Perhaps four of the funniest men

who ever lived, 

these four brothers from New York 

turned the comedy world upside down 

with their irreverent brand of humor.

      The Marx Brothers [Groucho, Chico, Harpo, Zeppo and Gummo] were born in New York City and raised into the show business tradition by their mother, Minnie Sheen Marx. 

Trained as juvenile musicians and singers, they began their career with material written by their Uncle Al Sheen [of the comedy team, Gallagher and Sheen}.

      Touring the United States as the Four Nightingales, the brothers became angry during an afternoon performance in Texas when local townspeople run out on their show to see a run away mule, in revenge the brothers throw out their act and resorted to uncontrolled chaos in the form of hilarious comedy.

      It was during this and ensuing shows that the brothers began to form their readily identifiable characteristics. Who can forget Groucho with his sharp-edged wit, black grease paint moustache and cigar? Or Chico with his unique piano style, Italian accent and slick ways. And Harpo with his enduring youthful ways, his impish pantomime and beautiful harp solos.

Groucho Marx

[with Erin Fleming in the background.]

This picture taken by me in

May of 1974 at the premiere of the re-release of Animal Crackers in Westwood, California.

Marx Brothers Filmology:

The Cocoanuts

A Paramount Picture release filmed in the spring of 1929 at the Astoria Studios in Long Island, New York. The Cocoanuts was orginally a musical play written by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind especially for the Marx Brothers. Music was written by Irving Berlin.

Starring Groucho as Mr. Hammer, Harpo and Chico as themselves, Zeppo as Jamison, with Margaret Dumont, Mary Eaton, Oscar Shaw and Kay Francis.

Animal Crackers

A Paramount Picture release filmed in 1930 at the Astoria Studios in Long Island, New York. Based on the Marx Brother's musical play by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind. Music by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby.

Starring Groucho as Captain Jeffrey T. Spaulding, Harpo as the Professor, Chico as Signor Emanuel Ravelli, Zeppo as Horratio Jamison, with Margaret Dumont, Lillian Roth, Louis Sorin, and Edward Metcalf.

Monkey Business

A Paramount Picture release filmed in 1931 in Hollywood, California. From a screenplay written by S.J. Perelman and Will B. Johnstone. Directed by Norman McLeod.

Starring Groucho, Chico, Harpo and Zeppo as the stowaways, with Thelma Todd, Rockcliffe Fellowes, Tom Kennedy, Ruth Hall, and Harry Woods.

Horse Feathers

A Paramount Picture release filmed in 1932 in Hollywood, California. Written as a screenplay by Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby, S. J. Perelman, and Will B. Johnstone. Directed by Norman McLeod with music by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby.

Starring Groucho as Professor Quincy Adams Wagstaff, Chico as Barovilli,  Harpo as Pinky, Zeppo as Frank Wagstaff with Thelma Todd, David Landau, Robert Grigg, and Nat Pendleton.

Duck Soup

A Paramount Picture release filmed in 1933 in Hollywood, California. Screenplay by Bert Kalmer and Harry Ruby. Directed by Leo McCarey. Music by Bert Kalmer and Harry Ruby.

Starring Groucho as Rufus T. Firefly, Harpo as Pinkie, Chico as Chicolini, Zeppo as Bob Rolland,  Margaret Dumont, Louis Calhern, Raquel Torres, and Edgar Kennedy.

A Night At The Opera

A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Production filmed in 1935 in Hollywood, California. Directed by Sam Wood. from a screenplay by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind. Music by Herbert Stothart.

Starring Groucho as Otis B. Driftwood, Harpo as Tomasso, Chico as Fiorello, with Margaret Dumont, Siegfried Rumann, Kitty Carlisle, and Alan Jones.

A Day

At The Races

A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Production filmed in 1938 in Hollywood, California. Directed by Sam Wood from a screenplay by George Seaton,Robert Pirosh and George Oppenheimer. Music by Franz Waxman.

Starring Groucho as Dr. Hugo Z. Hackenbush, Chico as Toni, Harpo as Stuffy, with Margaret Dumont, Siegfried Rumann, Alan Jones, Maureen O'Sullivan and Douglas Dumbrille.

Room Service

An R.K.O. Production filmed in 1938 in Hollywood, California based on a Broadway stage play by John Murray and Allen Boertz. Movie Screenplay by Morrie Ryskind. Directed by William A Seiter. Music by Roy Webb.

Starring Groucho as Gordon Miller, Harpo as Faker Englund, Chico as Harry Binelli, with Lucille Ball, Ann Miller, Frank Albertson, Donald MacBride and Cliff Dunstan.

At The Circus

A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Production filmed in 1939 in Hollywood, California. Screenplay by Irving Brecher. Directed by  Edward Buzzell. Music by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg.

Starring Groucho as J. Cheever Loophole, Harpo as Punchy, Chico as Antoino Pirelli, with Margaret Dumont, Florence Rice, Kenny Baker, and Eve Arden.

Go West

A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Production filmed in 1940 in Hollywood, California. Directed by Edward Buzzell. Screenplay by Irving Brecher. Music by Roger Edens and Gus Kahn.

Starring Groucho as S. Quentin Quale, Harpo as Rusty Panello, Chico as Joseph Panello, with John Carroll, Diana Lewis, Robert Barrat, and Walter Wolf  King.

The Big Store

A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Production filmed in 1941 in Hollywood, California. Screenplay by Sid Kuller, Hal Fimberg and Ray Golden. Directed by Charles Reisner. Music by Georgie Stoll and Hal Borne.

Starring Groucho as Wolf J. Flywheel, Harpo as Wacky, Chico as Ravelli, with Margaret Dumont, Douglass Dumbrille, Tony Martin, Virginia Grey and William Tannen.

A Night In Casablanca

A United Artists Feature filmed in 1946 in Hollywood, California. Screenplay by Joseph Fields and Roland Kibbee. Directed by Archie L. Mayo. Music by Ted Snyder, Bert Kalmer, and Harry Ruby.

Starring Groucho as Ronald Kornblow, Harpo as Rusty, Chico as Corbaccio, with Sig Rumann, Lisette Verea, Charles Drake and Lois Collier.

Love Happy

A United Artists feature filmed in 1949 in Hollywood, California. Directed by David Miller. Screenplay by Frank Tashlin and Mac Benoff. Story by Harpo Marx. Music by Ann Ronell.

Starring  Harpo as himself, Chico as Faustino the Great, Groucho as Sam Grunion, with Vera Ellen, Ilona Massey, Marion Hutton, Raymond Burr and Melville Cooper.

Other Marx Brother Links:

Hello, I must be going,

I came to say, I cannot stay, I must be going,
I'm glad I came, but just the same I must be going.

I'll stay a week or two,

I'll stay the summer through,

but I am telling you, I must be going.