The Big Store
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| The Big Store | |
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 Theatrical poster for Big Store (1941) |
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| Directed by | Charles Reisner |
| Produced by | Louis K. Sidney |
| Written by | Nat Perrin (story) Sid Kuller Hal Fimberg Ray Golden |
| Starring | Groucho Marx Chico Marx Harpo Marx Tony Martin Virginia Grey Margaret Dumont Virginia O'Brien |
| Cinematography | Charles Lawton Jr. |
| Editing by | Conrad A. Nervig |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | June 20, 1941 |
| Running time | 83 min. |
| Language | English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Big Store (1941) is a Marx Brothers comedy film in which Groucho, Chico and Harpo work to save the Phelps department store, owned by Martha Phelps (Margaret Dumont). Groucho plays her detective and bodyguard Wolf J. Flywheel.
It was advertised as their last ever film, and it was the last of five films made under contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. However, they would return to the screen in A Night in Casablanca (1946) and Love Happy (1949). Today, The Big Store is widely considered to be the Marx Brothers's weakest film.
The Big Store co-starred Marx Brothers' foil Margaret Dumont as well as Tony Martin and Virginia Grey. Dumont retired after this film. The "heavy" was Mr. Grover, played by Douglass Dumbrille, the same actor who was the "heavy" in A Day at the Races.
Tagline: "Where everything is a good buy. Goodbye!"
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[edit] Plot
The film has two extended scenes. One of them takes place in the store's bed department, which has all kinds of novel beds that come out of the walls. An Italian family comes in with 12 children, six of whom get lost in a set of bunk beds. Three more families, one has a lot of blond children, one is comprised of American Indian children, and the third with Asian children, arrive, and soon all is chaos.
The second lengthy scene takes place near the end of the film. Groucho, Chico and Harpo escape their pursuers during a madcap chase through the entire store, using the elevator, a staircase, chandeliers, roller skates, and a bicycle.
There is one gag which breaks the fourth wall, during the "Sing While You Sell" sequence: While Groucho is showing a dress, he says "This is a bright red dress, but Technicolor is so expensive."
[edit] Musical numbers
As is typical for MGM films, the movie contains production numbers, such as "Sing While You Sell," performed by Groucho, and "Tenement Symphony" sung by Tony Martin.
- "Tenement Symphony"- Tommy
- "Sing While You Sell"- Groucho & the Cast
- "Rock-a-bye Baby"- Virginia O'Brien
- "If It's You"- Tommy
- "Mama Yo Quiero"- Chico and Harpo (piano)
- "Mozart's Sonata in C major" - Harpo (Harp)
- "Beethoven's Minuet" - Harpo (Harp/Cello/Violin)
[edit] Cast
- Groucho Marx as Private Detective Wolf J. Flywheel
- Harpo Marx as Wacky
- Chico Marx as Ravelli
- Tony Martin as Thomas "Tommy" Rogers
- Margaret Dumont as Mrs. Martha Phelps
- Virginia Grey as Joan Sutton
- Douglas Dumbrille as Mr. Grover
- William Tannen as Fred "Chris" Sutton
- Henry Armetta as Guiseppi
- Anna Demetrio as Maria
- Marion Martin as Peggy Arden
- Paul Stanton as Arthur Hastings
- Russell Hicks as George Hastings
- Bradley Page as Duke
- Virginia O'Brien as Kitty
[edit] References
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This article does not cite any references or sources. (February 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
[edit] External links
- The Big Store at the Internet Movie Database
- The Big Store at the TCM Movie Database
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