[6]

Groucho, Chico, and Harpo (but not Zeppo) provide classic comic relief in a series of vignettes tied together in a loose narrative involving a wayward socialite (Margaret Dumont) and a pair of opera-singing lovers (Kitty Carlisle and Allan Jones). Groucho may be the king of off-handed one-liners, but my favorite is Harpo, who holds the screen without uttering a word. A Night at the Opera contains a few songs, which I thought would detract from the comedy, but they’re actually pretty charming numbers, especially the first duet between Carlisle and Jones. The movie ends famously with the raucous opening night of “Il Trovatore”, where the brothers do their darndest to sabotage the evening.