Line #20 Film/MonkeyBusiness


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5	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/monkey_business_6.jpg]]
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7	''Monkey Business'' is a 1931 comedy film directed by Norman Z. [=McLeod=] and starring the legendary Creator/MarxBrothers.
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9	Much of the story takes place aboard an ocean liner bound for America from Europe. Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo play four stowaways, who spend much of the journey trying to avoid the ship's captain and his first mate. During and after the journey, the four become involved with an ongoing dispute between rivaling gangsters, which the four brothers solve in their own way. Thelma Todd co-stars as the flirtatious wife of one of the thugs. Much [[HilarityEnsues hilarity ensues]].
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11	Like other early Marx films such as ''Film/HorseFeathers'' and ''Film/DuckSoup'', ''Monkey Business'' is much more anarchic and gag-driven than later movies like ''Film/ANightAtTheOpera'', which heavily feature romance, musical numbers, and, well, [[ExcusePlot plots]]. This was also the Marxes'' first film to be written expressly for the screen, rather than adapted from a stage play; Creator/SJPerelman was one of the writers.
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13	Not to be confused with ''Film/{{Monkey Business\|1952}}'', the 1952 Creator/HowardHawks screwball comedy starring Creator/CaryGrant, Creator/GingerRogers and Creator/MarilynMonroe, which involves the accidental invention of a youth potion.
14
15	----
16	!!Provides examples of:
17
18	* ArtisticLicenseGunSafety: Alky Briggs hands revolvers to both Groucho and Zeppo on two separate occasions. Both times he does so he immediately realizes that they are absentmindedly pointing them right at him, and grabs their hands to turn the guns aside. Don't hand weapons to people who don't know proper gun safety, somebody will get shot in the face. Joe Helton gives guns to Chico and Harpo.
19	* BlackAndGrayMorality: Joe Helton may be a gangster, but at least he doesn't try to hold Alky Briggs' family hostage.
20	* CargoConcealmentCaper: Four Marx Brothers stow themselves in herring barrels on an ocean liner, where they are carried with the cargo before emerging to wreak havoc on the ship.
21	* ClosetShuffle: Used by the stowaways to avoid getting caught.
22	-->'''Lucille:''' What are you doing in that closet?\
23	'''Groucho:''' Nothing -- come on in!
24	* ComicallyMissingThePoint:
25	-->'''Groucho''': Come here, babe, I like you.\
26	'''Lucille''': Oh, I shouldn't. What about my husband?\
27	'''Groucho''': That's alright. Maybe we can get a girl for him.
28	* DeliberatelyDistressedDamsel: Played with when Mary Helton drops a handkerchief in front of Zeppo, who pockets it and then drops one for her to pick up.
29	* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Big Joe Helton is a ruthless racketeer, but he seems genuinely concerned for his daughter Mary.
30	* TheFamilyForTheWholeFamily: The rival bootleggers, Big Joe Helton and [[MeaningfulName Alky]] Briggs.
31	* FarmersDaughter: Groucho [[InvokedTrope complains that there aren't any]] in the barn.
32	* TheGhost: Creator/MauriceChevalier is said to be on the boat, as the Marxes stole his passport and try to use it to disembark, but he never actually appears on-screen.
33	* GilliganCut: There's no actual cut, but Zeppo achieves the same effect when he tells his love interest he'll never leave her... then immediately bolts, as a ship's steward approaches.
34	* HaveAGayOldTime: While fleeing the ship's crew, Groucho hides in a closet in Briggs' suite. Briggs leaves, and Groucho and Briggs' wife go back and forth about Groucho hiding in the closet, and how he can't stay in there. Later, Briggs returns while the two are dancing elaborately, and unwittingly ends up dancing with Groucho, who attempts to kiss Briggs before opening his eyes and realizing the switch. It ''sounds'' like a perfect StealthPun on "coming out of the closet," but the phrase had no connection to homosexuality until at least the 1960s, making this merely a [[HilariousInHindsight fantastic]] coincidence.
35	* InvisibleCelebrityGuest: Creator/MauriceChevalier is supposedly a passenger on the ocean liner, and a meeting with him leads into one of the film's most famous scenes, but the meeting takes place entirely off-screen.
