Duck Soup

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Duck Soup

Released Nov 17, 1933

1h 10m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

55 Reviews

91%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

When the tiny nation of Freedonia goes bankrupt, its wealthy benefactor, Mrs. Teasdale (Margaret Dumont), insists that the wacky Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx) become the country's president. Sensing a weakness in leadership, the bordering nation of Sylvania sends in the spies Pinky (Harpo Marx) and Chicolini (Chico Marx) to set the stage for a revolution. As Firefly clashes with the Sylvanian ambassador (Louis Calhern), plenty of mayhem ensues, and the countries verge on all-out war.

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Critics Consensus

Fueled by inspired silliness and blessed with some of the Marx brothers' most brilliant work, Duck Soup is one of its -- or any -- era's finest comedies.

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Kate Muir

Times (UK)

It turns out that the sharp-tongued humour of Groucho Marx is ageless, the slapstick timely and the subject matter still pertinent: loony dictatorship, religion, pointless warfare.

Rated: 4/5

Jan 16, 2015

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

The sheer silliness is inspired ...

Rated: 5/5

Jan 15, 2015

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David Jenkins

Little White Lies

Questioning the canonical standing of a titan such as Duck Soup seems like an exercise in questioning the tastes of those who like it rather than the upbraiding the comedy mechanics of the film itself.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 15, 2015

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

Duck Soup is the greatest Marx Brothers comedy of all time.

Rated: 5/5

Nov 17, 2023

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

True movie fans haven’t lived until they’ve caught this outrageous satire.

Rated: 4/4

Nov 12, 2023

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Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

There’s no dense or intricate narrative in the film. It’s simply a basic story that allows Groucho, Harpo, and Chico to showcase their comedic chaos.

Rated: 5/5

Aug 20, 2022

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Mason M

I thought that Duck Soup was a delightful watch. It's hilarious, mostly due to Groucho's quick remarks. The comedy isn't the most sophisticated, but that's the main reason that is still works almost 100 years later.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/14/24

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John T. H

They don't even eat duck soup in the movie false advertising!!! oh and its one of the greatest classic comedies ever made.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/12/24

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Daniel K

Paul Rudd was not in this movie

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

10/28/23

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Cees T

Looney Tunes and Animaniacs did it better with reasonable sociopathy. 4/10 - Very bad.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/28/23

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Aeric A

It's the Marx brothers. If you don't know you cant understand. Legends of comedy. Watch a Marx brothers movie and read a book and eat your veggies.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/23/23

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A R

A truly timeless humor that I originally assumed wouldn't be funny, but always has me laughing out loud. That said, this ultimately feels more like a series of comedy skits than a cohesive movie with a narrative through-line. The peanut/lemonade vendor scene is one of my favorites and such an excellent showcase of the Marx brothers' physical comedy chops.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/12/23

Full Review

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Leo McCarey

Director

Groucho Marx

Rufus T. Firefly

Harpo Marx

Pinky

Chico Marx

Chicolini

Zeppo Marx

Lt. Bob Roland

Margaret Dumont

Mrs. Gloria Teasdale

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Duck Soup: Official Clip - The Mirror Scene

2:48

Duck Soup: Official Clip - I Object!

1:22

Duck Soup: Official Clip - To War

2:58

Duck Soup: Official Clip - The Laws of My Administration

2:06

Duck Soup: Official Clip - I Was Gonna Ask for the Whole Wig

1:16

Duck Soup: Official Clip - This Means War!

1:55

Duck Soup: Official Clip - Working His Magic

1:58

Duck Soup: Official Clip - The Lemonade Vendor

2:57

Duck Soup: Official Clip - Without a Word

1:42

Duck Soup: Official Clip - These Are My Spies

1:35

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Synopsis

When the tiny nation of Freedonia goes bankrupt, its wealthy benefactor, Mrs. Teasdale (Margaret Dumont), insists that the wacky Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx) become the country's president. Sensing a weakness in leadership, the bordering nation of Sylvania sends in the spies Pinky (Harpo Marx) and Chicolini (Chico Marx) to set the stage for a revolution. As Firefly clashes with the Sylvanian ambassador (Louis Calhern), plenty of mayhem ensues, and the countries verge on all-out war.

Director: Leo McCarey
Producer: Herman J. Mankiewicz
Distributor: Paramount Pictures, MCA/Universal Home Video
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 17, 1933, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 3, 2015
Runtime: 1h 10m
Sound Mix: Mono

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