A Night in Casablanca (1946) User Reviews

A Fond Farewell

[gftbiloxi · 7/10 · 30 April 2005]

By 1946 the Marx Brothers considered themselves retired as a screen team--but brother Chico's on-going financial difficulties coaxed them back into the studio for a final film. The result is a film that will never compete with their sharp-edged comedies of the 1930s but which possesses considerable charm nonetheless.

Although the film began as a parody of the classic CASABLANCA, the plot changed quite a bit by the time it reached the screen. Groucho has been employed as the manager of the Hotel Casablanca--where three previous managers have met sudden death. Attempts on his life soon follow, and before too long the brothers stumble upon the tale of former Nazis in search of treasure hidden somewhere inside the resort.

Time, it seems, mellowed the brothers, and although they retain their sparkle they perform without the manic edge that characterized their earlier films; the result is a much friendlier, cozier style of comedy that feels as comfortable your bedroom slippers. All three have at least one opportunity to shine, with perhaps the most memorable moments being the ever-shrinking dancefloor and the hilarious packing scene, and it has tremendous charm--and is all the more welcome for following the several uninspired films the brothers made during the early 1940s.

Although the Marx Brothers would appear in one more film, LOVE HAPPY, it is uninspired--and rather curiously the three never appear together in the same scene! So it is perhaps best to regard A NIGHT IN CASABLANCA as their final appearance as a screen team. And while it isn't among their great films, it is indeed lots of fun.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Fitting final flourish to the Marx Brothers act

[Mark_McD · 7/10 · 12 August 2004]

That the Marxes could make this as their final film together (Groucho was tacked onto "Love Happy" as an afterthought and had no scenes with Chico and Harpo) means they could go out with a flourish. Groucho's jokes were back in form, not-so-sly innuendo and all, and the dross of the MGM years was cut away: the romantic leads had minimal screen time and did NOT sing, and the special effects laden last reel chase scene was cut mercifully short. Although it's unfortunate that the script had the quick-witted Marxes resort to poor stage fighting to overcome the Nazis. I believe it was while hanging from the ladder in that chase scene (in what's too clearly the California desert) that Groucho decided there must be a better way to make a living, and went to what became "You Bet Your Life."

PS: It suddenly struck me that Sig Ruman's voice, without the accent, could have been a perfect double for Marvin the Martian. Anyone know if he could have inspired Mel Blanc?

I got some hearty laughs out of it, so that's what counts in the end.

While not quite The Marx Brothers' best, it is still a lot of fun

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 16 August 2010]

A Night in Casablanca does have a somewhat contrived plot about spies and hidden treasure, and it mayn't quite have the consistent genius of their earlier outings primarily Duck Soup, however it is still thoroughly enjoyable thanks to some of the gags and performances.

It does look striking and has a quirky score. And the dialogue is pretty darn hilarious and quotable, and I liked the cheeky comparisons with Casablanca, one of my all-time favourite movies. A Night in Casablanca is salvaged though by the gags, Groucho's attempts to get inside various hotel rooms in order to woo Annette and Chico thwarting him every time is a great gag that does not wear out its welcome, but Harpo has the best gag that happens in the opening minutes. The acting is great, Harpo and Chico are very funny and Lois Collier is a nice surprise too, but once again Groucho elevates this film, being as quick and witty as I've come to know him by and going into one-line overdrive.

In conclusion, not outstanding but a lot of fun. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Good farce!

[dmuenzen · 7/10 · 8 March 2006]

The Marx Brothers came out of retirement to make this film in order to help the financially-strapped Chico, who was forever broke due to his gambling addiction.

The movie begins slowly, and there are some rather unfunny scenes featuring Harpo, but when Chico and Groucho arrive on the scene the film really picks up. There are some truly great scenes in this film. My favorite is Harpo desperately trying to convey important information to Chico via whistles and inspired charade.

The plot is rather silly, but who cares? While not on a par with their classics "Duck Soup" and "A Night at the Opera", this movie is very much worth seeing.

the second best film with the word "Casablanca" in the title ever made!

[ajdagreat · 25 February 2002]

There are two kinds of people in this world: People who love the Marx Brothers, and stupid people. "A Night in Casablanca", however, should be more for people who are already fans - it's certainly not the Marx Brothers' best work. However, it is very watchable, and much better than some of their earlier work with MGM. If "A Night at the Opera" is their last great film, then "A Night in Casablanca" is their last good film. A bunch of good lines here. Not bad, check it out!

Slapstick and lots of it.

[dbh-5 · 6/10 · 17 May 2004]

"A Night in Casablanca" is filled with the usual Marx Brother's energy and then some. It is their slapstick that is uniquely displayed by these masters of the craft. Even though this particular comedy is not their best, it is still worth an evening of fun. It takes place in Casablanca, and the name alone conjures up the Bogart film. There is a series of murders of prior hotel managers. The plot thickens from there. All fans of the comedy of the Marx Brothers should view this film in addition to their entire collection. Without a doubt it is not to be missed. Harpo is especially funny in his typical antics. Groucho is a quick and witty as ever. It gets a very good rating from me.

