Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

A Night at the Opera Blu-ray Movie Review

High Marx all around.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III September 27, 2021

The sixth Marx Brothers film -- not counting their lost 1921 debut short, Humor Risk -- and their first for MGM, Sam Wood's A Night at the Opera was seen as something of a comeback for the popular family troupe. One of the studio's biggest hits of 1935, it starred the three most popular and prolific Marx Brothers, as Gummo's "replacement" Zeppo had recently left the act following the release their previous film, Duck Soup. This is practically a spectacle compared to their earlier films (including other favorites like Monkey Business, Horse Feathers, and Animal Crackers) and one with a focused flow that allows its story a bit more breathing room... not that we're here for the story, mind you.

We're soon introduced to conniving, charismatic Otis P. Driftwood (Groucho Marx), who's been tasked with making the stalwart Mrs. Claypool (Margaret Dumont, the perennial Marx Brothers straight woman) a member of high society... but he's just in it for the money. Nonetheless, he introduces her to renowned opera impresario Herman Gottlieb (Sigfriend Rumann AKA Sig Ruman, Ninotchka), who uses her financial support to hire talented tenor Rudolfo Lassparri (Walter Woolf King, Call It a Day), a huge asshole who abuses his dresser Tomasso (Harpo Marx). Meanwhile, Rudolfo has been courting lovely soprano Rosa Castaldi (Kitty Carlisle, Radio Days)... but she's admired from afar by chorister Ricardo Baroni (Allan Jones, Show Boat), a rising young singer managed by his best friend Fiorello (Chico Marx).

A love triangle quickly forms. It's coupled with Baroni's underdog status driving a potential push into the spotlight, and the latter is first kicked into low gear after Fiorello cons his way into a performance contract for Ricardo. The collective group departs Milan for New York aboard an ocean liner, but the more "unsavory" Ricardo, Fiorello, and Tomasso do so as stowaways. Both the journey and their destination lead to all manner of mix-ups and, as the stage is set for opening night of Il trovatore, the newly-united Driftwood, Tomasso, and Fiorello decide to take matters into their own hands. The tangled love triangle and Ricardo's future singing career aren't going to fix themselves, obviously.

It's a fun premise that's laced with the Marx Brothers' trademark blend of slapstick comedy and witty banter, creating a crowd-pleasing story that doubles as a love letter to musical theater and a friendly little game of class warfare. Plenty of all-time classic Marx Brothers moments are on board here, from the classic introduction of Driftwood to "the State Room" (fifteen people and a dozen hard-boiled eggs in a third-class cabin) and Ricardo's contract signing, all of which are peppered with quick banter and snappy comebacks that still play great today. Paired with a much more breathable budget than their earlier films at Paramount, the Marx Brothers' transition to literally a bigger stage is quite seamless during A Night at the Opera. It's a near-perfect marriage of scrappy enthusiasm and polished production values that weren't matched by later films -- the only one that came close was their next, 1937's A Day at the Races.

Until that film is finally released on Blu-ray by Warner Archive -- hopefully sooner, rather than later -- die-hard fans will be more than happy with the boutique label's sterling treatment of this classic comedy gem. Armed with a rock-solid transfer sourced from a recent 4K scan, lossless audio, and a quality assortment of DVD-era bonus features (including a terrific audio commentary by film critic Leonard Maltin), it's a well-rounded Blu-ray worth every penny.

A Night at the Opera Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Warner Archive's new 1080p transfer of A Night at the Opera has been sourced from a recent 4K scan of the best-known restoration elements, and the results are predictably outstanding. Density and fine detail are uniformly strong, with almost no dust and debris remaining on this meticulously cleaned picture. Contrast is well-balanced with excellent shadow detail, bright whites that don't bloom, and a full range of silvery grays. It's likely that a handful of scenes were taken from slightly less pristine sources but, while they sport a slightly harsher and less gradient appearance, still blend in nicely with A Night at the Opera's most impressive scenes to deliver a very crisp and consistent presentation overall. Natural grain is visible and adds a lot of organic texture while breathing new life into costume designs, close-ups, and background details. Only one or two source-related hiccups are present, including a few missing frames here and there, but nothing too distracting. It's a terrific transfer overall and offers a lot of support for A Night at the Opera's higher production values, with the whole show running at a very high bit rate on this dual-layered disc.

