Very funny,great lines and ridiculous plot to entertain.

Outrageously fun, a true comedy classic.

As I see more of their work, it's becoming more apparent just how formulaic the Marx Brothers were (as most comedy routines, and even full studio production departments, tended to be at the time); Groucho does his rapid-fire joke schtick, Chico helps him out by making him look funnier by comparison, and Harpo smoothes over all the rough patches with the real gold, the physical comedy. And Zeppo might also be there for some reason. Physical comedy is essentially the most timeless aspect of film, it's why Chaplin can still get laughs all these years later even when film as a medium has evolved so much. That's partly why Harpo looks like such a genius compared to his brothers in retrospect, even if Groucho was redefining the medium with spoken jokes that had never been seen before, because the former was building off of what had been pioneered during the Silent Era and vaudeville. Even taking that into account, it's tough to enjoy Groucho to his full extent, partly because his jokes rely on a lot of wordplay that isn't really part of common vernacular anymore, and partly because he didn't really opt for good comedic delivery as much as he just spoke very quickly and expected the audience to mistake whiplash for good writing. When the joke deluge works, it's great. When it doesn't, it's alienating. It's a classic, but in the same mold as other Marx Brothers films that are probably better all-around. (3/5)

Some of what is on display here will be done with greater aplomb in later films (most notably Duck Soup) but the Marxes are in fine madcap form here.

If you're a fan of the Marx Brothers' comedy, you'll like Horse Feathers. But if you're a fan of the Marx Brothers, you've probably already seen this movie. It features the usual fast-talking setups and punchlines peppered with slapstick. It's also barely over an hour long, so even if you're not enjoying it, it will be over soon. This comedy is definitely dated, but there's still something amusing about these movies.

Duck Soup remains my favorite Marx Brothers movie, but this one is great too. "I know, but it's no fun keeping him after school." Classic.

One of the brothers funniest.

Horse Feathers is another film in the classic Marx Brothers style, this time focused on a university where Groucho is brought in as president and must find a way to make the football team successful. I’m starting to recognize all the calling cards of a film from the Marx Brothers, and I’m surprised how repetitive these movies seem. Yet they work for me more or less depending on how well the comedy clicks. This one starts out with some great comedic dialogue and physical gags between Groucho and Chico. I was having a wonderful time with the movie, and was laughing a lot. My enjoyment can also go up in these movies if I have some slight interest in the plot, and since I like sports and they have an entire climax on a football field, that worked for me as well. They bring their classic slapstick humor to the gridiron and it was good for a number of laughs. Of course, Horse Feathers includes the typical Marx Brothers detours that lead to a woman who at least one of them (and in this case several) try to romance. This then leads us into the classic Chico piano performance, and Harpo harp performance. These breaks from the story are sometimes amusing, but often feel shoehorned in, and therefore I find them less interesting. Thankfully, they are relatively short in this film. In fact, the movie as a whole is a brisk 68 minutes, so it is over before it can ever start to wear out its welcome. Now to be fair, when the gags are coming at this rapid pace, sometimes there are jokes that flop. I felt there were a few moments that didn’t work for me, and a few running gags that were lame. However, most of the way through I found Horse Feathers to be an enjoyable time, and a good example of why I like the Marx Brothers brand of comedy.

The Marx Brothers are hysterical with almost every line being a laugh-out-loud pleasure.

In its short run time, Horse Feather manages to bring out some of the Marx Brothers' most gut-busting moments and stands as one of their funniest outings.

Horse Feathers is one of the Marx Brothers' best films, and that's really saying something. If anything, you'll probably experience laugh-exhaustion from the multiple witticisms per line. It's just so clever. Harpo and Chico are fun as they always are, but they're in the shadow of Groucho in this film. The script is gold. You can tell it was made for theatre, but the masterful direction perhaps makes the slapstick gags that would lend themselves nicely to the stage work even better on screen. The film shows its age in its lengthy musical numbers that may now bore more joke-thirsty audiences. It's not quite at Duck Soup's level, but it comes a close second for me. A wonderful comedy; entertaining from start to finish.

Horse Feathers (1932) C-67m. ??? 1/2 D: Norman McLeod. Groucho, Chico, Harpo, Zeppo Marx. Fourth Marx film. Groucho is head of football university, Zeppo is his son; Chico and Harpo are hired as players, hilarity starts. Inspired lunacy with side-splitting football game finale.

The Marx Brothers here are in fine form early on in their career making it feel much later than 1932. It's screwball enough, but not overly so.

You would've thought this were The Marx Brothers climax if Duck Soup hadn't come out. 4.3/5

just classic pre-code hijinx

Overflowing with one-liners, literal gags and arbitrary musical numbers, Horse Feathers is a true Marx Brothers classic. From fishy password puns and dirty football antics, to Harpo playing the harp, the movie is full of memorable Marx fodder; frivolous, funny and unpredictable from start to finish. Without a doubt, The Marx Bros influence on cartoons and comedy can be felt in almost every frame.

This movie was a typical Marx Brothers movie. The only plot is to win a college football game. Groucho is made the President of a fictional university where is son played by Zeppo Marx is a professional student whose been going to college for 12 years. It's a spoof of university life and college football during the leather helmet era. Groucho tries to pay a couple of pro players to play on his team as ringers. When he goes to a speak-easy to meet the players he mistakes Chico and Harpo as the ringer players. The interesting part of the movie is the fake football game at the end of the movie. They are all dressed in 1930's era football uniforms and make a joke out the sport with the comedy skits in the form of football plays. Before the comedy scenes there is some stock footage of a real football game.

The hilarity level was low that time like the Marx Brothers comedies I've so far seen were getting better and better on the ability to make its viewers laugh-out loud to a rare sidesplitting [that'd happened occasionally in "A Night at the Opera"], but their 6th feature is good as usual with the same comedic skills while going mad on a college campus. (B+) (Full review coming soon)

The Marx Brothers lampoon higher education in this loosely plotted, high-energy film. Although some will find fault in the directing, and others will be less than impressed with some of the supporting roles, look past the faults and just enjoy the show. Groucho is at his finest, a new college president with rapid-fire dialog and a sensational collection of one-liners. Chico plays the easily-confused iceman to near perfection with his deadpan delivery. Zeppo plays the student (and son of Groucho's character, oddly enough), and lends his fine singing voice to a tune or two. Harpo is the sweetly manic dogcatcher with good luck on a telephone. Be sure not to miss Thelma Todd in her sweet/dangerous role as the "college widow". For perfect direction and technical excellence, go see "2001 - A Space Odyssey"; for belly-laughs and grins for over an hour, watch "Horse Feathers"!

Humourous, short, random, silly. Great quick wit and dialogue. Joke after joke, pun after pun. Best kind of madness.