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2.0 out of 5 stars
"There must be somebody I can sue.", May 31 2004
ROOM SERVICE is the only film in the Marx filmography that was not specifically written for the Brothers. It was originally a stage play and adapted to the screen without regard for the peculiar talents of those who would be bringing the production to life. It shows. There's a good rule of thumb in regards to Marx Brothers films. The goofier the name of Groucho's character, the better the film. DUCK SOUP had Rufus T. Firefly. A DAY AT THE RACES had Dr. Hugo Z. Hackenbush. And ROOM SERVICE has, um, Gordon Miller. Yes, Gordon Miller. That must have had them rolling in the aisles.The late Gene Siskel claimed that a movie fails if it is less interesting than a hypothetical documentary involving the same cast of actors and actresses sitting around having lunch. His rule definitely applies in this case. The Marx Brothers, Lucille Ball, Ann Miller. Who wouldn't want to eavesdrop on that meal? But who wants to see them in a movie that treats them all as generic characters? Certainly not me. There are so many things wrong with ROOM SERVICE that I scarcely know where to start. The fact that it isn't funny is high on my list of complaints. So is the lack of a convincing bad guy. Come on, fellows, this is a Marx Brothers film where I'm supposed to have a stereotypical evil dude to boo and hiss at! The only person here to cheer against only wants Groucho (sorry, Gordon Miller) to pay off his IOUs. Hardly mustache-twirling behavior. And the couple we're supposed to be rooting for isn't much better (at least, I assume we're supposed to be rooting for them). The playwright character (the Zeppo-type straight man) is boring and whiney as all get out. The thing that gets me about William A. Seiter's direction is how slow it is. Gags are dragged out way too long. One-liners that should be rapid fired come out at a snail's pace. The film's only savior is Harpo who is once again off in his own little silent universe. Ordinarily this allowed him to bounce his surreal antics off of other goofy goings-on. But here, he's the only source of fun. Groucho, Chico and Lucy are bound by the dialog in the script, and therefore simply can't be as funny as we know they're capable of being. The picture's only real comedy moments come from scenes where the script was presumably vague enough to allow the Brothers to insert some actual funny stuff. Harpo destroying a hotel room chasing an obviously fake turkey and the scene of the Brothers enjoying their first meal in days are genuinely amusing moments, but such sequences are very few and very far between. And Lucille Ball is completely, utterly and totally wasted. A great shame.
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