Groucho Marx

Groucho Marx (1890–1977) was an American comedian, actor, and writer, the third of the five Marx Brothers, whose sharp-tongued, rapid-fire wordplay made him one of the most influential comic performers of the twentieth century. Raised in New York City, he began performing in vaudeville as a child alongside his siblings before the brothers moved into Broadway revues and, from the late 1920s, feature films.

Groucho developed his instantly recognizable persona — a greasepaint mustache and eyebrows, round glasses, a cigar, and a stooped, loping walk — during his vaudeville years, using it as the vehicle for a torrent of puns, insults, and absurdist non-sequiturs aimed at pompous authority figures. Films such as Duck Soup, A Night at the Opera, and Animal Crackers showcased his verbal improvisation alongside his brothers Chico and Harpo, blending anarchic slapstick with his singular brand of insult comedy.

After the Marx Brothers' film career wound down in the 1940s, Groucho reinvented himself as the host of the radio and television quiz show You Bet Your Life, where his unscripted banter with contestants became as celebrated as his film work. His influence on generations of comedians and his catchphrases remain deeply embedded in American popular culture.