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The Marx Brothers Comedians: Julis Henry (Grocho) 18901977 Leonard (Chico) 18911961 Adolph (Harpo) 18931961 Herbert (Zeppo) 19011979 Milton (Gummo) 19041977
The song and dance routines of the early Marx Brothers evolved into the rapid-fire comedy for which they are best known. After several years in vaudeville, they took their routines to the Broadway stage; and soon after began working in motion pictures. The Cocoanuts, an adaptation of their Broadway routine, was followed by Animal Crackers, Monkey Business, Horse Feathers and Duck Soup in the 1930s. By 1935 Zeppo and Gummo had left the act for other careers,but Groucho, Chico and Harpo continued their madcap partnership.
Grouchos uninhibited wisecracks, Chicos unorthodox piano technique,and Harpos not-so-angelic harpist made movies like A Night at theOpera and A Day at the Races classics of American comedy. When the team broke up in 1949, they continued their idiosyncratic styles in solocareers in television, motion pictures and writing.