History Creator / MarxBrothers

* CoolHat: Harpo's high hat.

Also frequently joining them was the matronly figure of Margaret Dumont, typically cast as a [[GrandeDame wealthy widow]] who was a perfect foil for Groucho; he would alternate between shamelessly flirting with her ("Ah, married. I can see you right now in the kitchen, bending over a hot stove...") and viciously insulting her ([[InsultToRocks "But I can't see the stove."]]). A common misconception is that Dumont was not a comedy actress, didn't understand the Marxes jokes, or was exasperated by their antics on set (not helping this was a one man show Groucho did at Carnegie Hall where he falsely spread, if not directly originated, said misconception), but the truth is that Dumont was extremely canny as an actress, and not only understood everything around her, but was consummately committed to her role as the [[StraightMan Straight Woman]] to the brothers, knowing how important her role was to their humor.

The Marx Brothers were vaudeville comedians from the early 20th century. They later starred in their own Broadway shows, and subsequently in movies. They were wild and outrageous, and gut-bustingly hilarious, with the act's three central figures each a master of a different type of humor: verbal (Groucho), ethnic and musical (Chico), and surreal, slapstick pantomime (Harpo).

A family act, the Marx Brothers went through several incarnations under varying names (including "The Four Nightingales", "The Six Mascots", and others) before an appearance in Texas, where the audience left the theatre during a performance [[IncrediblyLameFun to go watch a mule]]. This outraged the team, and they began breaking from their script to [[InsultComic abuse the audience]], which [[SpringtimeForHitler went over better than they expected]] with the audience finding it hilarious. Their act quickly incorporated a significant component of [[UrExample what would be referred to today as]] {{improv}} comedy, frequently mocking theatrical clichés and tropes, and they began to move up the ranks of vaudeville performers, eventually reaching the pinnacle of vaudeville fame, performing at New York's Palace theatre. A disagreement with the executive running the biggest vaudeville circuit at the time exiled them from big-time vaudeville, and sent them into regional touring, which was difficult and draining. The troupe was about to disband when a backer willing to fund a legitimate theatre production was found. Success on the road with ''I'll Say She Is'', a stage revue based in part on their vaudeville routines, continued when the show was brought to Broadway. Their performance caught the positive attention of the theatrical critics as well as the audience, and their relatively haphazard, underfunded show ran for months. Their subsequent show, ''The Cocoanuts'', was also a success, and was adapted to film, launching one of the greatest series of screen comedies ever made.

* Chico (Leo or Leonard Marx; March 22, 1887 – October 11, 1961), whose nickname (pronounced "chicko") referred to his habit of "chicken chasing" (womanizing). His trademarks were an outrageously fake Italian accent, a conical black hat, and a distinctive style of piano playing where he appear to literally "tickle" the piano (a play on the phrase "tickling the ivories") and would "shoot" selected keys with his fingers held to form a gun. The most traditional comedian of the three major brothers, Chico would typically find himself providing the verbal component to Harpo's mime, or sparring with Groucho. Despite his FunnyForeigner persona, he was widely-beloved by Italian-Americans as a basically-flattering caricature, since most of his scenes have him outwitting his [=WASP=] antagonists. Chico is buried in the Freedom Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

* OnSecondThought: "I could dance with you until the cows come home. OnSecondThought I'd rather dance with the cows until you came home."

** He also had a cameo in ''Film/WillSuccessSpoilRockHunter'' (1957) and played God (literally) in ''Film/{{Skidoo}}'' (1968).

* ''The Mad, Mad, Mad Comedians'', an animated vaudeville-style TV special (1970) by Creator/RankinBassProductions, featuring the voices of Groucho as himself and Napoleon, [[Radio/TheJackBennyProgram Jack Benny]], Creator/GeorgeBurns, Phyllis Diller, Creator/PaulFrees as the voices of Zeppo (who had retired from the movies in 1933), W.C. Fields and Chico Marx, who had died in 1946 and 1961, respectively; the Smothers Brothers, Flip Wilson, and Henny Youngman.

* Groucho's comeback GameShow ''Series/YouBetYourLife''

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: As stated above, Italian-Americans' reaction to Chico's character.

* ''Film/DuckSoup'' (1933) — The last of their films for Paramount, and the last to feature Zeppo. Today generally regarded as their finest film.

