The "Groucho" Brothers in "Yuck" Soup.
Duck Soup is a 1933 film starring The Marx Brothers, a broad political satire in which Groucho (as Rufus T. Firefly) becomes president of Freedonia and goes to war with a rival country. The movie was the Marx Brothers' last for Paramount and in subsequent years enjoyed positive critical reappraisal.
References[]
- Duck Soup featured Groucho and Harpo Marx in a famous mirror scene: in an empty hallway, Harpo would mime to be the reflection of Groucho, confusing him in the process. A similar routine appears in The Muppet Show episode 104 featuring Kermit and The Mechanical Wind-up TV Show Host. The scenario inspired several bits concerning duplicate characters.
- The Sesame Street Pet Show features Ernie's pet firefly Rufus, a reference to Rufus T. Firefly from the movie.
- In Sesame Street Episode 1491, a poster promoting Yuck Soup featuring "The Groucho Brothers" is in the lobby at the Grouch Movie Palace.
- Gonzo has a movie poster for Chicken Soup (with chicken versions of the Marx Brothers) in the Muppet Kids book Gonzo's Big Mess.
- In Sesame Street Episode 3140, Gina and Savion return from a screening of Duck Soup and quote Groucho's "taxi" line.
- The aforementioned "mirror scene" from Duck Soup was recreated in The Treasure of Peg-Leg Wilson story arc, in which Kismet mirrors Kermit's every move. After Kermit leaves, he comments, "You know, I've always wanted to do that."
- Kermit does another version of the mirror gag with Constantine in Muppets Most Wanted.