Duck Soup

When the tiny nation of Freedonia goes bankrupt, its wealthy benefactor, Mrs. Teasdale (Margaret Dumont), forces the government of Freedonia to accept Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx) as its leader. Firefly’s outrageous public behavior offends Ambassador Trentino (Louis Calhern) of neighboring Sylvania, who intends to take control of Freedonia by marrying Mrs. Teasdale. Trentino sends in the spies Pinky (Harpo Marx) and Chicolini (Chico Marx) to steal Freedonia’s war plans and to set the stage for a revolution. As Firefly clashes with the Sylvanian ambassador, plenty of mayhem ensues, and the countries verge on all-out war.

The Avalon is excited to present DUCK SOUP as its 1930s selection in our year long 100 Years of Cinema Magic film series. DUCK SOUP originally played at the Avalon on January 28, 1934!

The film plays on Sunday, September 17 at 10:30AM.

After the film, writer/performer Noah Diamond, known for his restoration of the Marx Brothers’ 1924 musical I’ll Say She Is, and his performance as Groucho in its 2016 Off Broadway revival, will join us on zoom from Manhattan for a special Q&A. Noah can also be heard monthly as a cohost of The Marx Brothers Council Podcast, and is the author of Gimme a Thrill: The Story of I’ll Say She Is. Check out more of his Marx Brothers’ endeavors at his website: www.noahdiamond.com

Click here to read late-critic Roger Ebert’s beautiful review of DUCK SOUP and the Marx Brothers comedies.