Overview
A chaotic evening of laughter and mischief unfolds as a group of eccentric characters tries to solve a mystery at a glamorous party.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- irreverent
- frantic
- witty
- classic movie night
- comedy marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a highly entertaining and enduring showcase for the Marx Brothers' anarchic nonsense, comic timing, and stage-derived set pieces.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Captain Spaulding and Signor Ravelli generate rapid-fire nonsense and deliberately derail ordinary conversation.
The Marx Brothers turn the gala, musical performances, and bridge game into escalating physical and visual disorder.
The lavish Rittenhouse gala provides the setting for the brothers to ridicule aristocratic manners, art ownership, and polite decorum.
The theft of a valuable painting drives the nominal recovery plot while serving as a loose framework for comic set pieces.
Films like Animal Crackers, and why
A Night at the Opera
shared Marx Brothers slapstick, rapid-fire verbal absurdity, musical comedy, and high-society setting
The Cocoanuts
shared pre-Code comic irreverence, eccentric ensemble performers, stage-derived set pieces, and social satire
My Man Godfrey
shared screwball energy, mistaken identities, witty repartee, and upper-class social chaos
Duck Soup
shared vaudeville-inspired physical comedy, musical performance, and anarchic ensemble humor
Movie Details
- Director
- Victor Heerman
- Release Date
- 1930-08-08
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (274)
Cast
- Groucho Marx
- Harpo Marx
- Chico Marx
- Zeppo Marx
- Lillian Roth
- Margaret Dumont
- Louis Sorin
- Hal Thompson
- Margaret Irving
- Kathryn Reece
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- 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 Animal Crackers about?
- The Marx Brothers turn a glamorous society gala and stolen masterpiece into a delirious cascade of vaudeville anarchy.
- What is Animal Crackers like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Animal Crackers as breakneck, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Animal Crackers violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Animal Crackers.
- What did critics think of Animal Crackers?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a highly entertaining and enduring showcase for the Marx Brothers' anarchic nonsense, comic timing, and stage-derived set pieces.
- Which films are like Animal Crackers?
- Films with a similar feel include A Night at the Opera, The Cocoanuts, My Man Godfrey, and Duck Soup.
- How long is Animal Crackers?
- Animal Crackers runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch Animal Crackers?
- In United States, Animal Crackers streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
