.gif)
Room Service (1938 film)
Encyclopedia
Room Service is an RKO film comedy starring the Marx Brothers
and based on the 1937 play of the same name
by Allen Boretz
and John Murray
. It co-stars Lucille Ball
, Ann Miller
, Alexander Asro, and Frank Albertson
.
Less frenetic than their other movies, the plot revolves around the shenanigans of getting a stage play, Hail and Farewell, produced and funded by mysterious backer Zachary Fisk, while evading paying the hotel bill.
Groucho plays producer Gordon Miller, whose staff includes Harry Binelli (Chico) and Faker Englund (Harpo). They have assembled the cast and crew of the play in the hotel ballroom, as well as a substantial debt to the hotel. Miller is planning on skipping out on the hotel without paying the bill when he receives word that one of his actresses, Christine Marlowe (Lucille Ball), has arranged for a backer. Miller must keep his room and hide the cast and crew until the meeting with the backer can take place.
At the same time, a troubleshooter for the hotel chain, Gregory Wagner (Donald MacBride) discovers the debt. Assured by hotel manager Joe Gribble (Cliff Dunstan), who happens to be Miller's brother-in-law, that Miller had skipped, Wagner is surprised to find Miller still in his room, now joined by the play's author, Leo Davis (Frank Albertson), who has arrived in town and checked into Miller's room.
When Wagner threatens to evict Miller before the backer can arrive, Miller and Binelli convince Davis to pretend to be sick. To obtain food, Miller promises waiter Sasha Smirnoff (Alexander Asro) a part in the play. When Davis leaves to spoon with girlfriend Hilda Manney (Ann Miller), Englund takes over as the sick patient examined by a doctor brought in by Mr.Wagner. Wagner leaves to confront the crowd in the ballroom, while the doctor examines the patient. To delay the doctor giving his report to Wagner, Binelli and Miller tie him up, gag him, and lock him in the bathroom. The agent for Mr. Fisk arrives to sign over the cheque, the doctor breaks free in the bathroom, and the agent is hit on the head accidentally as Englund chases a flying turkey around with a baseball bat. The agent just wants to escape the madness, but reluctantly signs over the cheque, and leaves.
Davis returns and says he heard the agent saying he'll cancel the cheque, and just signed it to get out of the room. Wagner is fooled into believing all is okay, and upgrades the boys to a fancier room. Later, as the play is about to open, the cheque from Fisk bounces, Miller, Binelli, and Englund manipulate Wagner into believing he's driven the play's author to take poison. They pretend to give Davis large quantities of ipecac which is actually drank by Englund, who eventually Davis pretends to die. Wagner is bluffed into believing it's all his fault and helps take the "body" down to the alley. As Miller and Wagner prop Englund on a crate, a passing policeman asks what's going on. Miller bluffs their way out of the situation, so he and Wagner make an escape, leaving Englund "asleep". They go to watch the end of the play, which is a scene where the miners are bringing a body from out of the mine. The body on the stretcher is Englund's. Wagner realizes he's been duped as the play is greeted with thunderous applause and a revived Davis appears next to Wagner at the back of the theatre.
* Indicates the actor created the role on Broadway.
, who had retired from the screen after Duck Soup and was now representing his brothers, brokered a deal with RKO to produce the version of the Broadway play Room Service by John Murray and Allan Boretz. The play was adapted for the screen by Morrie Ryskind
. This was the only Marx Brothers film in which the main characters were not created especially for Groucho, Chico and Harpo.
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
and based on the 1937 play of the same name
Room Service (play)
Room Service is a play written by Allen Boretz and John Murray. It was originally produced by George Abbott and debuted at the Cort Theatre in New York on May 19, 1937. Its initial production ran for 500 performances, closing on July 16, 1938. The play was revived for a short run of 16...
by Allen Boretz
Allen Boretz
Allen Boretz , was an American songwriter, playwright and screenwriter. The great success of his and John Murray's Broadway hit Room Service led to offers from Hollywood, and he wrote and co-wrote screenplays from the late 1930s through the 1940s.His film credits include It Ain't Hay , Step Lively...
and John Murray
John Murray (playwright)
John Murray was a playwright best known for writing the 1937 play Room Service with Allen Boretz.Murray was born in New York and attended DeWitt Clinton High School, City College of New York, and Columbia University...
. It co-stars Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
, Ann Miller
Ann Miller
Johnnie Lucille Collier, better known as Ann Miller was an American singer, dancer and actress.-Early life:...
, Alexander Asro, and Frank Albertson
Frank Albertson
Frank Albertson was an American character actor who made his debut in a minor part in Hollywood at age 13....
.
Plot outline
This is the only Marx Bros. film that was not written especially for the team.Less frenetic than their other movies, the plot revolves around the shenanigans of getting a stage play, Hail and Farewell, produced and funded by mysterious backer Zachary Fisk, while evading paying the hotel bill.
Groucho plays producer Gordon Miller, whose staff includes Harry Binelli (Chico) and Faker Englund (Harpo). They have assembled the cast and crew of the play in the hotel ballroom, as well as a substantial debt to the hotel. Miller is planning on skipping out on the hotel without paying the bill when he receives word that one of his actresses, Christine Marlowe (Lucille Ball), has arranged for a backer. Miller must keep his room and hide the cast and crew until the meeting with the backer can take place.
