Changes

1924 also led to a meeting with Alexander Woollcott, the leading drama critic of the time; his friendship with Harpo led to the Marx Brothers hob-nobbing with the elite of New York, despite their lack of a formal education.  They would count as friends noted writers and composers such as T.S. Eliot, George Gershwin, George S. Kaufman, S.J. Perelman, and many others.   

1924 also led to a meeting with Alexander Woollcott, the leading drama critic of the time; his friendship with Harpo led to the Marx Brothers hob-nobbing with the elite of New York, despite their lack of a formal education.  They would count as friends noted writers and composers such as T.S. Eliot, George Gershwin, George S. Kaufman, S.J. Perelman, and many others.   

Beginning with 1929's ''The Cocoanuts'' and followed in 1930 with ''Animal Crackers'', the Marx Brothers took to the screen for a series of long-running and widely acclaimed musical comedies. Their 1933 ''Duck Soup'', which took potshots at the tin pot [[dictatorship]]s of prewar Europe, is frequently rated one of the greatest comedies of all time (due in large part to the mirror scene, where Harpo and a look—alike do mirror images of each move; this scene has been re-enaced since, notably in an episode of ''I Love Lucy'' where Lucille Ball and Harpo himself do so) and one of the major anti-war films of the 1930s,<ref>[http://www.filmsite.org/duck.html ''Duck Soup'' (1930)], filmsite.org. Retrieved January 18, 2009.</ref> although it opened to critical and commercial failure at the time of its release.

Beginning with 1929's ''The Cocoanuts'' and followed in 1930 with ''Animal Crackers'', the Marx Brothers took to the screen for a series of long-running and widely acclaimed musical comedies. Their 1933 ''Duck Soup'', which took potshots at the tin pot [[dictatorship]]s of prewar Europe, is frequently rated one of the greatest comedies of all time (due in large part to the mirror scene, where Harpo and a look—alike do mirror images of each move; this scene has been re-enacted many times since, notably in an episode of ''I Love Lucy'' where Lucille Ball and Harpo himself do so) and one of the major anti-war films of the 1930s,<ref>[http://www.filmsite.org/duck.html ''Duck Soup'' (1930)], filmsite.org. Retrieved January 18, 2009.</ref> although it opened to critical and commercial failure at the time of its release.

While Groucho, Harpo, and Chico's characters translated easily to the cinematic medium, Zeppo's straight-man did not fare as well. Audiences did not respond to his light touch, preferring more slapstick comedy. Zeppo had also grown bored with the role, and after the success of ''Duck Soup'', left the act for good.

While Groucho, Harpo, and Chico's characters translated easily to the cinematic medium, Zeppo's straight-man did not fare as well. Audiences did not respond to his light touch, preferring more slapstick comedy. Zeppo had also grown bored with the role, and after the success of ''Duck Soup'', left the act for good.