Rufus T. Firefly is named president/dictator of bankrupt Freedonia and declares war on neighboring Sylvania over the love of wealthy Mrs. Teasdale.
Acting
Groucho's eyebrow is a separate cast member with its own agent.
Writing
Puns so dense they require a government subsidy to unpack.
Practical Effects
The mirror scene—no CGI, just pure committed lunacy.
Director
Leo McCarey
Groucho Marx
Rufus T. Firefly
Harpo Marx
Pinky
Chico Marx
Chicolini
Zeppo Marx
Bob Roland
Margaret Dumont
Gloria Teasdale
Raquel Torres
Vera Marcal
Louis Calhern
Ambassador Trentino
Edmund Breese
Zander
Leonid Kinskey
Sylvanian Agitator
Charles Middleton
Prosecutor
Edgar Kennedy
Street Vendor
Edward Arnold
Politician (uncredited)
Wade Boteler
Officer at Battle Headquarters (uncredited)
Sidney Bracey
Mrs. Teasdale's Butler (uncredited)
E.H. Calvert
Officer in Battle Sequence (uncredited)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released during rising fascism, audiences debated if it mocked Mussolini—Groucho said they weren't political, just 'against everything'.
The mirror scene was improvised after Groucho broke the actual mirror; Harpo copied him perfectly on the first take.
US
