Monkey Business

Four quick witted stowaways slip aboard a gleaming ocean liner and turn a routine voyage into a running farce. The ship's corridors become a playground for their sly mischief, while their carefree escapades collide with a gang of criminals and their schemes. What begins as harmless play quickly bounces between disguises, shouted misunderstandings, and rapid punch lines as the Marx Brothers Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo carve out a space of their own amid the deck's glittery parties. Their banter, pratfalls, and musical routines punctuate the voyage, heightening the tension between order and chaos. On board the lines between passenger and impostor blur, and a carnival of confusion unfurls with verbal gags that keep the pace brisk and ridiculous.

Released in 1931 Monkey Business was directed by Norman Z McLeod with a screenplay by S J Perelman and Will B Johnstone. The film features the Marx Brothers Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo in their signature fast paced sketch comedy.

Box office figures for Monkey Business are not widely documented, a common fate for many early talkies. What survives is a sense of its era rather than a precise gross.

As an early talkie from the Marx Brothers Monkey Business helped crystallize their rapid patter, visual gags, and musical routines that would define a generation of screen comedy. The film's brisk rhythm and spoof of criminals left a recognizable imprint on later slapstick and musical comedies.

Critics of the era responded to its energy and teamwork, noting the brothers sharpened their timing and audience rapport. The film probes themes of greed, disguise, and the allure of high life, all delivered with anarchic humor that celebrates improvisation.