The only thing keeping this from being a definitive presentation is that it's still the 92-minute cut version of the film -- roughly three minutes were hastily trimmed from the original negative when A Night at the Opera was shown to troops overseas during WWII, removing all references to Italy (where potions of the film took place, including the opening scene). Sadly, the complete version has yet to be located despite an ongoing search... but with that in mind, this is easily the film's best home video presentation to date and likely rivals most original theatrical showings.

A Night at the Opera Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

It's a little tougher to get excited about the DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio, but this likely isn't Warner Archive's fault. It's a mostly crisp and well-defined effort that puts dialogue front and center while leaving room for background effects and Herbert Stothart's original score. Both enjoy a reasonable amount of weight while (unavoidably?) sounding strained in the high end during rowdier moments and crowded conversations. The pervasive problem here is a mild amount of hiss during key sequences, including the opening and several other scenes with little added "sweetening" (music and other effects), which can be a little distracting if volume levels are cranked higher. But this issue is mostly kept in check and, all things considered, isn't all that surprising when A Night at the Opera's age and condition are considered.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the film only -- not the extras. It's annoying that Warner Archive refuses to fix this ongoing issue, as subtitle tracks were created for the DVDs these extras were sourced from.

A Night at the Opera Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a standard keepcase with colorful one-sheet cover artwork and no inserts. The extras offer a great mix of retrospective film-specific content and a few odds and ends that also fit right in.

• Audio Commentary - This full-length audio commentary features celebrated film critic Leonard Maltin, who serves up a lively track filled with insightful comments and fond memories. Topics of interest include his love of 1930s cinema, the film's success, Zeppo's departure after Duck Soup, music cues, the abrupt opening scene (including a detailed description of the original opening, which was crudely cut during WWII for political reasons), supporting characters, other Marx Brothers films, the story's constant movement, frame dropping, walking a fine line, joke-testing, individual Marx Brothers contributions, The Dionne quintuplets, and much more.

• Remarks on Marx (34:00) - This 2004 piece, directed by Karen Hillhouse, includes a collection of interviews with several actors, directors, and writers whose common link is their love for the Brothers' comedy. Featured participants include Dom DeLuise, Carl Reiner, Robert B. Weide (you know, the guy from all those "Curb Your..." memes), Robert Osborne, and more, along with short clips from classic Marx Brothers comedies.

• Groucho Marx on the Hy Gardner Show (5:25) - The rare 1961 show excerpt, hosted by the long-time entertainment reporter and syndicated columnist for the New York Herald Tribune, features a short interview with Groucho who brings along a cigar and quick wit but no grease-painted eyebrows or moustache.

• Vintage Shorts - A trio of unrelated but entertaining short films that were typically shown before A Night at the Opera during its original theatrical run; these include an Academy Award-winning comedy piece written by and starring Robert Benchley (Foreign Correspondent, I Married a Witch) and two travelogues.

• How to Sleep (10:39)
• Sunday Night at the Trocadero (20:18)
• Los Angeles: Wonder City of the West (8:32)

• Theatrical Trailer (2:18) - This playful promotional piece can also be seen here.

A Night at the Opera Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Sam Wood's madcap musical comedy A Night at the Opera serves up high-grade Marx Brothers mayhem, ranking alongside some of their best work during the Paramount years including Duck Soup and Animal Crackers. Featuring higher production values and a (comparatively) more focused flow than previous pictures, it zips along nicely and stands as an accessible, impressive entry point for outsiders. Although Warner Archive's Blu-ray still sports the hastily cut 92-minute version of the film -- not for lack of trying to locate the full-length one, which still remains elusive -- everything else about this new release is fantastic: from the outstanding new 1080p transfer to a robust collection of DVD-era bonus features, it's a well-rounded disc that fans will go nuts over. Highly Recommended.