Marxist Watch: A Day at the Races (1937)

Watched:  08/26/2026

Format:  TCM on DVR

Viewing:  First?

Director:  Sam Wood

I know I've previously seen the back half of A Day at the Races (1937), but I'd not seen it all the way through, I guess.

This one takes the Marx Bros. back to Florida where Chico is working for a Sanitarium that is struggling , but hoping for investment from their wealthy patient, Margaret Dumont.  Maureen O'Sullivan has inherited the sanitarium and her boyfriend, a singer, buys a race horse to try to win money to save the place for her.  Groucho plays a veterinarian who Dumont thinks is her doctor, and he comes to the sanitarium.  Harpo, a jockey.

This one felt a little slow to get started, but then had some amazing stuff.  They really understood every scene is funnier if a horse runs through before the end.

It also has some spectacular musical numbers, including a dance sequence by Vivien Fay that I don't know wasn't a special effect.  (I made Jamie watch it and she assures me you really can do that, and holy @#$%.)  And some long sequence comedy bits that are gold.  Is this the first appearance of the Tootsie-Frootsie ice cream?  and "thenk youh".   I have no idea.

It also has a scene in which Black people enter and perform a few songs, and it's phenomenal.  In 1937, dedicating this much time to Black performers was not SOP, and it's initially a highlight of the film.  But you cross your fingers and say "please don't do blackface, please don't do blackface" and then, yeah, they do.  And it absolutely takes the wind out of the movie for a modern viewer, and more than a few in 1937, I'd imagine.  And it's how I knew I'd seen this movie in part before, because I recall this from *a* Marx Bros. movie I caught on cable at some point, but didn't know which film it was.  

Does it ruin the movie?  Sigh.  Well, it kinda spoiled the fifteen minutes following because even if you can contextualize the gag historically, you're now thinking about it.  

As someone who thinks editing a movie post facto is bad, I wouldn't touch it.  But I also wouldn't give it the G rating it aired with.  It's complicated, of course, and one of the many ways film is a solid reminder of what each era was like and what was perfectly normal to someone's great-grandma.*

But what does work, works well.  I lol'd.  But I also don't want to give away the gags.  Instead I'll just mention that the Marx Bros. were also accomplished musicians and happy to give up screen time to others performing, including one character (Allan Jones as "Gil") who was clearly supposed to be Zeppo until Zeppo tapped out and decided not to appear on camera anymore.  

*be real careful getting too nostalgic about the past