* ''[[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0209031/combined Humor Risk]]'' (also called ''Humorisk''; 1921) — Don't expect to ever see it, as the Marxes had all the copies [[MissingEpisode destroyed]] soon after it debuted as [[OldShame they felt it was rubbish]].
* ''Film/TheCocoanuts'' (1929)
* ''Theatre/AnimalCrackers'' (1930)

* ''Film/DuckSoup'' (1933)
* ''Film/ANightAtTheOpera'' (1935)
* ''Film/ADayAtTheRaces'' (1937)
* ''Room Service'' (1938)

* ''The Big Store'' (1941)
* ''A Night In Casablanca'' (1946)
* ''Film/LoveHappy'' (1949)

Also frequently joining them was the matronly figure of Margaret Dumont, typically cast as a [[GrandeDame wealthy widow]] who was a perfect foil for Groucho; he would alternate between shamelessly flirting with her ("Ah, married. I can see you right now in the kitchen, bending over a hot stove...") and viciously insulting her ([[InsultToRocks "But I can't see the stove."]]).

* ItIsPronouncedTroPAY: "Chico" is pronounced "Chicko," rather than the normally-expected "Cheeko." He was an inveterate womanizer, and the nickname (and pronunciation) comes from his habit of "chasing the chicks." [[note]]It was actually originally spelled as "Chicko", but the very first time they used the stage names, the K was accidentally omitted when the programs were printed, and [[ThrowItIn that mistake ended up sticking]].[[/note]]

Not to be confused with Marx, a character from ''Videogame/KirbySuperStar''. Or [[{{Creator/KarlMarx}} communist Marx]].

[[caption-width-right:350:Clockwise from top left: Zeppo, Groucho, Harpo, and Chico. (Not shown: Gummo. [[JokingMode And]] [[Creator/KarlMarx Karl]].)]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Clockwise from top left: Zeppo, Groucho, Harpo, and Chico. (Not shown: Gummo. And [[Creator/KarlMarx Karl]].)]]

* Groucho (Julius Henry Marx; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977), nicknamed for his abrasive moods and his cutting wit expressing it.[[note]]Some sources say the name came from his "grouch bag", a bag worn around the neck, and used to keep money, as vaudeville performers were sometimes not above stealing from each other. This was actually the accepted origin during most of the Marx Brothers' lifetime; it appears in Harpo's biography, it was voiced by Chico in a TV appearance included on ''The Unknown Marx Brothers'', and it was offered by George Fenneman, Groucho's sidekick on his TV game show ''You Bet Your Life'', helped by the fact that most of Groucho's friends and associates stated that Groucho was extremely stingy with money, especially after losing all his money in the 1929 stock market crash. As mentioned before, Groucho himself claimed that he was named for a character in the comic strip ''Sherlocko the Monk'', which does feature a character named "Groucho"; however, he is the ''only'' Marx or Marx associate who defended this theory, and few took his claim seriously. Groucho finally came clean in his autobiography and [[invoked]] {{Jossed}} the "grouch bag" idea, and admitted that he was named Groucho because he was the "moody one".[[/note]] The patron saint of {{Deadpan Snarker}}s. Known for his cigar and mustache (which was actually a stripe of greasepaint, at least until he became the host of ''Series/YouBetYourLife'' in 1947 and grew a real one), and his signature EyebrowWaggle. He's the singer of the group and, although it's not as showcased as Chico's and Harpo's instrumental talents, a gifted guitar player. He was definitely not the best golfer among his brothers, but he notably once had a [[{{Pun}} stroke of luck]] and for exactly 24 hours was thought to be as good as Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen as a result. A cross between a participant and a commentator, Groucho's on-screen persona would inspire performers from Creator/AlanAlda to the ''[[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 MST3K]]'' team and arguably up into the present day with groups like ''WebVideo/CinemaSins'', his most famous imitator being [[WesternAnimation/BugsBunny a certain animated rabbit]]. Later in life, he became a fan and friend of Music/AliceCooper, oddly enough. Even to this day, devotees are known to leave Groucho glasses on his niche at the Jewish columbarium in Eden Memorial Park.

