# Marx Brothers 101

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 14, 2010, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210 "2010-08-14T02:58:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210/41 "2010-08-16T16:38:23Z")

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I was hugely into the Marx Bros as a teen. _sigh_ It’s been 30 years. I think I need to pick up some DVDs and watch them all over again. You never see them on TV.

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**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210/42 "2010-08-16T18:24:40Z")

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> [@cjepson](#):
>
> A lot of Alda’s Hawkeye Pierce is basically lifted from Groucho Marx, IMO.

To be fair, Hawkeye presumably grew up on a diet of Marx Brothers films, and Groucho was a cultural touchstone for him.

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**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210/43 "2010-08-16T21:06:58Z")

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> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> > [@cricetus](#):
> >
> > Cringed a bit at the blackface scene in Races . . .
> 
> I don’t think it was a blackface scene, it was real African-American performers. Acting a bit like minstrel-show clowns, I grant you.

I thought the overall production, though stereotyped, was quite good, featuring a lot of talented musicians and dancers who were probably grateful for the work and exposure. It was only the actual black-face at the end of the sketch (the brothers disguising themselves to mix in with the crowd) that really made me cringe.

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marx-brothers-101/550210/44 "2010-08-16T21:32:28Z")

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Both Harpo & Chico were better than passably good musicians, too.

Not suprising, as the Marx Brother began as a musical act, that morphed to comedy by stages.

Vaudville stages. 😃

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