"I'll meet you half way, bring the frucci and leave the gucci here."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 1 January 2007]

I'm not a connoisseur of the Marx Brothers films, and therefore take delight in reading some of the reviews from other posters for this and other movies of theirs on this site. What I can say is that I enjoy their pictures, and "A Night in Casablanca" is no exception. With such a title, I might have expected more of a connection to the famous Bogart film (my favorite of all time by the way), but then again, that wasn't important. Sure it had scheming Nazis and exotic looking sets reminiscent of Rick's 'Cafe Americain', but the letters of transit intrigue is replaced by the search for a missing Nazi treasure, and even then, it's the antics of Groucho, Chico and Harpo that take center stage.

There might be fewer gags and one liners here than in their better hailed classics like "Duck Soup", but things get off to a quick start with Harpo's 'holding up the building ' gag in an opening scene. Groucho, ever with an eye for the ladies, remarks on a rear view of Nazi accomplice Beatice Rheiner (Lisette Verea) - "That reminds me, I must get my watch fixed". Later, appearing the worse for wear following some more commotion - "What happened, I was stood up by a woman and knocked down by a car." I got a kick out of the clever gag using the center leafless table during the packing/unpacking scene, featuring almost everyone in the story.

It would have been cool to have a cameo or two by some of the principals from Bogey's "Casablanca" like Sidney Greenstreet or Peter Lorre, but since that wasn't the case, you have decent support from Sig Ruman as undercover Nazi big wig Pfferrman/Stubel and Dan Seymour as Prefect Brizzard. Verea introduces "Who's Sorry Now?" in a singing number, sounding very little (at least to my tin ear) like the hit Connie Francis would make of it. All in all, the film is an entertaining hour and a half, and a pretty good send off for the Marx Brothers.

Very Good late Marx Bros. film ***

[JoeKarlosi · 9/10 · 27 July 2004]

At last, another highly enjoyable Marx Brothers movie from their later days! In fact, I'd almost consider CASABLANCA as enjoyable as A NIGHT AT THE OPERA, which is the best of the latter movies for my money. This is a very well-written comedy with Groucho in excellent form and given an endless array of funny lines to spout. Harpo is a laugh riot from start to finish and Chico --- well, he's still just Chico, but I loved his piano playing segment this time around, and he's got some nice scenes supporting Harpo. Sig Ruman adds a lot of spice in his role as the perfect recipient of the team's gags.

With my still being fairly new to the Marx Brothers at the time of this viewing, I'd say it appears the writing seemed to be everything when it came to their comedy. When it's bad (ROOM SERVICE) they don't have a leg to stand on. When it's superb (like in OPERA and CASABLANCA) they're comical geniuses.

Rounding Up the Unusual Suspects

[lugonian · 7/10 · 2 October 2006]

A NIGHT IN CASABLANCA (United Artists, 1946), directed by Archie Mayo, is not a sequel to the 1942-43 classic, CASABLANCA, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, but a comedy set at that location featuring those three Marx Brothers in their first motion picture comedy in five years.

A lot has happened since 1941, and the world has changed dramatically since the outbreak of World War II. While age has caught up with Groucho, Harpo and Chico, still sporting their familiar attire, one thing that hasn't changed is the public's necessity for laughter. Bob Hope, Red Skelton and the comedy team of Abbott and Costello filled in the gap for the Marxes during the war years, and for the post war generation, new comics continue to take the place of the old, notably Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis before the end of the decade. The Marx Brothers have been around since the bygone days of vaudeville and performed on screen since the advent of talkies (1929). Their return to films would be hailed as a welcome back by those who remember them well, or a curiosity for those who have never seen them before. For their return engagement, what sort of scenario would best suit them? They've already conquered the world of opera, the races, the circus and the old west. The chosen product in surrounding the brothers with murder and intrigue on foreign soil became the logical choice, since it had been common place in films of the 1940s. The city selected is Casablanca, where Rick and Ilsa (Bogey and Bergman) had re-found themselves. There's no Rick's café this time around, but a hotel where none-other than Groucho assumes top position as manager, almost in the same manner performed in THE COCOANUTS (1929).

Plot Summary: Three hotel managers of the Hotel Casablanca have been poisoned during the past six months. The only one who knows the motive to these murders is Lt. Pierre Delmar (Charles Drake), a pilot who had been forced to fly his airplane to South America loaded with treasures for the Nazis, having purposely landed in Casablanca, with the treasure disappearing and Nazis taking over the Hotel Casablanca. The prefect of police (Dan Seymour) doesn't appear to be interested in his story, and dismisses him. The only one who believes Pierre is Annette (Lois Collier), his fiancée and employee of the hotel. Count Pfefferman (Sig Rumann), a hotel guest, happens to be Heinrich Stubel, a wanted Nazi, who intends on taking over management of the hotel, along with his associates, Kurt (Frederick Giermann) and Beatrice Rheiner (Lisette Verea). Because his servant, Rusty (Harpo) accidentally vacuumed Pfefferman's toupee, which covers his distinctive scar on his head, he is unable to leave his room. Corbaccio (Chico), Rusty's partner, who runs a camel taxi service, picks up Ronald Kornblow (Groucho) at the train station. He's been sent over from the Desert View Hotel to assume the position as the new manager. Because Kornblow's life is in danger, Corbaccio acts as his body guard, keeping Kornblow from the clutches of Beatrice, out to disgrace him, by orders of Pfefferman. In time, the three zanies get together in helping Pierre in proving his theory correct and outwit the Nazis, with amusing results.

