Riccardo and his three friends if he and Rosa take the stage. They perform the duet, “Miserere,” and receive and encore. The opera is saved and Rosa and Riccardo meet their dreams.
Credits
Director…Sam Wood, Edmund Goulding (uncredited)
Writers…James Kevin McGuinness (story), George S. Kaufman (screenplay), Morrie Ryskind (screenplay), Al Boasberg (dialogue) (uncredited), Buster Keaton (uncredited), Robert Pirosh (draft) (uncredited), George Seaton (draft) (uncredited)
Producer…Irving Thalberg
Cinematography…Merritt B. Gerstad
Film Editing…William LeVanway
Art Director…Cedric Gibbons
Sound Department…Douglas Shearer (recording director), James Brock (sound mixer) (uncredited), William Steinkamp (sound re-recordist) (uncredited), Micheal Steinore (sound editor) (uncredited),
Music Department…M. J. McLaughlin
Makeup Artist…Robert J. Schiffer
Associate Art Directors…Ben Carre, Edwin B. Willis
Props…Harry Albiez
First Assistant Director…Lesley Selander
Costumes…Dolly Tree
Music Recordist…M.J. McLaughlin
Dances…Chester Hale
Original Music…Herbert Stothart
Cast
Groucho Marx…Otis B. Driftwood
Chico Marx…Fiorello
Harpo Marx…Tomasso
Kitty Carlisle…Rosa Castaldi
Allan Jones…Riccardo Baroni
Walter Woolf King…Rodolfo Lassparri
Sig Ruman…Herbert Gottlieb
Margaret Dumont…Mrs. Claypool
Edward Keane…Captain
Robert Emmett O’Connor…Henderson
Awards
1993 National Film Registry Award from the National Film Preservation Board, USA
Soundtrack
• “Di Quella Pira” (from opera “Il Trovatore”)
o Sung by Walter Woolf King with MGM Symphony Orchestra
o Music: Guiseppe Verdi
• “Miserere” (from opera “Il Trovatore”)
o Sung by Kitty Carlisle and Allan Jones and Chorus with the MGM Symphony Orchestra
o Music: Guiseppe Verdi
• “Alone”
o Sung by Kitty Carlisle and Allan Jones, Played by Harpo Marx on the harp
o Music: Nacio Herb Brown
o Lyrics: Arthur Freed
• “All I Do is Dream of You”
o Played on piano by Chico Marx
o Music: Nacio Herb Brown
o Lyrics: Arthur Freed
• “Cosi Cosa”
o Sung by Allan Jones and Danced/Sung by Chorus, Played on piano by Chico Marx briefly
o Music: Bronislau Kaper, Walter Jurmann
o Lyrics: Ned Washington
• “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”
o Played by MGM Symphony Orchestra
o Written by Albert von Tilzer
• “Anvil Chorus” (from opera “Il Trovatore”)
o Sung by MGM Chorus, accompanied by MGM Symphony Orchestra
o Music: Guiseppe Verdi
• “Strido la vampa” (from opera “Il Trovatore”)
o Sung by Olga Dane, accompanied by MGM Symphony Orchestra
o Music: Guiseppe Verdi
• “Strido lassu” (from opera “I Pagliacci”)
o Sung by Kitty Carlisle, accompanied by MGM Symphony Orchestra
o Music and Words by Ruggero Leoncavallo