About

When the fictional nation of Freedonia goes bankrupt, they must turn to the wealthy dowager Mrs Teasdale (Margaret Dumont) for financial assistance. Her condition for a bailout loan: the acid-tongued Rufus T Firefly (Groucho Marx) must be made leader of Freedonia. Meanwhile, the conniving Ambassador Trentino (Louis Calhern) from neighbouring rival Sylvania enlists two spies (Harpo Marx and Chico Marx) to dig up dirt on Freedonia's wily new leader. As tension between the nations grows, Rufus T Firefly must travel between his decisive appointments, in the only vehicle resplendent enough to be declared ‘His Excellency’s Car’: a Harley-Davidson Model J with sidecar.

Duck Soup was the final film the Marx Brothers made with Paramount. Although not a box office bomb, it did not reach the same heights of success of their previous releases. Over the years, however, the film has become acclaimed as one of the greatest American comedies ever produced. It remains a hilarious and acerbic take on war, political systems and the concept of order in any form.