"Hooray for Captain Spaulding" is a song, composed by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby originally from the 1928 Marx Brothers Broadway musical Animal Crackers and the 1930 film version. It later became well known as the theme song for the Groucho Marx television show You Bet Your Life (1950–1961), and became Groucho's signature tune and was usually played when he was introduced on various talk shows and the like.

The modern version of the situation comedy radio show Flywheel, Shyster, and Flywheel uses this song for its opening theme.

Hooray for Captain Spaulding

The line, "I think I'll try to make her" was cut from the movie, being considered too risqué.

Hooray for Captain Spaulding

In 1951, Groucho recorded the song for release by Decca Records.

Hooray for Captain Spaulding

Chorus

The song is a series of rhyming gags but ends with a loud repeated chorus that drown out the captain's attempts to speak.

Hooray for Captain Spaulding,

The African explorer.

He brought his name undying fame

And that is why we say,

Hooray, Hooray, Hooray.

References

External links

Transcript of scene

1928 songs

American songs

Groucho Marx songs

Marx Brothers

Songs about explorers

Songs about fictional male characters

Songs with lyrics by Bert Kalmar

Songs with music by Harry Ruby