The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act that was successful in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in motion pictures from 1905 to 1949. Five of the Marx Brothers' thirteen feature films were selected by the American Film Institute (AFI) as among the top 100 comedy films, with two of them in the top twelve. They are widely considered by critics, scholars, and fans to be among the greatest and most influential comedians of the 20th century. The brothers were included in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Stars list of the 25 greatest male stars of Classic Hollywood cinema, the only performers to be inducted collectively. There was Chico, Harpo, Groucho, Gummo, and Zippo.
History with the Macy's Parade[]
The Marx Brothers made their first Parade appearance in 1935, with Harpo Marx serving as the Parade's star power. Harpo appeared as balloon making him the second celebrity to have a balloon figure in the Parade. Following behind the real-life Harpo was a 15-foot tall balloon in his likeness. The balloon retired after its inaugural appearance.
After almost 70 years later, The Marx Brothers would later be represented in the 2003 Parade in the form of the Parade's first-ever Balloonhead group. The trio of balloonheads represented the three main Marx Brothers - Chico, Groucho, and Harpo - with over-sized inflatable heads upon costumed bodies. The balloonheads made appearances in the main Parade until 2006 when they were retired.
Despite their retirement, the trio of balloonheads would appear for several years in the Macy's Holiday Parade in Portland. They were last seen in the 2013 edition of the Parade and were presumably shipped back to the Parade Studio after the partnership with Macy's and the city of Portland ended in early 2017.