{"product_id":"duck-soup-by-j-hoberman-9781839022258","title":"Duck Soup","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Marx Brothers are universally considered to be classic Hollywood’s preeminent comedy team, and \u003ci\u003eDuck Soup\u003c\/i\u003e is generally regarded as their quintessential film. A topical satire of dictatorship and government in general, the movie was a critical failure and a box-office let-down on its initial release in 1933.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eJ. Hoberman's study of the film traces its reputation history, from the initial disappointment of its release to its rise to cult status in the 1960s when the Marx’s anarchic, anti-establishment humour seemed again timely. Hoberman places \u003ci\u003eDuck Soup\u003c\/i\u003e alongside analogous comedies such as \u003ci\u003eDr. Strangelove\u003c\/i\u003e (1964), the Beatles films, \u003ci\u003eMorgan!\u003c\/i\u003e (1966), \u003ci\u003eThe President’s Analyst\u003c\/i\u003e (1967), and \u003ci\u003eThe Producers\u003c\/i\u003e (1968). It attained canonical stature as a touchstone for Woody Allen and was recognized by the Library of Congress in the 1990s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHoberman's analysis provides a historical and political context as well as an in-depth production history, drawing on primary sources and emphasizing director McCarey’s prior work along with the Marx Brothers, as well as the situation at Paramount. The study includes a substantial synopsis and an account of the movie’s initial reception, concluding with its subsequent elevation to comic masterpiece.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Bloomsbury Publishing PTY Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47455548342508,"sku":"9781839022258","price":29.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/81-h52bMsKL._SL1500.jpg?v=1774782219","url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/products\/duck-soup-by-j-hoberman-9781839022258","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}