* Zeppo (Herbert Marx; February 25, 1901 – November 30, 1979), after Groucho, the one whose nickname is the subject to most speculation.[[note]]According to Groucho, it was born from [[UsefulNotes/TheHindenburg the arrival of a German zeppelin at Lakehurst, New Jersey]], but the dates don't match. Harpo, in his book ''Harpo Speaks'', claims that the name was derived from a chimpanzee appearing in a comic strip of the day, Mr. Zippo, but when Herbert objected, this was changed to Zeppo. There are other stories concerning the name's origin, such as the time the brothers were pretending to be farmers in order to dodge serving in UsefulNotes/WorldWarI and gave each other hayseed names like "Zeke" and "Zeb".[[/note]] Zeppo was the youngest and most handsome of the brothers, and while still part of the act generally played the straight man and sometimes the romantic lead. His trademark is less developed than the above. (He ''was'' a talented comedian, however, once filling in for Groucho during a Vaudeville tour when the latter was ill. According to his brothers, in real life he was the wittiest, and could flawlessly imitate all of his siblings.) After several movies, he followed brother Gummo in leaving the act and becoming a manager for his performing siblings. A talented mechanic and inventor, he also founded a manufacturing company. His final movie appearance was ''Film/DuckSoup''.

* They are in no way related to Creator/KarlMarx, author of ''The Communist Manifesto'', despite humorist Richard Armour's assertion that Karl was the funniest of the brothers, nor are they related to musician Music/RichardMarx.[[note]]Marx is not an unusual surname among Jews of German extraction. Their father was actually a French-speaking Alsatian, who'd changed his name from Simon Marrix to Sam Marx.[[/note]] Also, [[Franchise/TheMuppets Gonzo]] was never the name of one of the brothers. Nor was [[https://www.drano.com/en-us Drano]].

A family act, the Marx Brothers went through several incarnations under varying names (including "The Four Nightingales", "The Six Mascots", and others) before an appearance in Texas, where the audience left the theatre during a performance [[IncrediblyLameFun to go watch a mule]]. This outraged the team, and they began breaking from their script to [[InsultComic abuse the audience]], which [[SpringtimeForHitler went over better than they expected]] with the audience finding it hilarious. Their act quickly incorporated a significant component of [[UrExample what would be referred to today as]] {{improv}} comedy, frequently mocking theatrical clichés and tropes, and they began to move up the ranks of vaudeville performers, eventually reaching the pinnacle of vaudeville fame, performing at New York's Palace theatre. A disagreement with the executive running the biggest vaudeville circuit at the time exiled them from big-time vaudeville, and sent them into regional touring, which was difficult and draining. The troupe was about to disband when a backer willing to fund a legitimate theatre production was found. Success on the road with ''I'll Say She Is'', a stage revue based in part on their vaudeville routines, continued when the show was brought to Broadway. Their performance caught the attention of the theatrical critics as well as the audience, and their relatively haphazard, underfunded show ran for months. Their subsequent show, ''The Cocoanuts'', was also a success, and was adapted to film, launching one of the greatest series of screen comedies ever made.

A family act, the Marx Brothers went through several incarnations under varying names (including "The Four Nightingales", "The Six Mascots", and others) before an appearance in Texas, where the audience left the theatre during a performance [[IncrediblyLameFun to go watch a mule]]. This outraged the team, and they began breaking from their script to [[InsultComic abuse the audience]], which [[SpringtimeForHitler went over better than they expected]] with the audience finding it hilarious. Their act quickly incorporated a significant component of [[UrExample what would be referred to today as]] {{improv}} comedy, frequently mocking theatrical clichés and tropes, and they began to move up the ranks of vaudeville performers, eventually reaching the pinnacle of vaudeville fame, performing at New York's Palace theatre. A disagreement with the executive running the biggest vaudeville circuit at the time exiled them from big-time vaudeville, and sent them into regional touring, which was difficult and draining. The troupe was about to disband when a backer willing to fund a legitimate theatre production was found. Success on the road with ''I'll Say She Is'', a stage revue based in part on their vaudeville routines, continued when the show was brought to Broadway. Their performance caught the attention of the theatrical critics as well as the audience, and their relatively haphazard, underfunded show ran for months. Their subsequent show, ''The Cocoanuts'', was also a success, and was adapted to film, starting one of the greatest series of screen comedies ever made.

