weezeralfalfa A sentimental favorite of mine, as it was probably the first Marx Brothers film I saw, long ago. Of course, as a kid, I was most impressed with the climactic slapstick chase around the department store. But, I have come to appreciate the humor and music of various other segments of the film. The plot centers around the greedy store manager, Mr. Grover(Douglass Dumbrille), trying to cook the books to make the department store look profitable, while trying to kill the partial owner Tommy Rogers, and marry the other partial owner(played by Margaret Dumont). Of course, the boys try to help prevent both of these events. Groucho's last name in the film: Flywheel, is derived from a radio show he once did with Chico. His first name: Wolf presumably refers to his compulsive skirt chasing. Also, I noticed that Chico's pseudonym for this film: Ravelli, was also used in "Animal Crackers": the first Marx Brothers film in which they were given pseudonyms, but not in other films. Perhaps this name was resurrected because this was supposed to be their last film together. As things turned out, they all appeared together in 3 more films over the next 16 years. This includes "A Night in Casablanca",'46, "Love Happy" '49. and "The Story of Mankind", '57, by which time they were 65-70 years old. However, they didn't appear as a team in the last one, and were not first billed, and Groucho was barely in "Love Happy", mostly as the narrator.There's more than the usual amount of music here, both instrumental and singing. In fact, one reviewer suggested that perhaps it should be considered a musical, with comedy included. I suspect this is the main reason that this film is generally considered one of the lesser Marx Brothers' films. People mostly came to laugh; not to listen to and watch second-rate musical numbers. There are two rather long musical productions included: one being "Sing While You Sell", led by Groucho, but including sections featuring "The Six Hits and a Miss", "The Four Dreamers" and "Frozen Face" Virginia O'Brien. Virginia was a professional singer, who developed her deadpan delivery to distinguished her from other singers. It sounded crazy, but it worked! In films, she was always treated as a novelty act, never a leading lady. Here, she sings "Rock-a-bye-Baby" as part of the "Sing While You Sell" production.Tony Martin was a professional singer and sparsely-used actor. He's fine here as the romantic interest of Virginia Gray, who really wanted Clark Gable, whom she dated in the mid- late '40s and was bitterly disappointed when he married someone else. Tony sings "If It's You" while in the record department, where Virginia is. Later, he is the lead singer in the protracted "The Tenement" production, which included Harpo on the harp, and Chico on the piano. Several reviewers voiced disgust at this production, if not the music as a whole. I can understand that some people won't like Tony's singing style or choice of songs. But, especially in "The Tenement", he's OK by me.This is the only Marx Brothers film in which Harpo plays his harp twice. It's also the only film where Chico and Harpo play the same piano at the same time. Some want to know if Harpo's harp playing and Chico's piano playing were dubbed. The answer is NO!(although they probably often prerecorded their performances) Harpo also had some familiarity with the piano, clarinet and mouthorgan. When Chico and Harpo were boys, Chico would get a job playing piano, then later have Harpo take his place, while he was playing somewhere else. Harpo was self taught in mastering all these instruments. In playing the harp without accompaniment by other instruments, he was unusual. For further information about Harpo's musical and painting side, see the web site entitled "Harpo Marx: Musician and Artist".In one of Harpo's harp-playing gigs, there are 2 supposed mirror images of him playing the harp, while dressed in Georgian era formal wear. Later, one of these images changes to playing a violin, while the other changes to playing a base.Groucho mistakes the prospective buyers of the store for a couple of goons in the employ of the crooked manager. As a detective, he handcuffs them to a post. When convinced he was mistaken, he responded with "You certainly do look like crooks".There is a long segment in the bed department. When Groucho wants to show a particular bed, he says "It's over by the davenport. The customer queries "Where is the davenport? Groucho answers: "It's in Iowa. That was a $9. question.

