Room Service
The Marx Brothers turn a cash-strapped theatrical production and a desperate illness ruse into a whirlwind of hotel-room deception.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- witty
- irreverent
- daffy
- lazy afternoon
- classic comedy night
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded it as an enjoyable, above-average farce with strong Marxian energy, while considering it a minor entry in the brothers' filmography.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Gordon Miller and his collaborators attempt to mount a play while concealing their financial crisis from the landlord.
The protagonists claim that the play's author has contracted a terrible disease so the landlord will not discover their situation.
The hotel setting and the effort to keep the play and its deceptions hidden create the film's central spatial comedy.
Groucho, Chico, and Harpo play contrasting comic figures whose disruptive presence drives the film's antic proceedings.
Films like Room Service, and why
A Night at the Opera
shared Marx Brothers slapstick, backstage chaos, rapid-fire comic scheming, and ensemble farce
The Cocoanuts
shared theatrical farce, escalating misunderstandings, anarchic physical comedy, and romantic complications
Room for One More
shared screwball timing, hotel-based confusion, eccentric ensemble performance, and fast-moving comic disorder
The Man Who Came to Dinner
shared stage-play origins, comic deception, romance, and tightly confined farcical action
Movie Details
- Director
- William A. Seiter
- Release Date
- 1938-09-21
- Runtime
- 78 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (84)
Cast
- Groucho Marx
- Chico Marx
- Harpo Marx
- Lucille Ball
- Ann Miller
- Frank Albertson
- Cliff Dunstan
- Donald MacBride
- Philip Loeb
- Philip Wood
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 Room Service about?
- The Marx Brothers turn a cash-strapped theatrical production and a desperate illness ruse into a whirlwind of hotel-room deception.
- What is Room Service like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Room Service as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Room Service violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Room Service.
- What did critics think of Room Service?
- Critics broadly regarded it as an enjoyable, above-average farce with strong Marxian energy, while considering it a minor entry in the brothers' filmography.
- Which films are like Room Service?
- Films with a similar feel include A Night at the Opera, The Cocoanuts, Room for One More, and The Man Who Came to Dinner.
- How long is Room Service?
- Room Service runs 78 minutes.
- Where can I watch Room Service?
- In United States, Room Service is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