A family act, the Marx Brothers went through several incarnations under varying names (including "The Four Nightingales", "The Six Mascots", and others) before an appearance in Texas, where the audience left the theatre during a performance [[IncrediblyLameFun to go watch a mule]]. This outraged the team, and they began breaking from their script to [[InsultComic abuse the audience]], which [[SpringtimeForHitler went over better than they expected]] with the audience finding it hilarious. Their act quickly incorporated a significant component of [[UrExample what would be referred to today as]] {{improv}} comedy, frequently mocking theatrical clichés and tropes, and they began to move up the ranks of vaudeville performers, eventually reaching the pinnacle of vaudeville fame, performing at New York's Palace theatre. A disagreement with the executive running the biggest vaudeville circuit at the time exiled them from big-time vaudeville, and sent them into regional touring, which was difficult and draining. The troupe was about to disband when a backer willing to fund a legitimate theatre production was found. Success on the road with ''I'll Say She Is'', a stage revue based in part on their vaudeville routines, continued when the show was brought to Broadway. Their performance caught the attention of the theatrical critics as well as the audience, and their relatively haphazard, underfunded show ran for months. Their subsequent show was also a success, and was adapted to film, starting one of the greatest series of film comedies ever made.

A family act, the Marx Brothers went through several incarnations under varying names (including "The Four Nightingales", "The Six Mascots", and others) before an appearance in Texas, where the audience left the theatre during a performance [[IncrediblyLameFun to go watch a mule]]. This outraged the team, and they began breaking from their script to [[InsultComic abuse the audience]], which [[SpringtimeForHitler went over better than they expected]] with the audience finding it hilarious. Their act quickly incorporated a significant component of [[UrExample what would be referred to today as]] {{improv}} comedy, frequently mocking theatrical clichés and tropes, and they began to move up the ranks of vaudeville performers, eventually reaching the pinnacle of vaudeville fame, performing at New York's Palace theatre. A disagreement with the executive running the biggest vaudeville circuit at the time exiled them from big-time vaudeville, and sent them into regional touring, which was difficult and draining. The troupe was about to disband when a backer willing to fund a legitimate theatre production was found. Success on the road with ''I'll Say She Is'', a revue based in part on their vaudeville routines, continued when the show was brought to Broadway. Their performance caught the attention of the theatrical critics as well as the audience, and their relatively haphazard, underfunded show ran for months. Their subsequent show was also a success, and was adapted to film, starting one of the greatest series of film comedies ever made.

The Marx Brothers were vaudeville comedians from the early 20th century. They later starred in their own Broadway shows, and subsequently in movies. They were wild and outrageous, and gut-bustingly hilarious, with each of the act's three central figures a master of a different type of humor: verbal (Groucho), ethnic and musical (Chico), and surreal, slapstick pantomime (Harpo).

The Marx Brothers were vaudeville comedians from the early 20th century. They later starred in their own Broadway shows, and subsequently in movies. They were wild and outrageous, and gut-bustingly hilarious, with each of the three central members a master of a different type of humor: verbal (Groucho), ethnic and musical (Chico), and surreal pantomime slapstick (Harpo).

The Marx Brothers were vaudeville comedians from the early 20th century. They later starred in their own Broadway shows, and subsequently in movies. They were wild and outrageous, and gut-bustingly hilarious, with the three principal members each being a master of a different type of humor: verbal (Groucho), ethnic and musical (Chico), and surreal pantomime slapstick (Harpo).

* IconicItem: Harpo's high hat, magical coat, motor horn and harp. Chico's pseudo-Italian suit. Groucho's cigar.
* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: All their features from ''Animal Crackers'' to ''Duck Soup'' are named after silly phrases with animals in them that have nothing to do with the plot. These were followed by two films with titles featuring variations of ''A _____ at the _____''. (''At The Circus'' was initially supposed to continue this theme, but the first half of the title was ultimately dropped.)

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: After Zeppo left the act, several men filled his spot in the later films, including Allan Jones (''A Night at the Opera'', ''A Day at the Races''), Frank Albertson (''Room Service''), Kenny Baker (''At the Circus''), John Carroll, (''Go West''), Tony Martin (''The Big Store'') and Charlie Drake (''A Night in Casablanca)''.
* SurrealHumor: Harpo has a coat that appears to contain everything he wants. Certain gags are physically impossible and/or break the fourth wall. Groucho and Chico frequently discuss absurd topics, and Groucho himself also has absurd non-sequiturs. It is any surprise that Creator/SalvadorDali was a big fan?

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: After Zeppo left the act, several men filled his spot - Allan Jones (''A Night at the Opera'', ''A Day at the Races''), Frank Albertson (''Room Service''), Kenny Baker (''At the Circus''), John Carroll, (''Go West''), Tony Martin (''The Big Store'') and Charlie Drake (''A Night in Casablanca)''.