“I've sponsored your appointment because I feel you are the most able statesman in all Freedonia.”
The plot of the film—such as it is—revolves around the wealth Mrs. Teasdale essentially financing the tiny and quite bankrupt country of Freedonia. Which she refuses to continue doing unless Rufus T. Firefly—to whom she is speaking—is made the leader.
Secretary of War: How about taking up the tax?
Firefly: How 'bout taking up the carpet?
Secretary of War: I still insist we must take up the tax.
Firefly: He's right, you've gotta take up the tacks before you can take up the carpet.
This exchange is an example of the fast-paced, verbal-based humor of the film. Although often described as a slapstick comedy, the humor is predominantly based on wordplay and far less so based on the physical comedy which defines slapstick.
“I got a good mind to join a club and beat you over the head with it.”
This one-liner is a typical example of Groucho Marx’s comedy. Whether he is playing Rufus T. Firefly or some other character in another film, he is always basically playing Groucho. His perspective is quite advanced; almost postmodern. The Brothers in general—but Groucho in particular—always has a dual perspective. He is both taking part in the action, but also standing outside it as an observer, commenting upon the action. His one-liners reflect this duality; they very often derive their humor from a twist that takes the first part off into a spectacularly unexpected direction from the set-up.
Firefly: Gentlemen, Chicolini here may talk like an idiot, and look like an idiot, but don't let that fool you: he really is an idiot. I implore you, send him back to his father and brothers, who are waiting for him with open arms in the penitentiary. I suggest that we give him ten years in Leavenworth, or eleven years in Twelveworth.
Chicolini: I'll tell you what I'll do: I'll take five and ten in Woolworth.
The highlight of any Marx Brothers film will inevitably include a comedic duet between Groucho and Chico. The basis of their routines is dissociation; a gap always exists between one what is saying and what the other is hearing. From this misunderstanding develops absurdity. On other occasions, such as this example, the humor is steeped more in plain, simple juggling of language. Firefly’s description of Chicolini is based on rhetorical argument: repetition and parallelism are engaged to upset expectations. The twist on the name of the famous prison sets up the punchline for Chico to draw a parallel between prison and shopping.
Firefly: Chicolini, give me a number from one to ten.
Chicolini: Eleven.
Firefly: Right!
At the heart of all the best Marx Brothers movies—and to a lesser extent the less than great ones—but especially Duck Soup, is the idea of anarchy as comedy. This exchange is really just an example of Absurdism stripped of its theatrical pretensions. It makes no sense and that makes it funny. It is absolutely unexpected and that makes it funny. But within the context of the narrative in which almost nothing taking place on screen makes much sense, it is an example of precision of control of tone and voice. Stick this exchange into a more coherent comedy and it likely sticks out as being out of sync. Here, it is just another example of what came before and what will come after. The comedy is anarchic; the presentation is strictly controlled.
