In the early 1900's, the Marx Brothers were a comedy act that could make even the dreariest audiences laugh. Their quick wit, goofy gags, and comical story lines thrilled audiences then, and do so today. But what is it that makes their comedy live on even after they are gone? Perhaps an inside peek at the life and history of the Marx Brothers and their act can supply the answer to this question.
    The Marx family was a unique and unusual clan. They were a German-Jewish family living first in New York City, and then in Chicago. There was a constant flow of relatives passing through the Marx's small flat, and it was Minnie Marx, the determined mother, who took care of them all. She also was the manager of the Marx's act. She was the heart and soul behind all their shows, and the only person who could keep the five rowdy boys in line.
    Their father, Sam, better known as Frenchie, was a tailor who believed that a tape measure was, "pure swank and utter nonsense."¹  As a result, he never had the same customer twice. Whatever talents he lacked as a tailor, his skills in the kitchen greatly made up for them. With a few vegetables and some moldy meat, he could make a meal fit for a king.
    Leonard, later called Chico, was the first born in 1887. His family was poor; he grew up on the street, frequenting pool halls. He could smell money a mile away, and wherever it was, he would find it. Chico frequently stole his family's possessions, and they could usually be found at the nearby pawn shop. He excelled in arithmetic and at piano, two talents he used quite often in his gambling ventures, and for getting a job. From his New York background, he adapted different accents to blend in with the immigrants. Chico's trademark in the movies, besides playing piano, was his Italian accent.
    Next came Adolph, or Harpo, who was born in 1888. Contrary to popular belief, he was not mute, but didn't use his voice on stage because he would stumble over lines. Harpo was his father's favorite because they were very much alike. Harpo loved the simple things in life. He dropped out of school in the second grade, and his hobbies were ice skating with one skate, sledding with stolen dishpans, watching tennis matches at the park, and many other mischievous activities. During his free time, Harpo would mimic the local cigar roller who made a hilarious, distorted facial expression. The poor man would become furious, and chase Harpo down the street. This trademark face was called the "Gookie"², and it saved the Marx Brothers' show many times when audiences weren't laughing. Later Harpo learned to play his grandmother's harp, another talent used in practically all of their acts.
    Julius came next, born in 1890, and Groucho regretted that name very much during his life. Born around the turn of the century, he was the middle child. Groucho had an allowance of five cents a week, which he could usually turn into six cents by buying the day old bread for a penny less when doing the family shopping. So, at an early age, Groucho was concerned about having money. When he was 13 he had his Bar Mitzvah, the momentous occasion when a Jewish boy becomes a man. Around that time, he dropped out of school to get a job to help support the family. Although he didn't finish his education, Groucho was a bookworm who, unlike his brothers, would rather read than play pool.
    Milton (Gummo, born in 1893) and Herbert (Zeppo, born in 1901) were the last, and in show business, the least of the five. Gummo was drafted in World War I, and decided to stay out of the act and start a clothing business. Zeppo played the straight man, but the critics didn't like him too much. Zeppo got so sick of the balderdash written about him that after his fifth movie he left the stage to become an agent. He and Gummo became a team (as agents) when Gummo's clothing business went bankrupt.
    Minnie Marx had been trying to book Groucho as a boy soprano when she realized acts paid more per greater number of people. So she added Gummo and a girl, and they became The Three Nightingales. The girl's inability to sing on key was a problem, but she left the act on her own accord and they replaced her with Harpo (who would mouth the words). On the vaudeville circuits the Marx Brothers had to cope with stubborn managers, grimy boarding houses, and seedy theaters.
    The Marx Brothers first started to use comedy as a decoy to help the audience forget that they had just sung.³  Their scripts were homemade and without much substance, but their characters were developing during that time. One of their first skits, School Days, was an amusing classroom comedy with Groucho as a German teacher. It evolved into Mr. Greene's Reception, which contained Harpo's famous stolen silverware gag.
    With the ups and downs the act experienced, Chico was the only brother who had the confidence to think they could make it on Broadway. When Chico found someone to fund them, they agreed to do a show called I'll Say She Is. The funding came from the owner of a pretzel company whose girlfriend wanted to be a star. If they could make room for her in their show, the money would be theirs. Though they cut many corners, and lacked professional scenery and props, they were a hit!
    Animal Crackers was the first film the Marx Brothers starred in. Having sound in motion pictures was new, and caused filming difficulties. The taping also went slowly because the Marx Brothers would disappear between takes to casinos and racetracks nearby. The director of their second film, Coconuts, wouldn't stand for it, so he had the brothers locked in separate cells when they were not filming. The last movie they made was called Love Happy. They had made 13 movies together; not all were hits, but all are remembered.
    The Marx Brothers were fortunate to have been around in the time of motion pictures. Without their films, they would have been a forgotten vaudeville act. Their movies are still popular because the Brothers (Groucho, Chico, and Harpo) are three crazy characters ingeniously blended. Along with their comedy is their musical tradition. Groucho's singing, Harpo's harp playing, and Chico's shotgun piano style add much to the films. After viewing Animal Crackers, A Day at the Races, A Night at the Opera, At the Circus, and Go West!, I highly recommend them all. Besides, these movies are classics, and everyone should see the classics.

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¹ Groucho Marx, Groucho and Me. (1959; rpt. New York: Manor books 1974), p.15.
² Harpo Marx (with Rowland Barber), Harpo Speaks!, (1961; rpt. New York: Freeway Press, 1974), p. 53.
³ Groucho Marx, Groucho and Me, (1959; rpt. New York: Manor Books 1974), p. 90.

Collier's Encyclopedia, Ed. 1992 S.V. "Marx Brothers," by Stephen Harvey.

Funk and Wagnalls Encyclopedia, Ed. 1979 S.V. "Marx," funk and Wagnall's Inc.

Gehring, Wes G., The Marx Brothers, a Bio-Bibliography, New York: Greenwood Press, 1987.

Marx, Groucho, Groucho and Me, New York: Bernard Geis Associates, 1959.

Marx., Harpo, Harpo Speaks!, New York: Bernard Geis Associates, 1961.