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The '''Marx Brothers''' were a successful sibling comedy act who appeared on [[Broadway]], in [[film]], and, toward the end of their careers, [[television]]. The most successful line up consisted of brothers [[Groucho Marx|Groucho]], [[Chico Marx|Chico]], [[Harpo Marx|Harpo]], and (sometimes) [[Zeppo Marx|Zeppo]]. A fifth brother, Gummo, took part in early stage shows, but later went into behind the scenes work before the act became famous. A sixth brother, Manfred, died a few months after his birth.<ref>[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=12415029 Manfred Marx (1886 - 1886) - Find a Grave Memorial], Find a Grave. Retrieved December 18, 2008.</ref>

The '''Marx Brothers''' were a successful sibling comedy act who appeared on [[Broadway]], in [[film]], and, toward the end of their careers, [[television]]. The most successful line up consisted of brothers [[Groucho Marx|Groucho]], [[Chico Marx|Chico]], [[Harpo Marx|Harpo]], and (sometimes) [[Zeppo Marx|Zeppo]]. A fifth brother, Gummo, took part in early stage shows, but later went into behind the scenes work before the act became famous.<ref>[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=12415029 Manfred Marx (1886 - 1886) - Find a Grave Memorial], Find a Grave. Retrieved December 18, 2008.</ref>

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== Overview ==

== Overview ==

==From vaudeville to film==

==From vaudeville to film==

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<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--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.