A NIGHT IN CASABLANCA, as it is titled, attempts in recreating the sort of comedies the Marx Brothers performed at Paramount, simply being all over the place and creating chaos, yet it's more reminiscent to the ones they did at MGM, especially in casting Harpo as an abused servant to a villain (Rumann) who slaps and addresses him as a "silent idiot." Harpo is the first Marx brother to make an appearance, in the classic scene where he is seen "holding up the building," literally. Chico resumes his role as the helping hand to both his partner and love interest, while Groucho, the wiseacre, falls victim to a "vamp," almost a rehash from A DAY AT THE RACES (1937) with Groucho and Esther Muir. In this instance, he and Beatrice make numerous attempts to be alone together, only to be constantly interrupted, notably by Chico, who succeeds in locating him in a hotel room by knocking on the door and asking, "Hey boss, do you have a woman in there?" Sig Rumann makes his third and final appearance with the brothers, having appeared in A NIGHT AT THE OPERA (1935) and A DAY AT THE RACES, titles that make A NIGHT IN CASABLANCA appear as part of some sort of trilogy. Sadly, Groucho's frequent foil, Margaret Dumont is missing. She would have done splendidly in a cameo performance as the insulted wife of Mr. Smythe (Paul Harvey), a role played by an actress whose name is not listed in the closing credits.

Unlike their MGM comedies, the musical interludes are at a minimum. "Who's Sorry Now?" (sung in French and English by Lisette Verea) by Ted Snyder, Bert Kahlmar and Harry Ruby, ranks the best song ever written for a Marx Brothers comedy. It's truly memorable. This is followed by the traditional solos spots: Chico at the piano playing "The Beer Barrow Polka" and Harpo's harping to "The Second Hungarian Rhapsody." While categorized as the last official Marx Brothers comedy, A NIGHT IN CASABLANCA is still enjoyable from start to finish, climaxed by a wild airplane ride with Harpo at the controls. The fadeout involving Beatrice and the brothers is truly hilarious, something quite fitting to the conclusion of HORSE FEATHERS (1932).

A NIGHT IN CASABLANCA, distributed on video cassette in the 1980s, shown frequently on American Movie Classics (1994-2000), and having premiered on Turner Classic Movies in June 2002, is currently available (with clearer picture quality) on DVD. (***)

They were and are the greatest comedy team.

[Tim-130 · 8/10 · 28 February 2000]

The Marx Brothers are the greatest comedy team of all time. Even in their later films, including this one, which weren't among their best efforts, they still manage to make you laugh. They filled their films with social commentary, sexual innuendo, and slapstick, all with effortless ease, and without being offending. The scenes of Groucho going from one hotel room to another, trying to get Annette alone, with brother Chico as his bodyguard thwarting his every attempt, are gems. I introduced the Marx Brothers to my son while he was very young, and he loves them. Now, more then ten years later he still pulls out the old videotapes occasionally. Then for the next week all we hear in the house is, ‘I once shot an elephant in my pajamas. How they got in my pajamas I'll never know.' Nothing compares to the Marx Brothers, before or since.

The Last of the Best Marx Brothers Comedies

[zardoz-13 · 7/10 · 7 September 2011]

The Marx Brothers' comedy "A Night in Casablanca" isn't their one of their best. Nevertheless, this lightweight spoof of "Casablanca" qualifies as one of the better films after "A Day at the Races." Indisputably, "A Night in Casablanca" surpasses "The Big Store." The Marx Brothers had all but concluded their ensemble career as a three man act by the time that they appeared in this above-average opus. Reportedly, Chico was gambling far too much and losing so badly that the Marxs teamed up to make director Archie Mayo's film. As story goes, Jack Warner of Warner Brothers Studio threatened to sue MGM because for copyright infringement, but you cannot copyright a title. Groucho replied that he was going to sue the brothers Warners for stealing the word 'brothers' because the Marxs had been in show business long before Jack and his siblings entered the cinematic area. Like all of their movies after "Duck Soup," "A Night in Casablanca" concerns a couple of love-birds who are experiencing trouble, and the Marx Brother come along and straighten everything out. Joseph Fields and Rolands Kibbee penned the screenplay, while "Petrified Forest" helmer Archie Mayo helmed the film.

This amusing post World War II melodrama has Groucho posing as the manager of the Hotel Casablanca. Before he took over the administration of the hotel, three managers had died. As it turns out, some Nazis have stashed a fortune in the hotel and want to take over the hotel so they can remove their fortune without getting caught. Groucho summoned to run the hotel, and he meets a young French pilot Pierre (Charles Drake of "Harvey") who has vainly been trying to prove that a hidden treasure of war contraband has been concealed somewhere in Casablanca. Moreover, Pierre is trying to clear his name. Pierre happens to be in love with an innocent girl Annette. Sig Ruman plays a dastardly Nazi on the lam named Pfferman who wears a hair piece because the scar on his bald polished head identifies him as a criminal. The best joke in the film occurs at the beginning of when a French policeman catches the mute Marx brother learning against a building. When the cop asks him if Harpo is holding up the building, Harpo nods and the angry cop pulls him away, only to watch as the building collapses.

