Changes

[[File:Mark Brothers.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The Marx Brothers (''left to right''), Chico, Zeppo, Groucho, Harpo]]

[[File:Mark Brothers.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The Marx Brothers]]

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>

The '''Marx Brothers''' were a successful American comedy team of the stage, screen, and television. Composed of five sons of Jewish immigrants from Europe, their act either together or solo spanned nearly seven decades, irreverently and humorously attacking high society and social norms.

== Overview ==

== Early lives ==

Originally the Marx Brothers were a singing group ("The Nightingales"),<ref>[http://www.marx-brothers.org/marxology/mascots.htm Nightingales and Mascots], Marxology. Retrieved December 18, 2008.</ref> but the act quickly became a variety show, with each brother taking part in comic sketches and/or showcasing his musical instrument of choice. As the act developed, the brothers created distinct stage personae, and in most instances would portray that persona regardless of their character in the play, sketch, or film in question.<ref>[http://www.tcm.com/thismonth/article/?cid=86548&rss=mrqe Monkey Business (1931)], Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved December 18, 2008.</ref>

The brothers own lives and future careers would be influenced by their own family.  Their mother was Miene "Minnie" Schönberg, who was born on November 9, 1864 in Dornum, East Frisia in what is now Germany. A younger brother - Abraham Elieser Adolf - was born a few years later; he would later become known as comedian and talent agent Al Shean. Their parents, father Levy a ventriloquist and mother Fanny a harpist, would emigrate to the United States in 1880, settling in New York City, and it was there at the age of 20 that Minnie met and married a tailor named Samuel Marx, an immigrant from Mertzwiller, Alsace, France who was born October 23, 1859<ref>http://judaisme.sdv.fr/perso/marxbr/geneal.htm</ref>.  The couple would reside with her parents on East 85th Street, in what was then the Yorkville section of the Upper East Side, an area made up of poor Italians, Germans, and Irish.

'''Julious Henry "Groucho" Marx''' (1890 - 1977) portrayed a cigar waggling conman with a greasepaint moustache and a natty black suit. His trademark was punning, which ranged from the simple to the ribald: "I'm gonna take you down and show you our cemetery. I've got a waiting list of fifty people down at that cemetery just dying to get in it."<ref>[http://www.marx-brothers.org/whyaduck/info/movies/scenes/whyaduck.htm Why a Duck?], www.marx-brothers.org. Retrieved December 18, 2008.</ref> He was also noted for socially satirical wordplay, as in the film ''Monkey Business'' (1931):  

In 1886 Minnie and Sam had their first child, a son they named Manfred. He did not live out the year, succumbing to tuberculosis (or more probably influenza) at the age of seven months on 17 July 1886<ref>http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=12415029</ref>.  Five other sons would be born in the ensuing years:

Groucho: That's what I always say: love flies out the door when money comes innuendo.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022158/quotes Memorable quotes for Monkey Business (1931)], [[IMDB]]. Retrieved December 18, 2008.</ref>}}

*Herbert Manfred, February 25, 1901

'''Arthur'''<ref>Born "Adolph", having changed his name in 1911.</ref> '''Marx''' (1888 - 1964) portrayed a clownish mute, and never spoke on either stage or film. He usually dressed in a trench coat, top hat, and a bright red wig. He carried a bicycle horn, and would often sidle up to a person and have them hold his leg up.  His stage name was '''"Harpo"''', a name derived from his mastery of the [[harp]]<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbL8M3wNxLc&feature=related</ref><ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6V3guQPUy8&feature=related</ref>, of which much of his playing was incorporated in their stage plays and films.

