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The Big Store

Play trailer Poster for The Big Store 1941 1h 24m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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70% Tomatometer 10 Reviews 51% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Private detectives Wolf J. Flywheel, Wacky and Ravelli (The Marx Brothers) are hired by the officious Martha Phelps (Margaret Dumont), co-owner of the Phelps Department Store. Her beloved nephew, Tommy (Tony Martin), has been assaulted, shortly after he announced plans to sell his share of the store. Unbeknownst to Martha, the culprit is her fiancé, sleazy store manager Mr. Grover (Douglas Dumbrille), who wants Tommy dead before the sale exposes his years of fraud and theft.
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The Big Store

Critics Reviews

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Danielle Solzman Solzy at the Movies 01/05/2024
3/5
The Marx Brothers do Marx Brothers things in The Big Store and while it's not their best effort, it's the Marx Brothers doing those things that are really all that matter. Go to Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 11/04/2005
4/5
Thomas Delapa Boulder Weekly 07/22/2005
3/5
Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 04/12/2005
C
Too many dead spots. Go to Full Review Daniel Eagan Film Journal International 04/12/2005
1/5
Low-grade comedy is a disappointment for Marx fans Go to Full Review Walter Chaw Film Freak Central 08/23/2004
0.5/4
The kind of movie that takes you about an hour to figure out that you've already seen it. If you last an hour. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Bob S Jan 16 When this comes on TCM, watch it, if you like slapstick. Ignore the snobs. I had never seen this marx brothers film -- it's lesser known, and not their very best -- but it kept me laughing out loud repeatedly. Truly nutty and funny sequences with foldaway beds and department store antics, one of which is an "elaborate sequence took an entire month to shoot and utilized an unusual number of stunt doubles, Mack Sennett-type slapstick stunts and stop-motion photography for a Marx Brothers film." Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Store Of course it's generally the same ridiculous plot concept as their other movies, but the guys are hysterical. Don't deprive yourself by limiting your viewing to A night at the opera. See more Steve D 04/16/2023 Glad it wasn't the end because this one was the worst. See more 02/20/2016 When this relatively minor Marx Brothers' film sticks to comedy or music simply from Chico and Harpo, it can't step wrong, but unfortunately is cluttered with junk it doesn't otherwise need. Still, it has some of their most hilarious slapstick scenes. See more 08/14/2015 While it's not devoid of good jokes, The Big Store shows why people were leaving the Marx Bros. and watching Abbott & Costello instead around this time. See more 05/04/2015 Bestemt ikke Marx Brothers' bedste film. See more 04/23/2015 The Marx Brothers' final film for MGM features a wacky chase-on-roller skates finale, but not much else; Groucho and Virginia O'Brien sing "Sing While You Sell," and Tony Martin sings the atrocious "Tenement Symphony." See more Read all reviews
The Big Store

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Cast & Crew

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Charles Reisner

Director

The Marx Brothers

Actor

Tony Martin

Tommy Rogers

Margaret Dumont

Martha Phelps

Virginia Grey

Joan Sutton

Douglas Dumbrille

Mr. Grover

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The Big Store

The Big Store (1941) The Big Store (1941) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Private detectives Wolf J. Flywheel, Wacky and Ravelli (The Marx Brothers) are hired by the officious Martha Phelps (Margaret Dumont), co-owner of the Phelps Department Store. Her beloved nephew, Tommy (Tony Martin), has been assaulted, shortly after he announced plans to sell his share of the store. Unbeknownst to Martha, the culprit is her fiancé, sleazy store manager Mr. Grover (Douglas Dumbrille), who wants Tommy dead before the sale exposes his years of fraud and theft.
Director
Charles Reisner
Producer
Louis K. Sidney
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 20, 1941, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 25, 2008
Runtime
1h 24m
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