At the same time, a troubleshooter for the hotel chain, Gregory Wagner (Donald MacBride) discovers the debt. Assured by hotel manager Joe Gribble (Cliff Dunstan), who happens to be Miller's brother-in-law, that Miller had skipped, Wagner is surprised to find Miller still in his room, now joined by the play's author, Leo Davis (Frank Albertson), who has arrived in town and checked into Miller's room.
When Wagner threatens to evict Miller before the backer can arrive, Miller and Binelli convince Davis to pretend to be sick. To obtain food, Miller promises waiter Sasha Smirnoff (Alexander Asro) a part in the play. When Davis leaves to spoon with girlfriend Hilda Manney (Ann Miller), Englund takes over as the sick patient examined by a doctor brought in by Mr.Wagner. Wagner leaves to confront the crowd in the ballroom, while the doctor examines the patient. To delay the doctor giving his report to Wagner, Binelli and Miller tie him up, gag him, and lock him in the bathroom. The agent for Mr. Fisk arrives to sign over the cheque, the doctor breaks free in the bathroom, and the agent is hit on the head accidentally as Englund chases a flying turkey around with a baseball bat. The agent just wants to escape the madness, but reluctantly signs over the cheque, and leaves.
Davis returns and says he heard the agent saying he'll cancel the cheque, and just signed it to get out of the room. Wagner is fooled into believing all is okay, and upgrades the boys to a fancier room. Later, as the play is about to open, the cheque from Fisk bounces, Miller, Binelli, and Englund manipulate Wagner into believing he's driven the play's author to take poison. They pretend to give Davis large quantities of ipecac which is actually drank by Englund, who eventually Davis pretends to die. Wagner is bluffed into believing it's all his fault and helps take the "body" down to the alley. As Miller and Wagner prop Englund on a crate, a passing policeman asks what's going on. Miller bluffs their way out of the situation, so he and Wagner make an escape, leaving Englund "asleep". They go to watch the end of the play, which is a scene where the miners are bringing a body from out of the mine. The body on the stretcher is Englund's. Wagner realizes he's been duped as the play is greeted with thunderous applause and a revived Davis appears next to Wagner at the back of the theatre.
Cast
| Character | Actor |
|---|---|
| Leo Davis | Frank Albertson Frank Albertson Frank Albertson was an American character actor who made his debut in a minor part in Hollywood at age 13.... |
| Sasha Smirnoff | Alexander Asro* |
| Timothy Hogarth | Philip Loeb Philip Loeb Philip Loeb , was an American stage, film, and television actor who was blacklisted under McCarthyism and committed suicide.- Background :... |
| Joseph Gribble | Clifford Dunstan* |
| Hilda Manney | Ann Miller Ann Miller Johnnie Lucille Collier, better known as Ann Miller was an American singer, dancer and actress.-Early life:... |
| Faker Englund | Harpo Marx Harpo Marx Adolph "Harpo" Marx was an American comedian and film star. He was the second oldest of the Marx Brothers. His comic style was influenced by clown and pantomime traditions. He wore a curly reddish wig, and never spoke during performances... |
| Gordon Miller | Groucho Marx Groucho Marx Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx was an American comedian and film star famed as a master of wit. His rapid-fire delivery of innuendo-laden patter earned him many admirers. He made 13 feature films with his siblings the Marx Brothers, of whom he was the third-born... |
| Harry Binelli | Chico Marx Chico Marx Leonard "Chico" Marx was an American comedian and film star as part of the Marx Brothers. His persona in the act was that of a dim-witted albeit crafty con artist, seemingly of rural Italian origin, who wore shabby clothes, and sported a curly-haired wig and Tyrolean hat.As the first-born of the... |
| Gregory Wagner | Donald MacBride Donald MacBride Donald MacBride was an American character actor on stage, in films and on TV who launched his career as a teenage singer in vaudeville and went on to be an actor on Broadway. He appeared in nearly 140 films between 1914 and 1955... * |
| Christine Marlowe | Lucille Ball Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy... |
| Dr. Glass | Charles Halton Charles Halton Charles Halton was a stern-faced American character actor who appeared in over 180 films.One of his most memorable portrayals was as Carter, the bank examiner in It's a Wonderful Life... |
| Simon Jenkins | Philip Wood* |
Production
Zeppo MarxZeppo Marx
Herbert Manfred "Zeppo" Marx was an American film star, musician, engineer, theatrical agent and businessman. He was the youngest of the five Marx Brothers. He appeared in the first five Marx Brothers feature films, from 1929 to 1933, but then left the act to start his second career as an...
, who had retired from the screen after Duck Soup and was now representing his brothers, brokered a deal with RKO to produce the version of the Broadway play Room Service by John Murray and Allan Boretz. The play was adapted for the screen by Morrie Ryskind
Morrie Ryskind
Morrie Ryskind was an American dramatist, lyricist and writer of theatrical productions and motion pictures, who became a conservative political activist later in life.-Biography:...
. This was the only Marx Brothers film in which the main characters were not created especially for Groucho, Chico and Harpo.