Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act known for their anarchic humor, rapid-fire wordplay, and visual gags. They achieved success in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in 14 motion pictures. The core group consisted of brothers Chi ...
' 1930 film ''
Animal Crackers
An animal cracker is a particular type of cracker (food), cracker, baked in the shape of an animal, usually an animal either at a zoo or a circus, such as a lion, a tiger, a bear, or an elephant. The most common variety is light-colored and sli ...
'', written by
Bert Kalmar
Bert Kalmar (February 10, 1884 – September 18, 1947) was an American songwriter. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970. He was also a screenwriter.
Biography
Kalmar, a native of New York City, left school at an early age an ...
and
Harry Ruby
Harry Rubenstein (January 27, 1895 – February 23, 1974), known professionally as Harry Ruby, was an American pianist, composer, songwriter and screenwriter, who was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.Groucho, along with
Margaret Dumont
Margaret Dumont (born Daisy Juliette Baker; October 20, 1882 – March 6, 1965) was an American stage and film actress. She is best remembered as the comic foil to the Marx Brothers in seven of their films; Groucho Marx called her "practically ...
, just before the dialogue that preceded the song "
Hooray for Captain Spaulding
"Hooray for Captain Spaulding" is a song composed by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, originally from the 1928 Marx Brothers Broadway musical '' Animal Crackers'' and the 1930 film version. It later became well known as the theme song for the Grou ...
". It did not feature in the earlier stage production of ''Animal Crackers'' which opened on Broadway in 1928.
In the film story the song, together with “
Hooray For Captain Spaulding
"Hooray for Captain Spaulding" is a song composed by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, originally from the 1928 Marx Brothers Broadway musical '' Animal Crackers'' and the 1930 film version. It later became well known as the theme song for the Grou ...
”, create a mock grand operatic entry, complete with chorus, for the famed African explorer
Captain Spaulding
Captain Jeffrey T. Spaulding is a fictional character in the Broadway musical '' Animal Crackers'' and the film of the same name. He was originally played by actor Groucho Marx, one of the Marx Brothers, in both productions. Despite his middle ...
, played by Groucho. The song expresses Spaulding's contempt for this elaborate welcome.
The song is very closely associated with Groucho. A biography of Groucho was titled, '' Hello, I Must be Going!'' He also sang the song, with
Erin Fleming
Erin Leslie Fleming (August 13, 1941 – April 15, 2003) was a Canadian actress, best known as the companion and manager of comedian Groucho Marx during his final years.
Early career
Fleming was born Marilyn Suzanne Fleming on August 13, 1 ...
, as the opening number of his
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...
concert in 1972.
Other performances
In
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone (born ) is an American filmmaker. Stone is an acclaimed director, tackling subjects ranging from the Vietnam War and American politics to musical film, musical Biographical film, biopics and Crime film, crime dramas. He has ...
's TV mini-series ''
Wild Palms
''Wild Palms'' is a five-hour miniseries which was produced by Greengrass Productions and first aired in May 1993 on the ABC network in the United States. The sci-fi drama, announced as an "event series", deals with the dangers of politically ...
(1993)'', the title of the fifth and final episode, directed by
Phil Joanou
Phil Joanou (born November 20, 1961) is an American director of film, music videos, and television programs. He is known for his collaborations with the rock band U2, for whom he directed music videos and their 1988 documentary film ''Rattle a ...
, was "Hello, I Must Be Going". The Marx Brothers song itself was sung by the character Senator Anton Kreutzer (played by
Robert Loggia
Salvatore "Robert" Loggia ( , ; January 3, 1930 – December 4, 2015) was an American actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for '' Jagged Edge'' (1985) and won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for ...