Room Service (1938)

Gordon Miller (Groucho), theatrical producer, sidekicks Harry Binelli (Chico) and Faker Englund (Harpo) and a full cast are staying in a hotel with a built-in theater. He already owes a large amount and is looking for financial backers for his play.

His brother-in-law is the manager who serves as a cushion for Gregory Wagner ("Jumping butterballs!" Donald MacBride) the supposed villain in the story.

Playwright Leo Davis (Frank Albertson) appears, momentarily making their situation worse; but also providing them an opportunity to fake a quarantine which will stop them all from being evicted.

A potential backer shows up only to withdraw at the last minute, but by then Wagner has unknowingly backed the play, which must simply be allowed to premier in order to show a profit.

The Marx Brothers haven't paid their bill and must outmaneuver the hotel's administration in order to keep not only their lodging quarters, but also themselves well fed?

Great!

But also, they have somehow become responsible for a theater troupe; adopt a playwright; and by the end prove their gamble was justified.

...Maybe, not so great.

The fault lies in this being a pre-existing play not written specifically and simply adapted for them.

Not everything about this is a problem though since, as a result, this might be one of the best structured Marx Bros. stories. Elements introduced at the start pay off at the end; that's one of the good things.

The problem instead, is that this is one of the films which began to change the iconoclastic character which made them famous by becoming patrons/protectors/romance enablers of an unworthy character, and that aspect dilutes their anarchic humor: The playwright is talented enough to come up with a successful play, but is also a sorry, whiny character.

I am sure many won't mind, funny is funny; but when you see the slow, film by film decline starting with this one, it's all a bit sad.

There is much too much support for their endeavor, including from Lucille Ball as the friendly secretary of their competitor who is even willing to put her salary on the line to bail them out. She also, unnecessarily, brings food to them once they have already finagled a meal out of a would-be-actor-/waiter... from a screenwriting point of view, why?

The Marx Brothers should be mostly alone against the 'civilized,' ordered world.

There also really isn't a truly straight character or a genuine villain to play against, or for Marx Brother's style of humor to truly shine.

The Marx Bros. thrived at deflating pompous buffoons, but supervisor Donald MacBride is in reality merely doing his job.

There is still some surreal anarchy provided by a fake flying turkey; Harpo is funny playing a corpse; the three gorging themselves at a table; and other minor instances here and there where Morrie Ryskind did good work integrating the Paramount humor of old.