tavm Well, after all these years of watching the other Marx Brothers movies, I had somehow missed this one until now. I had been familiar with the trailer for this one in which they claimed this would be their last movie though before that, a spokesman for them said that Sarah Bernhardt had done 14 years of "farewell" performances to great profit each time so that may have been the intention for that unique scene in the trailer. This was indeed their last for M-G-M, though. As such, it's perhaps the most uneven of their work with Chico hardly having any funny lines this time. In fact, he begins the movie teaching kids his piano playing (illustrated by an amusing scene of them playing just like him!) and then having a plot-related dialogue with the romantic leading man/crooner Tony Martin. The real funny stuff starts when we encounter Groucho and Harpo preparing breakfast before having to change their scenery when potential client Margaret Dumont arrives. All three are funny in this scene and they maintain that hilarity most of the time. Groucho's number "Sing While You Sell" has him sharing the duties with Six Hits and a Miss as well as the deadpan comedienne Virginia O'Brien doing her version of "Rock-a-Bye Baby" in the middle of it which was a little amusing. A sequence involving mixed family nationalities and various beds being electronically operated was partly amusing. The chase sequence at the end has villain Douglas Dumbrille participating in the fun though it seems obvious stunt doubles were used during much of it, especially the undercranked parts. And about that "Tenement Symphony" number that gets such a bad reputation: Well, Tony Martin singing about various class of people just trying to get along does seem partly embarrassing but the intent was partly genuine. And it got the only time Chico and Harpo played piano and harp, respectively, at the same time. It does make me wonder how Mel Brooks could have pulled off a funny take on the number when he originally thought of including it in his Blazing Saddles with Martin singing a few bars of it before being booed off by the mixed race cast in that one! Speaking of Chico and Harpo, they are quite funny together when they're both playing piano here for the only time on film. And Harpo not only plays his harp solo in a dream sequence but fiddle and bass in the mirror-images of him! (It's possible that someone else is playing those other instruments for those split-screen scenes but it's impressive, nonetheless!) Oh, and this was the last time on film that Ms. Dumont and Groucho teamed together but they'd appear in tandem one more time on TV on "The Hollywood Palace" doing the "Hooray for Captain Spalding" number. It aired on April 17, 1965, though Ms. Dumont died on March 6 of that year. The fact she laughed during that number contradicted Groucho's declaration that she never understood his jokes! In summary, The Big Store may have been the weakest of the Marx movies, but it's still pretty entertaining for what it was. P.S. Since I always like to cite players from my favorite movie-It's a Wonderful Life-in other films, here it's Charles Lane playing a repo man concerning Groucho's car.

greenpiebohemia This is my favorite movie ever.These are the highlights for me.From Groucho's singing "Mr. Grover you are just a quack to me" to the end of the "Sing while you sell" reprise. Virginia O'Brien had me laughing on the floor the first time I heard "Rock-a-bye Baby". I just love the way Groucho takes the big production number, a standard vehicle of the time, and makes it signature Groucho. You got to smile.I think this movie has some of the best Groucho/Margaret Dumont banter.Harpo's harp solo is miles ahead of any of his others. It's just plain fun,Although the Tenement Symphony clearly is lacking musically, you have to love the overriding pun. The Tenement Symphony in four flats.

hrv212 Tony Martin's "Tenement Symphony," although seemingly misplaced in the movie, was great, in that its melody was classic in tone, and Martin's voice only enhanced the overall effect. The "ditzy" chase scenes towards the finale of the film, although exaggerated, and obviously performed by stunt doubles, and stop-action, or jerky photography, were "over the top" for belly laughs. Harpo's mirror-reflection musical moment was a great deep breath of rest from his usual zaniness; it was magic, as was Chico's duet with him. For me, born in 1936, my viewing it at still a tender age of nine or ten only made this little boy happy and delighted with the film. If I were to be critical at the age I am today, I would say, the film doesn't come close to what the Marx Brothers films intended from earlier works...but just see it again through the eyes and heart of the child I was, and you'll agree that, gee; what a funny film the Big Store really was.