Overview
A whimsical romp through the absurdities of high society and opera, where chaos reigns supreme.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- whimsical
- uproarious
- classic movie night
- family comedy night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an uproariously funny and accessible Marx Brothers musical comedy, while noting that its romantic interludes and MGM polish soften the trio's earlier anarchic edge.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Driftwood, Fiorello, and Tomasso repeatedly disrupt opera management and high society through scams, insults, and slapstick.
Groucho's verbal manipulation, Chico's scheming, and Harpo's pantomime operate as complementary engines of the plot.
Ricardo's opportunity to perform depends on overcoming rejection of his tenor and the opera establishment's preference for the established singer.
Backstage spaces, performances, and operatic conventions become arenas for comic disruption and escalating physical routines.
Films like A Night at the Opera, and why
Duck Soup
vaudevillian ensemble comedy, anarchic physical humor, and musical performance
The Palm Beach Story
classic screwball comedy driven by rapid-fire dialogue, social satire, and romantic complications
42nd Street
golden age musical comedy combining backstage romance, comic disruption, and lavish performance
Movie Details
- Director
- Sam Wood
- Release Date
- 1935-11-15
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (577)
Cast
- Groucho Marx
- Chico Marx
- Harpo Marx
- Kitty Carlisle
- Allan Jones
- Sig Ruman
- Walter Woolf King
- Robert Emmett O'Connor
- Margaret Dumont
- Edward Keane
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- YouTube TV
- 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 A Night at the Opera about?
- The Marx Brothers turn an opera company into a playground of slapstick sabotage so a young tenor can win his chance at love and the stage.
- What is A Night at the Opera like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Night at the Opera as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is A Night at the Opera violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in A Night at the Opera.
- What did critics think of A Night at the Opera?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an uproariously funny and accessible Marx Brothers musical comedy, while noting that its romantic interludes and MGM polish soften the trio's earlier anarchic edge.
- Which films are like A Night at the Opera?
- Films with a similar feel include Duck Soup, The Palm Beach Story, and 42nd Street.
- How long is A Night at the Opera?
- A Night at the Opera runs 91 minutes.
- Where can I watch A Night at the Opera?
- In United States, A Night at the Opera streams on YouTube TV.
