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A Day at the Races (1937)

Director(s) Sam Wood
Producer(s) Sam Wood (uncredited), Irving Thalberg (uncredited), Lawrence Weingarten (uncredited)
Top Genres Comedy, Sports
Top Topics Slapstick
More Films Directed by Sam Wood More Films from 1937 More Films from the 1930s Top Classic Movies of the 1930s Top Slapstick Films

A Day at the Races Overview:

A Day at the Races (1937) was a Comedy - Sports Film directed by Sam Wood and produced by Sam Wood, Irving Thalberg and Lawrence Weingarten.

SYNOPSIS

This Marx Brothers outing turns the boys loose in a sanatorium. Groucho moves up in life from ministering to horses at the track to minding the hypochondriacal ills of patients such as Dumont. One of their best!

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

A Day at the Races BlogHub Articles:

A Day at the Races (1937, Sam Wood)

By Andrew Wickliffe on May 18, 2015 From The Stop Button

Until the halfway point or so, A Day at the Races moves quite well. Sure, it gets off to a slow start–introducing Chico as sidekick to Maureen O’Sullivan and setting up her problems (her sanitarium is going out of business), which isn’t funny stuff. I think Allan Jones even shows u... Read full article

A Day at the Races (1937)

By Beatrice on Sep 28, 2013 From Flickers in Time

A Day at the Races Directed by Sam Wood Written by Robert Pirosh, George Seton, and George Oppenheimer 1937/USA Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Repeat viewing Although I thought a lot of the many, many musical sequences dragged down the pace of this, the Marx Brothers continued to score with me in the comedy ... Read full article

A Day at the Races (1937)

By 4 Star Film Fan on Aug 16, 2013 From 4 Star Films

4/5 Stars... Read full article

A Day at the Races (1937)

By 4 Star Film Fan on Aug 16, 2013 From 4 Star Films

Starring The Marx Brothers, the film begins with a pretty young lady who owns a sanitarium near a racetrack. In danger of closing, she brings in a new doctor named Hackenbush (who specializes in horses) and at the same time her love buys a race horse. A powerful man wants the place closed down so he... Read full article

A day at the races with the Clark Gables .....

By cinemafan2 on Mar 16, 2013 From Carole & Co.

... Read full article

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A Day at the Races Quotes:

Dr. Hackenbush: If I hold you any closer, I'll be in back of you.
[referring to Ms. Marlowe]
Dr. Hackenbush: You've got it all wrong. This is my aunt. She's come to talk over some old family matters.
Tony: I wish I had an aunt look like that.
Dr. Hackenbush: Well, take it up with your uncle.
Judy: If you'll excuse me, I'll go and bring in the rest of the staff.
Dr. Hackenbush: [to Whitmore] Why don't you go out and bring in something. Preferably your resignation.
Mrs. Upjohn: Hugo, I mean, Dr. Hackenbush, always insisted on treating me in my home. Why I didn't know there was a thing the matter with me until I met him.
Tony: Hey doc, can you see us?
Dr. Hackenbush: If I can't there's something wrong with my glasses.
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A Day at the Races Facts
The "Grand Steeplechase" sequence at the end had to be shot twice. Both times a crew member persuaded Chico Marx to gamble on it and not only to bet on the outcome of a rigged non-race, but to bet on a horse other than the one scripted to win. Chico, all his life an avid gambler, could offer as excuse only, "The odds were 20 to one."
There was originally a song that echoed "Hurray for Captain Spaulding" entitled "Dr. Hackenbush" (written by "Spaulding" songwriters Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby). However, it was decided that something needed to be cut and Groucho Marx volunteered this song. He came to regret this this decision and in later years often sang the song at gatherings.
Groucho Marx's character was initially to have been named Dr. Quackenbush, which he and everyone else thought was too silly a name to offend anyone. However, MGM's legal department discovered at least a dozen legitimate U.S. doctors named Quackenbush, so for legal reasons and to Groucho's dismay, the name was changed to Hackenbush.
This is the only film of The Marx Brothers to receive an Oscar nomination in a competitive category, being nominated for Dave Gould's dance direction. Groucho Marx would go on to win an honorary Oscar in 1974.
Richard Farnsworth's first film.
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