The Marxs are up to their usual hijinks and their charades are just as funny. Most of the scenes appear to be imitations of earlier Marx brothers' gags. For example, the racetrack window in the earlier movie "A Day at the Races" is revived when Groucho has trouble gathering up an impossible number of objects as he moves from one room to another with a woman while Chico pursues him. Another clever scene shows the brothers unpacking the trunks that Pfferman and his henchmen are packing. Harpo gets to play the harp, too.

An absolute classic!

[fifahenry · 8/10 · 19 June 2005]

I enjoyed this movie a lot, it took a while to find it in the shops but it was worthwhile looking around for. My favourite scene is definitely the one with Harpo minding Chico's peanut stall with the angry neighbouring stall owner. It makes you laugh for ages! Groucho plays the part of the manager of the Hotel Casablanca because all the previous managers were murdered by ex-Nazis looking for Nazi treasure hidden within the hotel prior to the end of the war. Some of the funniest moments in Marx Brother's history are featured in this movie eg. Harpo holding up a wall, Chico and Harpo rearranging a dance floor that keeps getting smaller and a funny suitcase packing routine towards the end. A very humorous movie and I would definitely recommend it.

Relentlessly hilarious and outrageous Marx comedy that still works very well

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 24 January 2023]

Here the Marx Brothers are employed at a hotel in postwar Casablanca . This movie brought The Marx Brothers and their zany magnificence back to the screen after a five-year of absence . Groucho , Chico and Harpo find themselves in the luxurious Hotel Casablanca , where a ring of Nazis -commanded by Heinrich Stubel : Sig Ruman- is trying to recover a cache of stolen treasure. There our friends Groucho , Chico , Harpo going after some leftover Nazis searching for treasure. The Funniest Picture in Ten Years!."The Marx Bros. Are three of our foremost comedians...my wife can tell you the name of the fourth" says Eddie Cantor. Don't miss it! The funniest picture ever made!

Amusing and entertaining Marx picture , it has a lot of funny and crazy material . Groucho's wisecracks , Harpo' mute gestures, and the incomparable Chico carry the movie . One of the later Marx Brothers' films , but still loaded with the familiar wisecracks , chaos , disorder , revelry , and mayhem. The humor is almost undiluted due to Marx lunacy , from the chaos at a hotel room in which the Marx Brothers hide into cupboards or trunks , to the crashing collapse of a wall that Harpo has insisted he is holding up , to so huge stork that it leaves no room to wine . Along the way , Chico baffles his companions with double talk while Groucho lopes across the screen as the manager of the Hotel Casablanca. The plot is plain and simple , dealing with the wacky Marx Brothers searching for a Nazi treasure at a hotel and meantime , humiliating their stuffy and snobbish enemy : Sig Ruman . Later on , Marx Brothers anarchize the luxury hotel , insulting and mocking the guests . Their actions include some on stage antics during a show , and an amusing dance while Chico and Harpo are setting the dinner tables .

Classic Marx film with many fun sequences , this is one of the most sustained bit of insanity , full of outlandish gags , antics and amusement , being now deemed a satiric masterpiece ,and one of the biggest hits . Although it suffers from staginess and excesive surrealist plotting , but it gives the zany threesome plenty of comic elaboration . Enough gags for give several movies , but our favorite is still the merriment and fuss in the hotel room when they are tricking the Nazi count into putting clothes in and out of closets and drawers .The Marx Bros (minus Zeppo) are in peak form in this vintage comedy with co-stars as Charles Drake, Lois Collier , Sig Ruman , including sparkling dialogs with Groucho . Furthermore , Sig Ruman makes his last of three appearances in The Marx Brothers films . However , this Marx Brothers film was made without brother Zeppo Marx, it started a new trend of The Marx Brothers movies featuring a Zeppo-like supporting character who carries the love story and sings the songs . Don't miss it , one of the funniest picture ever made by Marx Brothers. This charming comedy as well as hilariously amusing motion picture was professionally and skillfully directed by Archie Mayo, though with not originality, being similar to other Marx films . Archie Mayo had a decent cinematic career, directing acceptable films, such as : Night after night, The Mayor of hell, Bordertown, It is love I'm after, Four sons, Confirm or deny, Orchestra wives, Night in Casablanca, being his greatest hit : The petrified forest. Rating : 7/10 acceptable and decent picture that will appeal to comedy genre lovers and Marx Brothers enthusiasts.

Other important films starred by Marx Brothers -many of them Broadway farce plays transfered by scenarists into vehicle for the Brothres- , they are the following ones : ¨Animal crackers¨, ¨Duck soap¨ that was a flop when first released but today considered a masterpiece , ¨Horse Feathers¨, ¨A night at the Opera¨, ¨At the circus¨, ¨Day at the races¨ , ¨Room service¨ , ¨Go West¨, ¨Love Happy¨ and ¨Night in Casablanca¨, though in 1946 the Marx formula was wearing thin . Any film with Groucho , Chico , Harpo is well worth seeing .