Originally the Marx Brothers were a singing group with Minnie managing the ensemble.  Called "The Nightingales", Milton and Julius would sing on stage with Mabel O'Donnell as early as 1905<ref>[http://www.marx-brothers.org/marxology/mascots.htm Nightingales and Mascots], Marxology. Retrieved December 18, 2008.</ref>, but the act quickly became a variety show in burlesque and vaudeville, with each brother taking part in comic sketches and/or showcasing his musical instrument of choice. As the act developed, the brothers created distinct stage personae, and in most instances would portray that persona regardless of their character in the play<ref>[http://www.tcm.com/thismonth/article/?cid=86548&rss=mrqe Monkey Business (1931)], Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved December 18, 2008.</ref>. Leonard played the part of a seedy Italian con man and taught himself to play the piano, sometimes ending a glissando by "shooting" the last note with his index finger. Julius was the smart alec; his act during a 1912 performance in Nacogdoches, Texas was interrupted by the audience departing over a runaway mule outside the theater, and when they returned the insults hurled at them by Julius in anger was something they actually thought was funny, leading Julius to incorporate them in future acts.  Adolf - who in 1911 changed his name to Arthur (he never liked his original name) - was the mute; a poor speaking performance in one play (1914's ''Home Again'') led to being silent in future plays, to great effect.  His original character was that of an Irish ragamuffin, and it is thought that this character led him to adopt the harp as his instrument. Herbert, although funny in private, was seen as the "straight man"; in his own right he was an accomplished vocalist. 

'''Leonard Marx''' (1887 - 1961) the oldest of the brothers and the last to join the act, played the part of a seedy Italian con man, and was usually paired as Harpo's partner and "translator" to his brother's many silent gags. He competed in wordplay with Groucho and played piano, sometimes ending a glissando by "shooting" the last note with his index finger.  Leonard was nicknamed '''"Chico"''' (pronounced "CHICK-o", not "CHEEK-o"), due to his off-stage penchant for flirting with women.

 

In 1914 four of the brothers were at the the Orpheum Theatre in Galesburg, Illinois, enjoying a game of poker with a man named Art Fisher, and it was he who gave them the names that they would be remembered by since:

Chico's "ancestry" became a running gag in the Marx Brothers' act: for example, in the film ''Animal Crackers'' Groucho turns to Chico and asks, "When did you become Italian?"

*Leonard: "Chico"

 

:Leonard was the optimist, the gambler, and Fisher noted, he was also a "chicken chaser", which was slang during that time for the pursuit of women.  Originally it was spelled "Chicko", but the "K" was dropped in subsequent news reporting, leading to the mispronunciation of "cheek-o", neither of which Leonard minded too much.

'''Herbert Manfred "Zeppo" Marx''' (1901 - 1979) played the group's straight man and occasional romantic lead,<ref>[http://www.marx-brothers.org/biography/zeppo.htm Zeppo Marx], www.marx-brothers.org. Retrieved December 18, 2008.</ref> though on stage he understudied for Groucho, and was considered just as capable a comedian as his siblings. <ref>[http://books.google.ca/books?id=k64P_6iYpmUC&pg=PA52&lpg=PA52&dq=zeppo+understudy+groucho&source=bl&ots=uQoGLAfa09&sig=ys2CDvkJYy1Qw339VywlwosZWgY&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result The Marx Brothers: A Bio-Bibliography], Google Books. Retrieved December 18, 2008.</ref> Zeppo eventually left the group and ran a company that produced parts for the [[World War II|war]] effort; his engineering background would make him a millionaire.

 

:It was given to Arthur due to his love of the harp.

'''Milton "Gummo" Marx''' (1892 - 1977) never took part in any of the acts; he worked behind the scenes (primarily as a theatrical agent), and later in business.

*Julius: "Groucho"

:Some sources indicate that he got this nickname due to his "grouchy" personality, but Chico admitted a more accurate reason: it was a simple bag hanging around his neck as a kid, keeping his money and candy together. It was called a "grouch bag"<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImN6UxFL8xQ</ref>.

*Milton: "Gummo"

:Fisher noted that Milton had a habit of sneaking in behind someone, similar to police and private detectives, referred to as "gumshoes" in that era.

Herbert was not part of this meeting, but his brothers offered him a name which he detested: "Zippo", apparently after a monkey in a zoo.  Herbert would alter it slightly, ostensibly after the Zeppelin airships.

==From vaudeville to film==

==From vaudeville to film==