I think the best summation of "Room Service" in one sentence was done by Pauline Kael in her review: the play (that the script was based on) fits them (the Marx Bros.) like a straightjacket. In other words, instead of the plot serving as a mere stepping stone for the Marxes to unleash their surrealistic madness, they are in service of a plot that leaves them little room for improvisation. But the biggest problem with "Room Service" is the relative lack of truly memorable material: we have the frantic silent eating scene, the turkey hunt, Harpo's response to the doctor's "say ah", the occasional Groucho line ("He's the brains of the organization. And that should give you an idea of the organization"), and that's about it. The last 20 minutes are essentially one long joke (fake "dying") that eventually gets old. Harpo is the liveliest of the brothers here, and he comes off best; Ann Miller is incredibly sweet; Donald MacBride is so loud that you may have to turn down the volume during his scenes. "Room Service" is still worth seeing and even owning, like all Marx Brothers movies, but if you make a list of them it comes near the bottom. ** out of 4.
Review of Room Service