While pleasant enough, don't expect any magic!

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 4 January 2007]

This and their next movie, LOVE HAPPY, are pleasant enough Marx Brothers films, but they are a far cry from their earlier classic films, such as HORSE FEATHERS (my favorite) or DUCK SOUP. Instead of the creativity and energy of these earlier films, A NIGHT IN CASABLANCA looks like a Marx Brothers movie in slow motion and with fewer laughs--plus perhaps too much plot! Early Marx Brothers films really seemed as if the plot was just an excuse to string together jokes and they really didn't rely too much on sticking with a script. Here, though, it's more "by the numbers"--with just a much lower degree of spontaneity and a plot that takes precedence over the laughs. In this case, Sig Ruman is a Nazi in hiding (very topical for 1946) and the brothers' job is to expose him and the rest of his evil henchmen. This really sounds more like a plot for a drama than the silliness you'd expect from the Marx's.

Still, it does have a few decent laughs and is fun to watch for the devoted fans. However, if you haven't seen one of their films before or if you don't particularly care for their film, try another one, please!!! This is like a shadow of their former zaniness.

Letter from Warner Brothers threatening legal action over the name

[zapkvrsc · 10 January 2006]

This letter from Warners to the Marx Brothers threatening legal action over the name "A night in Casablanca" was just printed in the paper today.

Dear Warner Bros., Apparently there is more than one way of conquering a city and holding it as your own. For example, up to the time that we contemplated making this picture, I had no idea that the city of Casablanca belonged exclusively to Warner Brothers. However, it was only a few days after our announcement appeared that we received your long, ominous legal document warning us not to use the name Casablanca.

It seems that in 1471, Ferdinand Balboa Warner, your great-great-grandfather, while looking for a shortcut to the city of Burbank, had stumbled on the shores of Africa and, raising his alpenstock (which he later turned in for a 100 shares of common), named it Casablanca.

I just don't understand your attitude. Even if you plan on releasing your picture, I am sure that the average movie fan could learn in time to distinguish between Ingrid Bergman and Harpo. I don't know whether I could, but I certainly would like to try.

You claim that you own Casablanca and that no one else can use that name without permission. What about "Warner Brothers"? Do you own that too? You probably have the right to use the name Warner, but what about the name Brothers? Professionally, we were brothers long before you were. We were touring the sticks as the Marx Brothers when Vitaphone was still a gleam in the inventor's eye, and even before there had been other brothers - the Smith Brothers; the Brothers Karamazov; Dan Brothers, an outfielder with Detroit; and Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?. (This was originally "Brothers, Can You Spare a Dime?" but this was spreading a dime pretty thin, so they threw out one brother, gave all the money to the other one, and whittled it down to "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?") Now Jack, how about you? Do you maintain that yours is an original name? Well it's not. It was used long before you were born. Offhand, I can think of two Jacks - Jack of Jack and the Beanstalk, and Jack the Ripper, who cut quite a figure in his day.

As for you, Harry, you probably sign your checks sure in the belief that you are the first Harry of all time and that all other Harrys are impostors. I can think of two Harrys that preceded you. There was Lighthouse Harry of Revolutionary fame and a Harry Appelbaum who lived on the corner of 93rd Street and Lexington Avenue. Unfortunately, Appelbaum wasn't too well-known. The last I heard of him, he was selling neckties at Weber and Heilbroner.

Now about the Burbank studio. I believe this is what you brothers call your place. Old man Burbank is gone. Perhaps you remember him. He was a great man in a garden. His wife often said Luther had 10 green thumbs.

What a witty woman she must have been! Burbank was the wizard who crossed all those fruits and vegetables until he had the poor plants in such confused and jittery condition that they could never decide whether to enter the dining room on the meat platter or the dessert dish.

This is pure conjecture, of course, but who knows - perhaps Burbank's survivors aren't too happy with the fact that a plant that grinds out pictures on a quota settled in their town, appropriated Burbank's name and uses it as a front for their films.

It is even possible that the Burbank family is prouder of the potato produced by the old man than they are of the fact that your studio emerged Casablanca or even Gold Diggers of 1931.

This all seems to add up to a pretty bitter tirade, but I assure you it's not meant to. I love Warners. Some of my best friends are Warner Brothers. It is even possible that I am doing you an injustice and that you, yourselves, know nothing about this dog-in-the-Wanger attitude.

It wouldn't surprise me at all to discover that the heads of your legal department are unaware of this absurd dispute, for I am acquainted with many of them and they are fine fellows with curly black hair, double-breasted suits and a love of their fellow man that out-Saroyans Saroyan.

I have a hunch that his attempt to prevent us from using the title is the brainchild of some ferret-faced shyster, serving a brief apprenticeship in your legal department. I know the type well - hot out of law school, hungry for success, and too ambitious to follow the natural laws of promotion. This bar sinister probably needled your attorneys, most of whom are fine fellows with curly black hair, double-breasted suits, etc., into attempting to enjoin us.

Well, he won't get away with it! We'll fight him to the highest court! No pasty-faced legal adventurer is going to cause bad blood between the Warners and the Marxes.

