Take one of the legendary teams of vintage early 20th Century Comedy, throw in a bit of opera, a love triangle, plus identity confusion – and you have A NIGHT AT THE OPERA, which along with DUCK SOUP (1932) are among the finest that the Marx Brothers ever did.
In Milan at the highs of high society, businessman Otis B. Driftwood (Groucho Marx) introduces society woman Mrs. Claypool (Margaret Dumont) to Herman Gottlieb (Sig Ruman), head of the New York Opera Company, who is planning to showcase his vocal talent Rodolfo Lassparri (Walter Woolf King) in New York.
Lassparri has a dresser, Tomasso (Harpo Marx, the silent but funny one of the brothers) who is a friend of Fiorello (Chico Marx) who has a friend, Ricardo Baroni (Allan Jones) who he becomes manager to and suckers Driftwood into signing a contract to showcase him. Lassparri and Baroni have eyes for the same woman, soprano in the show Rosa Castaldi (Kitty Carlisle).
All end up on a nice boat to America from Italy, which is where the real fun begins….
If you are looking for bona-fide crazy comedy, then A NIGHT AT THE OPERA has the right mix. Refreshingly, it was made at a time where sexual innuendo was on the right side of good taste, particularly in some of the remakes made by Groucho in his interaction with Dumont (who never could actually smile or laugh at any time and plays the straight-person to Groucho as effectively as she could be)
However, the real crazy moments are left to Chico and Harpo, who jest around, except when the pair play their respective instruments of the piano and the harp (Harpo plays it straight throughout, but reverts back to normal crazy once off). The crazy of crazy moments happen in the now-legendary stateroom scene on the boat.
It all leads to the ‘NIGHT’ of the title, a gloriously reviled ruination as the boys cause havoc throughout the performance.
Oh – and by the way – you won’t kid anyone when I say there is no Sanity Clause!!