Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- irreverent
- breezy
- witty
- classic comedy night
- marx brothers marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the film amusing but uneven, praising flashes of Marx Brothers brilliance while noting familiar routines and lengthy dull stretches.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Groucho's incompetent detective, Chico's schemer, and Harpo's chaotic physicality repeatedly disrupt the department-store intrigue.
Tommy Rogers faces an attempted murder while irregularities in the store's books create the underlying plot machinery.
The film includes extended chases and large-scale Marx Brothers slapstick alongside its dialogue comedy.
The Phelps Department Store sale and concealed accounting irregularities turn corporate management into a target of comic disruption.
Films like The Big Store, and why
A Night at the Opera
vaudeville-inflected ensemble comedy, anarchic Marx Brothers humor, and musical interludes
Duck Soup
classic Marx Brothers slapstick, rapid-fire wordplay, and comic disruption of social institutions
The Shop Around the Corner
department-store setting, musical comedy, romantic subplot, and farcical chaos
Movie Details
- Director
- Charles Reisner
- Release Date
- 1941-06-20
- Runtime
- 83 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (77)
Cast
- Groucho Marx
- Chico Marx
- Harpo Marx
- Tony Martin
- Virginia Grey
- Margaret Dumont
- Douglass Dumbrille
- William Tannen
- Marion Martin
- Virginia O'Brien
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Big Store about?
- An inept private eye and his anarchic Marx Brothers partners turn a threatened department-store sale into a riotous musical farce.
- What is The Big Store like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Big Store as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is The Big Store violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Big Store as mild.
- What did critics think of The Big Store?
- Critics generally found the film amusing but uneven, praising flashes of Marx Brothers brilliance while noting familiar routines and lengthy dull stretches.
- Which films are like The Big Store?
- Films with a similar feel include A Night at the Opera, Duck Soup, and The Shop Around the Corner.
- How long is The Big Store?
- The Big Store runs 83 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Big Store?
- In United States, The Big Store is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