We are all brothers under the skin, and we'll remain friends till the last reel of A Night in Casablanca goes tumbling over the spool.

Sincerely, Groucho Marx See The Oxford Book of Letters, edited by Frank Kermode and Anita Kermode, Oxford University Press, 1996.

Why, It's Just Like A New Movie!!!

[redryan64 · 7/10 · 7 May 2012]

IF MEMORY SERVES us correctly, this was the last Marx Brothers romp to be shown on the 'tube'. It finally got on TV via CBS Late Movie sometime in the mid to late 70's. It followed (roughly in this order) the MGM's, ROOM SERVICE (frpm RKO), the Paramount 5 and LOVE HAPPY.*

THERE IS AN old saying that there's no such thing as an old joke; providing that one hasn't heard it yet. So then,it follows that the same sort of logic holds true when we are talking movie; for in much the same way, it is what is new to the individual is that which is unknown.

THE FILM IS an independent production, released through United Artists. It was made years after MGM's THE BIG STORE; which was announced as being the last Marx cinematic collaboration, their last movie as a team. Although MGM head honcho, Louis B. Mayer, who personally hated the brothers, believed this to be true, there were others who wouldn't accept this as Gospel.

WISELY, THE STORY remained true to Marxian tradition and lore; while at the same time the production allowed for whatever affects from Mother and Father would have. (We're speaking, of course, about Mother Nature and Father Time.) The situations were appropriately adapted to some guys who were obviously a little more "middle aged".

THIS IS NOT to say that the gags weren't good and truly "Marxian"; it's that there was an obvious attempt to dial it down a notch, just enough to make it all seem just a trifle more "believable" (if this isn't being an obviously oxymoron of a concept).*

REMEMBERING THAT ANY familiarity with the Marxes came to us, all known as 'Baby Boomers'' from Television, discovering their films (all of them)was sort of like taking a trip back in time.

WE JUST WISH that there had been some more of these "little", independent productions following A NIGHT IN CASABLANCA.**

NOTE:* Some of our favourite gags would be: Harpo's being asked if he thinks that he is holding up the building, Chico & Harpo's packing and unpacking of Sig Ruman's luggage and Groucho's extended interplay with actor Paul Harvey; who took exception with the remarks made about his wife. The production team also knew how to wrap it all up, leaving the audience laughing! (If you don't know it, see it!)

NOTE** Therre was a story, mainly circulated by Groucho, that Warner Brothers had threatened to sue over the use of 'Casablanca' in the title. The 'objections' were being registered because of Warnrers' 1942 Oscar winning film, CASABLANCA, with Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bdergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, etc.,etc. Even Groucho mentioned in his book, THE GROUCHO LETTERS, many years later; it was all eventually exposed as a publicity stunt.

The Telltale Toupee

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 15 April 2009]

In their first post World War II film, the Marx Brothers take aim at those films of adventure and intrigue set in far away places and filmed at studio back lots. Such a film was the classic Casablanca and so was A Night In Casablanca.

Personally I can't believe Jack Warner wanted to sue the brothers and United Artists over this film. He certainly had deeper pockets than they did, why make such a fuss?

In any event the film is about looted Nazi treasure from the late war and it being hidden in a Casablanca hotel. Two of the hotel managers have met violent and sudden death and the third one is already earmarked by Nazi bigwig Sig Ruman on the run from the Nuremberg court. He's stopping in Casablanca to get the treasure on the way to South America. But when his valet Harpo accidentally vacuums his toupee off his head, his plans halt. Ruman can't go out or he'll be instantly recognized without the rug.

That hotel manager whom they want to get is none other than Groucho and he gets his usual assistance from self appointed bodyguard Chico. Of course that sets up a lot of typical Marx situations.

A Night In Casablanca is not as good as most of their films from the Thirties, still it has its moments. Harpo literally 'holding' up a building is one of them. And the brothers gas lighting Sig Ruman as he's trying to pack is another.

Fans of the brothers will enjoy this one. As for those who don't know them, I'd look first at their early films from Paramount to get a true gauge of their surrealistic comedy.

Best of the Later Marx Brothers Films

[DKosty123 · 7/10 · 9 March 2007]

After A Night At the Opera, this is definitely the best of the later Marx brothers films. While it doesn't have the youthful energy of the earlier films like Duck Soup & Horsefeathers, it makes up for it with some creative comedy of its own.

A young Frank Tashlin contributed some of the sight gags in this film. Frank would go on in the 1950's to do a lot of sight gags for Jerry Lewis & several others, but his early contributions in this film really contribute. He is the genius behind the Harpo & the wall gag early in the film, & several other physical sequences later.

The plot hangs around some stolen gold hidden in a secret room in a Casablanca building. It has been a while since I have seen it, but this film is quite entertaining. The supporting cast includes the brilliant Sig Rugman who did a lot of great comedy films in support.

Hilarious

[davidmvining · 8/10 · 22 November 2019]

I love Duck Soup, but I've never quite loved anything else the Marx Brother shave done until now. Everything else was pretty funny, but nothing came close to hitting the satirical and manic genius that is Duck Soup. A Night in Casablanca comes close, though. It does miss the more biting satirical elements, but the manic energy is pitch perfect.

