' s ▁children , ▁particularly ▁Arthur , ▁felt ▁strongly ▁that ▁F lem ing ▁was ▁pushing ▁their ▁weak ▁father ▁beyond ▁his ▁physical ▁and ▁mental ▁limits . ▁ ▁W riter ▁Mark ▁E van ier ▁con cur red . ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁Academy ▁Awards ▁tele cast , ▁Marx ' s ▁final ▁major ▁public ▁appearance , ▁Jack ▁Lem mon ▁presented ▁him ▁with ▁an ▁honor ary ▁Academy ▁Award ▁to ▁a ▁standing ▁ov ation . ▁The ▁award ▁hon ored ▁Har po , ▁Ch ico , ▁and ▁Ze ppo ▁as ▁well : ▁" in ▁recognition ▁of ▁his ▁brilliant ▁cre ativity ▁and ▁for ▁the ▁une qu alled ▁achiev ements ▁of ▁the ▁Marx ▁Brothers ▁in ▁the ▁art ▁of ▁motion ▁picture ▁comedy ." ▁Notice ably ▁fra il , ▁Marx ▁took ▁a ▁bow ▁for ▁his ▁dece ased ▁brothers . ▁" I ▁wish ▁that ▁Har po ▁and ▁Ch ico ▁could ▁be ▁here ▁to ▁share ▁with ▁me ▁this ▁great ▁honor ," ▁he ▁said , ▁naming ▁the ▁two ▁dece ased ▁brothers ▁( Ze ppo , ▁still ▁alive , ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁audience ). ▁He ▁also ▁pra ised ▁the ▁late ▁Margaret ▁Dum ont ▁as ▁a ▁great ▁straight ▁woman ▁who ▁never ▁understood ▁any ▁of ▁his ▁j okes . ▁Marx ' s ▁final ▁appearance ▁was ▁a ▁brief ▁sketch ▁with ▁George ▁Burn s ▁in ▁the ▁Bob ▁Hope ▁television ▁special ▁Jo ys ▁( a ▁par ody ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁movie ▁J aws ) ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 7 6 . ▁His ▁health ▁continued ▁to ▁decl ine ▁the ▁following ▁year ; ▁when ▁his