The Big Store

Here is another of the lesser films in the Marx Brothers cannon. It has Margaret Dumont and the typical Marx Brothers villain, which is always a welcome familiarity. It also features some decent laughs and a manically inspired climactic chase scene through the department store. Many critics criticize their films for having obligatory musical numers in which the brothers show off their world-class musical abilities (Harpo - harp and Chico - piano). I always look forward to those scenes because they really are amazing musicians and it provides a calm interlude for the insuing madness. In some ways the musical numbers save this otherwise lackluster film.