1946. Casablanca. Rick and Ilsa are no longer there, instead there is a hotel that simply cannot keep managers alive. Three have died in short time. We see some nefarious looks from some waiters, but the mystery doesn't last long for us. There are Nazis looking for a missing treasure. How the treasure actually got to its hiding spot between the fifth and sixth floor of the hotel is unclear (the straight man character who took Zeppo's place seems to have something to do with it), but a mishap prevents the in hiding Nazi from taking the hotel manager position in the wake of the most recent death. Why he needs to be the hotel manager is also unclear. The first 15-20 minutes of this movie are really about setting this all up. We see Harpo doing his thing as the Nazi's servant, but we don't get introduced to Chico for about 10 minutes and Groucho doesn't show up for about 20.

Once they're all there, though, the plot and straight characters have been established, and we can continue with the manic insanity. And we get that in spades. Like the best of the brothers, there's a series of sketches that loosely tie into the plot and carry their own energy. Each individual scene serves the plot some way (getting some cash so that Pierre, the Zeppo stand-in, can buy something to move the plot forward) but is mostly about the Marx brothers being zany (in this case, taking restaurant patrons' money and filling a dance floor with tables and chairs).

That, alone, wasn't enough to get me to quite love the film. I began to love it during a sustained sequence near the end. The Nazis know they've been found out, and they begin to pack their things in their hotel room. All three Marx brothers are there in hiding and move back and forth simply causing chaos, trolling the Nazis with complete impunity and completely incognito. It goes on for a solid ten minutes, playing with this simple concept (perhaps even a theme) in new a different ways. It's such an inspired sequence of comedy that I left any resistance to the film behind.

The last of the Marx, and not to be missed

[brentbridge1956 · 9/10 · 19 July 2014]

OK so it wasn't their best, but it is still a classic. The usual daft unbelievable plot, but with good comic timing and plenty of gags, well up to the usual Marx standard. There is an allusion to the classic Casablanca film but it soon wanders off.

Best gag in the film - Young woman to Groucho - "You wouldn't refuse a lady would you ?" Groucho - "Why not, they always refuse me !" This can't be beaten. Plus it is a pleasure for the chance to once again, appreciate Harpo's musical gifts.

I understand this film was made with reluctance and only to help Chico financially. Well thank goodness for Chico's spending habits, or we might have missed another and final Marx gem

The Last Great Marx Brother Film

[egleg_loombucket · 7/10 · 27 June 2005]

The brothers hadn't made a film together for five years when this film was released in 1946. They had disbanded from Hollywood and regrouped down largely to financial problems, which was also the reason they returned to make Love Happy in 1949. However, this is no way near as bad as Love Happy and should rightfully stand as the last Marx Brothers picture, as they would end on a high note. The only thing that shows here is their ageing, but the gags, slapstick humour and scenarios are all present, and a lot more funnier than their last outing The Big Store, and a few others previous to this. The endings a bit slapdash, but nevertheless, sit back and enjoy!

The Last Great Marx Brothers Film

[theowinthrop · 10/10 · 12 March 2006]

In my youth two of the surviving Marx Brother films were never on television. One was ANIMAL CRACKERS. The other was A NIGHT IN CASABLANCA. Both had copy-write problems that took years to unravel. They only got released to the public again in the 1970s. Groucho was still alive when ANIMAL CRACKERS got released about 1973. He was not around for A NIGHT IN CASABLANCA.

Perhaps he would not have cared. He always thought the five Paramount films and A NIGHT AT THE OPERA and A DAY AT THE RACES were the best of the thirteen films he made. He always dismissed the films made after the death of Irving Thalberg because they were not made with the care Thalberg brought to "Opera" and "Races". That would include A NIGHT IN CASABLANCA.

It was not a fair statement, but in his later years the less attractive aspects of Groucho's personality came to the forefront. Groucho's ready wit delighted audiences, but he was very difficult to know intimately and like. Some of his statements (about director Sam Wood being a racist) are still questioned. His opinion of the post 1937 films is difficult to totally dismiss. AT THE CIRCUS, GO WEST, THE BIG STORE, and LOVE HAPPY had good moments in them but were decidedly weaker films than the first seven. But ROOM SERVICE and A NIGHT IN CASABLANCA were both successful comedies, if not as good as the first seven. Groucho's feelings about movie making post Thalberg was changed in one way that a number of his fans rarely think of. Thalberg's contract for the brother's joining MGM gave them a tremendous share of the profits (something that MGM head Louis B. Mayer was not thrilled about - and which helped determine his lack of interest in the brothers' subsequent films). Groucho's success in vaudeville, Broadway, and early films left him well-to-do, yet he, Chico, and Harpo, were still looking for work in 1936 - 1937. But the results of the first two films left all three brothers millionaires. They didn't have to keep working. In fact, their one film a year contract is ridiculous when compared to the existing contracts of W.C.Fields, Laurel & Hardy, and Wheeler & Woolsey, all of whom made two or three feature films a year. By the time THE BIG STORE was released (1941) the brothers (even heavy gambler Chico) did not require more money. Only in 1946, when Chico's gambling debts grew too big, did they agree to make a final film. Having relaxed for five years, and laid fallow as it were, the results were pretty good.

