Marx Brothers: Animal Crackers (1 Viewer)

[bob kaplan]

While watching ANIMAL CRACKERS yesterday, i noticed something a bit strange in the final minutes of the movie. When Harpo readies the atomizer, if you watch carefully, you can notice the there is an attempt to "scratch-out" some type of label on the atomizer's can. Does anyone know when in the history of the movie this might have been done and why....? It is only visible in a few frames so you have to look carefully...bit it is there. Thanks

bob

 

[Matt Hough]

The label is "FLIK" but I have no idea when it was obscured in the manner that it is. Maybe when the other edits to the movie occurred?

 

I've noticed this for a long, long time...this goes back to at least it's rerelease in the 70's.

 

[cadavra]

[COLOR= #0000cd]There are a number of noticeable jump cuts in the movie that removed "offensive" material for a post-Production code reissue. The most obvious one occurs during "Hooray For Captain Spaulding." ("I think I'll try to make her!")[/COLOR]


[COLOR= #0000cd]Mike S.[/COLOR]

 

[bigshot]

The Marx Brothers are not being served on home video with the respect they deserve, and it's because of studio politics. Universal owns the video rights and Paramount owns the film elements. They wont work together to fix the cuts, so we end up with cut 1970s TV prints instead of transfers from the original camera negative.

 

[cadavra]

[COLOR= #0000cd]Actually, not true. Universal owns or has access to all of the Paramount elements. I've been told first-hand that they've searched far and wide for better materials, but none have been found so far.[/COLOR]


[COLOR= #0000cd]Mike S.[/COLOR]

 

[Matt Hough]

When Animal Crackers was "found" after years of being touted as a lost film, it was re-released to theaters (late 1970s-early 1980s, I think) with much fanfare, and the theatrical print I saw was identical to what is currently available on DVD: edited in spots and of generally mediocre quality. It was so hilarious, of course, that it didn't much matter except for the purists among us who'd love to see the entire unedited film. That original might very well be a lost film.

 

ANIMAL CRACKERS was re-released in 1974.


Just guessing, but wouldn't the atomizer be "FLIT," as in "Quick, Henry, the Flit!" --an ad catchphrase of the time period in which someone was needed to spray a bug, or, in this movie, party guests.

 

[bigshot]

The worst cut is the wallpaper scene in Horsefeathers. It was cut for TV in the late 60s early 70s and the edited section was trashed. From what I've heard the missing section there is pretty substantial.

 

[Matt Hough]

Originally Posted by Barry Rivadue

ANIMAL CRACKERS was re-released in 1974.


Just guessing, but wouldn't the atomizer be "FLIT," as in "Quick, Henry, the Flit!" --an ad catchphrase of the time period in which someone was needed to spray a bug, or, in this movie, party guests.

Yes, FLIT, not FLIK. Thanks.

 

[Jessmomof2]

Hi, I have just found a VHS tape of Animal Crackers copyright 1930 Paramount Publix Corp and then renewed 1957 Paramount Pictures ----I thought some of you may know how much it is worth. I have checked the first few minutes and it is working and I plan to watch the rest later on tonight --I am curious about what is at the end of the movie that you are discussing on the forum. Thank you Jessica

 

[JoeDoakes]

Hi, I have just found a VHS tape of Animal Crackers copyright 1930 Paramount Publix Corp and then renewed 1957 Paramount Pictures ----I thought some of you may know how much it is worth. I have checked the first few minutes and it is working and I plan to watch the rest later on tonight --I am curious about what is at the end of the movie that you are discussing on the forum. Thank you Jessica

Probably very llitte ($1?). You can look on Amazon and it should have a listing for the VHS you have and you can see what people are asking for it. Animal Crackers has been available as part of Universal's Marx Brothers DVD box set for years, and it was just released on a stand alone DVD. In general, the only VHS tapes that are worth much are ones for movies that have not been released on DVD or blu ray.

 

[Jessmomof2]

Thank you. There was a sticker price for $70 on the box so we thought maybe it might be worth something ---it was worth a shot. And I did notice on Amazon and ebay the asking price for vhs -animal crackers was minimum $35. Thank you for your input.

 

[DeWilson]

Thank you. There was a sticker price for $70 on the box so we thought maybe it might be worth something ---it was worth a shot. And I did notice on Amazon and ebay the asking price for vhs -animal crackers was minimum $35. Thank you for your input.

There's a big difference between what people are ASKING and what they can GET for an old VHS title, especially one out on DVD

 

[Jessmomof2]

you are right. thanks