Animal Crackers (1930), directed by Victor Heerman and starring the Marx brothers, is a celebration of almost unceasing dialogue and verbal humor. The verbal banter carries the film entirely. The plot is almost non-existent. A large party is held in an extravagant mansion to welcome a returning safari hero, Captain Jeffrey T. Spaulding (Groucho Marx). All of the action, which focuses on the recovery of a pair of stolen paintings, takes place in and around the mansion. The scenes are virtually identical to stage settings and the interactions among the characters are theatrical versus naturalistic. A significant amount of the opening dialogue is rhymed and the party guests function much like a chorus.
Other than the rapid-fire, humorous soliloquies of Captain Spaulding himself, the dialogue is formal and stilted. Characters take turns speaking in a clear and orderly fashion. Some of this may have been necessary due to the limitations of microphones and recording equipment of the day. Characters also stand still when they speak and those in the distance have noticeably softer voices. When singing is accompanied by music, the music seems a bit too loud in comparison with the vocals. The occasional use of sound effects such as gunshots and animal noises, however, does add to the slapstick fun.
Animal Crackers can possibly be best compared to some of today's sit-coms. The film still seems a bit silent, though. The music track is certainly undistinguished, but an additional major sound element is missing. The jokes are funny, indeed, but how does one figure out where one joke ends and the next begins without today's ubiquitous laugh tracks? Silence may be golden, but it is also confusing for those of us who grew up never having to laugh alone.
Kathleen Karlsen, MA is a professional artist, a freelance writer and marketing consultant residing in Bozeman, Montana. Karlsen offers classes and workshops on symbolism, sacred art, healing art and the psychology of design. To learn more about color symbolism, visit http://www.livingartsoriginals.com/infocolorsymbolism.htm For information about the meaning of flowers, please visit http://www.livingartsoriginals.com/infoflowermeaning.htm
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