Room Service (1938 film)

Room Service
Lobby card
Directed by	William A. Seiter James Anderson (assistant)
Written by	Glenn Tryon Philip Loeb
Screenplay by	Morrie Ryskind
Based on	Room Service by Allen Boretz & John Murray
Produced by	Pandro S. Berman
Starring	Groucho Marx Chico Marx Harpo Marx Lucille Ball Ann Miller Frank Albertson
Cinematography	J. Roy Hunt
Edited by	George Crone
Music by	Roy Webb
Production company	RKO Radio Pictures
Distributed by	RKO Radio Pictures
Release dates	September 21, 1938 (1938-09-21) (New York)[1] September 30, 1938 (1938-09-30) (USA)
Running time	78 minutes
Language	English
Budget	$884,000[2]
Box office	$875,000[2]

Room Service is a 1938 American comedy film directed by William A. Seiter, based on the 1937 play of the same name by Allen Boretz and John Murray. The film stars the Marx Brothers (Groucho, Harpo and Chico) and also features Lucille Ball, Ann Miller and Frank Albertson. It was produced and distributed by RKO Pictures; RKO paid $255,000 for filming rights, which was then a record for a sound picture.^[3]

This is the only film starring the Marx Brothers with a screenplay based on material that was not written especially for the team. Less frenetic and more physically contained than their other films, the plot revolves around the shenanigans of a broke Broadway producer getting a play staged and funded by a mysterious backer, while evading eviction from a hotel.

RKO remade the movie in 1944 as Step Lively, starring George Murphy and Frank Sinatra.