Look at it another way. After Zeppo left the team in 1933 there was nothing to suggest the brothers could not have split and gone separate ways. Harpo (like Zeppo) had appeared once in a film (a silent movie) without his brothers. Later on Howard Hughes tried to use him in the title role of Androcles in ANDROCLES AND THE LION. But that was his only attempt at a solo. Groucho actually did write a screenplay for a movie that was produced. He also published a book. In subsequent years Chico would take a band on the road. They could have separated. If they had, they could have made separate talkies. Groucho would (after 1946). Why did he wait until then? And once he got started, why was his number of solo film appearances so small (about five movies, as well as the game show YOU BET YOUR LIFE). Because he had no need to do so - he had enough money now.

Keeping this lack of need for making movies in mind it explains the better quality of NIGHT IN CASABLANCA. The film was not rushed but thought out. So Ronald Kornblow, the manager of the hotel in NIGHT IN CASABLANCA, is more memorable than...say J. Cheever Loophole in AT THE CIRCUS. His lines are better. The gags, such as Harpo's opening one of the collapsing house, or the packing/unpacking "ballet" at the expense of Sig Ruman's Nazi character, are far funnier than the best moments of the weaker films. The film is not flawless (the crashing of the plane onto police headquarters is too sudden to be fully effective - compare it with Laurel & Hardy's mad plane ride in THE FLYING DEUCES to see what I mean). But the flaws are not as bad as in GO WEST.

The topic of the search for post-war Nazi war criminals is not one to be considered humorous, but then the idea of suicide and dead bodies is not funny either - yet ROOM SERVICE's last half hour is hilarious regarding the latter. Here it is too, as the Nazis (Sig Ruman and his henchmen) live up to their personalities, but are shown to be capable of being flummoxed constantly. Watch Harpo get openly bored parrying the dueling strokes of one of the Nazis before an amazed Ruman.

As for Groucho, his attempts at sexual liaisons with the temptress Beatrice Rheiner (Lissette Verea)are constantly detoured or demolished by Harpo and Chico (and Chico even ends up with Beatrice at one point). No, this film is a worthy film for the brothers - their last worthy film.

I'm Ronald Kornblow, I Stop at Nothing

[richard-mason · 7/10 · 24 April 2003]

SLIGHT GAG SPOILER

I love this film ... not because it's their bes (aaah Monkey Business, aah Duck Soup, aaah Horse Feathers) but because, after the steady decline of their MGM films, sinking to the nadir of The Big Store, they were able to bounce back to something like a REAL Marx Bros film.

Sure it looks a bit shoddy, and some of the gags are weak, but Harpo has some great sight gags, Groucho has some one-liners worthy of him, and even Chico is back to being the shifty, untrustworthy conman he was in the early films ("Hey boss, you gotta woman in there?") instead of Harpo's milksop nursemaid that MGM tried to turn him into.

There are too priceless exchanges involving Groucho ("I'm Beatrice Reiner, I stop at the hotel." "I'm Ronald Kornblow, I stop at nothing" and his humiliation of the pompous Mr Smythe, plus Harpo's equally hilarious demolition of Beatrice, make this well worth watching. AND IT'S OUT ON DVD.

Not a must-see

[marissas75 · 5/10 · 10 January 2006]

Not really an all-out spoof of "Casablanca" (as the title might have you believe), this Marx Brothers comedy features a tenuous plot that leaves ample room for gag routines. Groucho, Harpo, and Chico attempt to foil some Nazis who are searching for the treasure hidden in the hotel that Groucho manages. The humor is not always as sharp as it is in other Marx Brothers films--some of Groucho's one-liners fall flat, and the last two scenes are funny but overlong. Better moments include Harpo's miming and Chico's attempts to interpret him, the brothers' musical numbers (harp and piano), and some scenes where Groucho applies his uniquely crazy personality to his job as hotel manager. However, the brothers display these same talents in other, better movies (try "Duck Soup" or "A Night at the Opera"). You'll probably be amused by "A Night in Casablanca," but it's definitely not a must-see.

Lost Treasure

[tedg · 15 September 2008]

Goodness. Not quite the stench of death, but the unmistakable aroma of a fatal illness.

I'm not sure that performers that depend on freshness owe it to us to quit early, before that freshness fades. If they give us something powerful, as these men have, they deserve our patience, and indeed Groucho at least was able to leverage that and deepen the experience.

But its a shame, watching them drift. There was only one comic sequence here that worked for me, and it was obvious that it was one of those they took on the road to test and refine. Its where Harpo does a pantomime that Chico tries to interpret. Groucho is to be killed, you see.

This was originally intended to be a spoof of the surprisingly successful Casablanca of the previous year. Whats interesting about this movie to me is how it obviously changed direction, knowing that the original idea wouldn't work. So what we have here is an application of comic genius to change what could have been an embarrassment for us all, into a mere failure. A gentle release of their career.

Other than the scene I mentioned which was thoroughly tuned, you can see already the unhappy state of Chico's timing, already suffering from early onset dementia.

Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.