36	* JugglingLoadedGuns: Alky Briggs hands revolvers to both Groucho and Zeppo on two separate occasions. Both times he does so he immediately realizes that they are absentmindedly pointing them right at him, and grabs their hands to turn the guns aside. Don't hand weapons to people who don't know proper gun safety, somebody will get shot in the face. Joe Helton gives guns to ''Chico and Harpo''.
37	* NoNameGiven: None of the brothers' characters are actually named in the film. The general consensus seems to be that each brother is essentially appearing AsHimself. (This is arguably supported by each being credited with just his first name during the opening titles.)
38	* NotSoAboveItAll: Notable as one of the few times Zeppo gleefully goes along with his brothers' antics and even gets in a few [[DeadpanSnarker zingers of his own]].
39	* PassThePopcorn: Groucho cheerfully stands between Alky Briggs and his wife Lucille while they have a spat, clearly enjoying the show. He even referees the argument, letting the participants know when it's their turn to speak. When the wife gets a little too angry, Groucho hands Briggs a gun, saying, "Here, big boy, you're going to need this more than I will."
40	* PointThatSomewhereElse: Alky Briggs hands revolvers to both Groucho and Zeppo on two separate occasions. Both times, after he does so he immediately realizes that they are absentmindedly pointing them right at him, and grabs their hands to turn the guns aside.
41	* TheSingingMute: Implied when the unseen foursome (including mute Harpo) are heard singing barbershop from inside four barrels.
42	* SomeOfMyBestFriendsAreX:
43	-->'''Emily:''' Oh, but you don't understand. You see, I'm not happy with my husband. He should have married some little housewife.
44	-->'''Groucho:''' Madam, I resent that. Some of my best friends are housewives.
45	* StronglyWordedLetter: When Alky catches Groucho with his wife, Groucho's response is:
46	-->"Sir, this is an outrage, breaking into a man's home! I'm not one to make idle threats, but they'll be a letter in the ''Times'' tomorrow morning."
47	* TapOnTheHead: Both Chico and Harpo seem to be very fond of this in the final. Harpo, obviously, takes it up to eleven.
48	* ThatSyncingFeeling: The boys all try to get off the ship by claiming to be Creator/MauriceChevalier (he was on the ship and they stole his passport). To prove they're Chevalier they [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YNiedDhsAs sing]]; Harpo's got a Maurice Chevalier record on a wind-up player strapped to his back, which eventually begins to wind down.
49	* TheyCallMeMisterTibbs:
50	-->'''Briggs:''' Now, listen, bozo--
51	-->'''Groucho''': That's ''Mister'' Bozo to you.
52	-->'''Briggs:''' [[SureLetsGoWithThat Alright, Mr. Bozo.]]
53	* TookALevelInBadass: Zeppo: He spends the first half of the film running from ship security and being nervous about holding a gun. He ends the movie [[spoiler: brawling with gangsters, and having a prolonged fight with Alky Briggs.]]
54	* ToughRoom: The director told the extras in the party scene to laugh when Harpo did something funny because he was afraid the movie's audience wouldn't laugh otherwise, thinking that there was something wrong with him.
55	* WhatHappenedToTheMouse:
56	** Harpo infiltrates a Theatre/PunchAndJudy show in progress, and starts interacting with the puppets... so what happened to the puppeteer who was controlling them ''before'' he got involved? [[note]]He can be heard yelping when the First Officer attacks the puppets, but is otherwise an UnknownCharacter.[[/note]]
57	** While at the party towards the end Groucho starts to romance Lucille Briggs again but they are interrupted by her husband. Lucille runs away to avoid being seen and never turns up again, leaving that subplot unresolved.
58	--->'''Briggs:''' Who was that, my wife?
59	--->'''Groucho:''' Married for twelve years and you have to ask me?!
60	* WhichRestroomDilemma: In one scene, Harpo stands in front of a bathroom sign that apparently reads "MEN". A guy enters then gets thrown out. Then Harpo leaves and we see that he was obscuring the "WO" in "WOMEN".
61	* YouWatchTooMuchX: Groucho says this to one of the gangsters:
62	-->"Nice old piece of melodrama, kidnapping a girl. You've been reading too many dime novels."

Context Film / MonkeyBusiness