So this week I had to switch things around a bit. The next movie was supposed to be King Kong, but we just watched that on NYE. I can watch movies over and over again, but my cohorts can't, they get bored, so I'm skipping the monkey until it's an evening of just me. So tonight we're watching Duck Soup! I love the Marx Brothers. Groucho was so incredibly clever. I love every movie he's made(I'm pretty sure I've seen them all), love You Bet Your Life on the radio, love You Bet Your Life on the TV, love watching him interviewed.... So you get it, I love Groucho.
I was on my own for dinner again. I couldn't find anything in Movie Night Menus. Didn't matter though, this one was going to be easy! And fun! I bet you can guess what I'm serving, right? Duck Soup! But I had to make it vegetarian. Luckily, in this century, you can pretty much find a vegetarian equivalent to any type of meat. I found me some canned vegetarian duck. Yes, yes I did. I was a little creeped out by it to be honest. Canned meat creeps me out to begin with(it just seems wrong) so you can imagine what vegetarian canned meat will do to me. I expected gross and mushy and slimy. But nope! It was beautiful! Even so, I sauteed it before adding it to the soup, cause somehow that purified it in my head. Plus, I was a bit afraid it would go all mushy if I cooked it in the soup. It didn't look like it would, but ya know, whatever, phobias. I made a really simple soup. I've been craving good old fashioned diner style noodle soup, so this was perfect. Just sauteed up some garlic, onion, celery and carrots with salt and lots of pepper. Then added some vegetable stock and egg noodles and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Then I added the faux duck at the end. Done!
So what to go with it? This was the fun part, and it made for a....eclectic dinner. I served crackers, apple salad, peanuts, and to drink? Lemonade! If you've seen the movie, you get all of these references. In addition to using my mismatched depression glass, I got to serve the lemonade in my coolest of the cool WC Fields vintage Arby's glass. Made it feel a bit special, and boozy...but not. Sigh. I'm trying!
My fabulously eclectic dinner! Crackers, Apple Salad, Vegetarian Duck Soup, Peanuts and Lemonade!
Now for the movie! This is a totally over the top Marx Brother's film. Big and bad! Bit cornier than the others. And there is random singing. That was pretty typical in early sound films. Filmmakers were making full use of the new medium. I'm not a fan of musicals. Some are ok, but the musicals from the 30s through the 50s were just too cutsie for me, unless I'm in the mood. I was prepared for the random singing in this one and my love for Groucho lets me get over it. The singing is really really bad in this though. Ugh. Why? The rest of the movie is typical Marx Brothers. Lots of clever banter and lots of physical comedy. Very chaotic. Watching Groucho play off of Margaret Dumont is always funny. Robert Osborne said that he discovered something new every time he watched this film. He's right. I find that with all of Groucho's work though. That's part of his brilliance.
Random musical numbers for no reason. Hmmmm not a fan.
It's fun to stay at the YMCA!
The other brothers were ok in this film. There really weren't any instrumental musical numbers, which is where Chico and Harpo excel. I love to watch Chico at the piano. It's poetry the way this man plays. And Harpo on the harp, well, enough said. I would love if they would have let them play. There was a tiny teaser of Harpo playing the piano like a harp, but it was only seconds long. I'm not sure why this was omitted, I mean everything else was in this movie, why no harp or piano? Just a radio. Bah. I missed the playing! And Zeppo, well, he's Zeppo. I'm never really sure why he's there other than for the pay check.
Harpo and Chico could have been used so much better in this movie.
Finally, the mirror scene! For this scene alone, see this movie! We've all seen it on I Love Lucy, but this is the real deal. Brilliant! Hysterical! And filmed in only 2 hours! Amazing!
No mirror, just genius!
I really had fun with this one! The movie not my favorite Marx Brother's film, but I love them all , so I'll take it. And dinner was delicious! Weird combo, but yummy. My food never looks very pretty, but damn, it tastes good! Though I've got to be honest, I've never had duck in my life, I don't know if this tasted like duck, but it was nummy.
Love,
Olive
PS: Kong, I'll get to you! No worries! Just waiting for us to be alone.
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