Room Service

Room Service, directed by William A. Seiter and premiering on September 2, 1938, is a Marx Brothers film adapted from a Broadway play by Allen Boretz and John Murray, staged by George Abbott, that ran for 500 performances in 1937. It's the only Marx Brothers film based on material not written specifically for them, and their only RKO picture despite being under contract to MGM at the time; it's also one of only two films, alongside Duck Soup, where Chico doesn't play piano and Harpo doesn't play harp. RKO paid a then-record 255,000 dollars for the film rights; against an 884,000 dollar production budget, it grossed 875,000 dollars, a net loss of 330,000 dollars, making it a box office failure. Who it's for: anyone curious about the only Marx Brothers film not written specifically for them, a Broadway adaptation that lost money despite a record rights fee. Who it's not for: viewers expecting Chico at the piano or Harpo on the harp, since this is one of the rare films where neither plays their signature instrument.