Review of A Night in Casablanca (1946) by Steve S — 12 Jan 2010

The Marx Brothers financed this production themselves and took some of the comic bits on a touring stage show again to test them. This extra work pays off. There was a four year gap since The Big Store was released and over ten years since their first MGM picture, A Night at the Opera.

This movie has a slight flavor of the classic Casablanca, but it really has its own story without just spoofing the Bogart film. For once the romantic couple of Pierre and Annette played by Drake and Collier are not pushed to the forefront unnecessarily.

They have no solos or duets to steal screen time away from the brothers. Having Sig Ruman back again for the brothers to harass with loony antics is almost as good as having Dumont. He is a Count, a former Nazi staying undercover at a hotel in Casablanca.

The Count has been ordering a series of hotel managers murders because a treasure has been hidden on the premises. The Count has Beatrice, played by Verea, in on the plan to snatch the treasure. She is seductive, funny, and much more striking as a female lead than Collier.

Harpo briefly serves as the Count's manservant. Chico hangs around with no real reason for being there, but later assigns himself as a bodyguard yet again. Groucho is Kornblow, the schmuck hired as the new hotel manager.

Eventually Harpo discovers the treasure by accident, but takes a time out to play another beautiful piece on the harp, Groucho escapes a few attempts on his life, and the wisecracks and timing of the comic routines are restored to their former glory.

Harpo driving the Count and his other servant mad, Harpo reprising a game of charades with Chico, Groucho taking revenge on a customer for calling him clerk, the bits on the elevator, Groucho carrying too much stuff from room to room for a date with Beatrice, the boys unpacking the Count's suitcases, and some of the business on the plane are great comic set pieces.

Far better than their previous three movies.