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Iconic performers who changed entertainment beyond recognition, both are universally known by a single name, some indication of their beloved status. However, the romance isn't nearly as intrusive or annoying here as in their later vehicles, so there's still plenty of reason to be annoyed with good old MGM.Groucho Marx passed away just a few days after Elvis Presley in August of 1977.

Interestingly, there is a prominent romantic subplot to this film, which puts paid to the fallacy that Marx Brothers movies didn't have romances until MGM got its hands on them. Even the music segments hold up well, particularly Chico's piano routine that gets savaged by Groucho. But many of the individual segments are classic, including the often (and rightly) praised bridge game and Harpo's gag with the cutlery-filled sleeves. The pace does drag a bit towards the end, especially since the plot disappears (along with Zeppo) for long segments at a time. Like "The Cocoanuts," this movie is based on a play, and as such it is considerably longer and stagier than most of the later Marx movies.

Think of all the "postmodern" things that happen in this movie: Groucho directly addresses the audience to apologize for a bad joke Harpo shoots a gun at a statue, only to see the statue come to life and return fire and Margaret Dumont freezes in time while Groucho has a "strange interlude" and rambles to the audience about the perils of marriage and living with your folks! Of course, the absolutely ancient and decaying print will remind you that "Animal Crackers" is older than the hills, but otherwise, it's much fresher and weirder than the stuff that passes for comedy today. Judging by the script, you'd never believe that "Animal Crackers" is over seventy years old.