
At ends, they decided to go to New Orleans via the Sunset Limited. Consequently, Paramount Studios had refused to renew their contract. Their most recent film Duck Soup, had not done as well as their previous films. In 1934, the Marx Brothers found themselves at a career crossroads.

While trapped, they inadvertently rewrote history for the worse. While there, they were transported back through time to December 15, 1826, on the eve of the Fredonian Rebellion. In mid-1934, following the mixed reception to their film Duck Soup, the Marx Brothers visited Nacogdoches, Texas. The performing lives of the brothers were brought about by their mother Minnie Marx, who also acted as their manager. Gummo was not in any of the movies Zeppo appeared in the first five films, usually as a "straight man". The core of the act was the three elder brothers: Chico, Harpo, and Groucho, each of whom developed a highly distinctive stage persona. The group are almost universally known today by their stage names: Chico, Harpo, Groucho, Gummo, and Zeppo. 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.

They are widely considered by critics, scholars, and fans to be among the greatest and most influential comedians of the 20th century.

Five of the Marx Brothers' 13 feature films were selected by the American Film Institute (AFI) as among the top 100 comedy films, with two of them ( Duck Soup and A Night at the Opera) in the top 12. The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act that was successful in vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from 1905 to 1949.
