A Day at the Races (1937)

Director:

Sam Wood

Writers:

Robert Pirosh (story) &
George Seaton (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

11 June 1937 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Three Great Laff Stars ! . . . more gags and gals . . . more songs and dances !

Plot:

A vet posing as a doctor, a race horse owner and his friends struggle to help keep a sanitarium open with the help of a misfit racehorse.

Plot Keywords:

Sanitarium | Horse | Hypochondriac | Jockey | Singer

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Groucho Marx	...	Dr. Hugo Z. Hackenbush
Chico Marx	...	Tony
Harpo Marx	...	Stuffy
Allan Jones	...	Gil Stewart
Maureen O'Sullivan	...	Judy Standish
Margaret Dumont	...	Emily Upjohn
Leonard Ceeley	...	Whitmore
Douglass Dumbrille	...	J.D. Morgan
Esther Muir	...	Flo Marlowe
Sig Ruman	...	Dr. Leopold X. Steinberg (as Sig Rumann)
Robert Middlemass	...	Sheriff
Vivien Fay	...	Speciality Dancer (as Vivian Fay & Her Ballet)
Ivie Anderson	...	Specialty Singer
The Crinoline Choir	...	Musical Ensemble
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hooper Atchley	...	Race judge (uncredited)
King Baggot	...	Race Track Official Starter (uncredited)
Kenny Baker	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Vivian Barry	...	Telephone girl (uncredited)
Barbara Bedford	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Edna Bennett	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Troy Brown Jr.	...	Black singer (uncredited)
Ben Carter	...	Black singer (uncredited)
Jacqueline Clancy	...	Child (uncredited)
Gino Corrado	...	Man Boarding Bus (uncredited)
DeForest Covan	...	Black singer (uncredited)
George Cowl	...	Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
Jack Daley	...	Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
Dorothy Dandridge	...	Black singer (uncredited)
Vivian Dandridge	...	Black singer (uncredited)
Frankie Darro	...	Morgan's jockey (uncredited)
Frank Dawson	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Dudley Dickerson	...	Wheelchair attendant (uncredited)
Billy Dooley	...	Race Track Bugler (uncredited)
Edward Earle	...	Race judge (uncredited)
Richard Farnsworth	...	Jockey (uncredited)
Pat Flaherty	...	Detective with sheriff (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
Ray Flynn	...	Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
Byron Foulger	...	Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
Jack George	...	Musician (uncredited)
John Hiestand	...	Radio announcer (uncredited)
Leyland Hodgson	...	Policeman at Racetrack (uncredited)
Arthur Stuart Hull	...	Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
John Hyams	...	Judge (uncredited)
Si Jenks	...	Messenger (uncredited)
Jack W. Johnston	...	Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
Darby Jones	...	Black singer (uncredited)
Etta Jones	...	Black singer (uncredited)
Jack Kenny	...	Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
Edith Kingdon	...	Old woman (uncredited)
Carole Landis	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Harry Lash	...	Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
Edward LeSaint	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Max Lucke	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Wilbur Mack	...	Race judge (uncredited)
Mary MacLaren	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Alex Melesh	...	Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse	...	Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
Edmund Mortimer	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Henry Mowbray	...	Man for Hat Business (uncredited)
Field Norton	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Jack Norton	...	Drunk (uncredited)
Frank O'Connor	...	Racetrack Guard (uncredited)
Victor Potel	...	Horn blower (uncredited)
Russ Powell	...	Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
James Quinn	...	Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
Gus Robinson	...	Black singer (uncredited)
Phillips Smalley	...	Racing Spectator with Wrong Hat (uncredited)
Charles Trowbridge	...	Dr. Wilmerding (uncredited)
Elizabeth Williams	...	Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
Harry Wilson	...	Detective with sheriff (uncredited)
Buck Woods	...	Black singer (uncredited)

Directed by
Sam Wood

Writing credits
Robert Pirosh		(story) &
George Seaton		(story)
Robert Pirosh		(screenplay) &
George Seaton		(screenplay) &
George Oppenheimer		(screenplay)

Produced by
Max Siegel	....	associate producer
Sam Wood	....	producer
Irving Thalberg	....	producer (uncredited)
Lawrence Weingarten	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Walter Jurmann
Bronislau Kaper
Franz Waxman		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Joseph Ruttenberg

Film Editing by
Frank E. Hull

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Art Department
Stan Rogers	....	associate art director
Edwin B. Willis	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director

Stunts
Richard Farnsworth	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Ted Wurtenberg	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dolly Tree	....	wardrober

Music Department
Leo Arnaud	....	music arranger: choral and orchestral
George Bassman	....	orchestrator
Roger Edens	....	music arranger
Paul Marquardt	....	orchestrator
Merrill Pye	....	musical presentation
Franz Waxman	....	musical director
Wayne Allen	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
George Bassman	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Roger Edens	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Other crew
Dave Gould	....	choreographer
Carl 'Major' Roup	....	script clerk (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1937) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1937) (UK) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1937) (France) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1937) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1962) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Continental Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (video)
• Warner Home Video (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)

Other Companies

• David Chudnow Inc.  casting by (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Um Dia nas Corridas (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Un jour aux courses (Belgium: French title) (France) [fr]
Das grosse Rennen (Germany) [de]
Dzien na wyscigach (Poland) [pl]
Ein Tag beim Rennen (Germany) [de]
En dag på galopbanen (Denmark) [da]
En dag på kapplöpningarna (Sweden) [sv]
Ena skandalon stis kourses (Greece) [el]
Marx Brothers - Das Große Rennen (Germany) [de]
Marx Brothers - Ein Tag beim Rennen (Germany) [de]
Mia mera ston ippodromo (Greece) (reissue title) [el]
Oi afoi Marx ston ippodromo (Greece) (reissue title) [el]
Päivä kilpa-ajoissa (Finland) [fi]
Skandal auf der Rennbahn (Austria) [de]
Un día en las carreras (Spain) [es]
Un giorno alle corse (Italy) [it]
Yom B'Merutzim (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]

Runtime:

111 min | Germany:105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Black and White (Sepiatone) | Black and White (blue tinted)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Portugal:M/6 | Sweden:Btl | West Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Santa Anita Park - 285 West Huntington Drive, Arcadia, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

It is the 'other' film that ends with the line, 'Tomorrow is another day.'

Goofs:

Continuity: When Groucho is officially hired, he removes his hat twice.

Quotes:

Dr. Hackenbush: I haven't seen so much mudslinging since the last election!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "No 73: Demolition (#7.45)" (1987)

Soundtrack:

An der schönen, blauen Donau

Good Marx Brothers Feature

Overall, this is a good Marx Brothers feature that is sometimes a little uneven, but that looks pretty good as long as you don't compare it with their very best pictures. The basic setup is amusing, and it provides some good material for the cast to work with. Groucho, Chico, and Harpo all get their moments, with Margaret Dumont once again joining in the fun.

The sanitarium setting and Groucho's attempt to run it are used pretty well.

There is a very funny scene when one of the heavies tries to check on Groucho's credentials, and another one when Dr. Hackenbush has to compete with an outside expert (Sig Ruman, who is always fun in this kind of role) for Dumont's confidence.

Not all of it works quite that well, and one or two of the musical numbers could have been skipped with no loss at all. But there are plenty of good moments and creative sequences, and a satisfyingly chaotic finale as good as those in any of their films.