▁boy ▁singer , ▁Lou ▁Le vy , ▁tra ve led ▁the ▁U . S . ▁v au dev ille ▁circ uits ▁to ▁little ▁fan fare . ▁After ▁exhaust ing ▁their ▁prospect s ▁in ▁the ▁East , ▁the ▁family ▁moved ▁to ▁La ▁G range , ▁Illinois , ▁to ▁play ▁the ▁Mid west . ▁▁ ▁After ▁a ▁particularly ▁disp ir iting ▁performance ▁in ▁N ac og do ches , ▁Texas , ▁Julius , ▁Mil ton , ▁and ▁Arthur ▁began ▁crack ing ▁j okes ▁on stage ▁for ▁their ▁own ▁am usement . ▁Much ▁to ▁their ▁surprise , ▁the ▁audience ▁liked ▁them ▁better ▁as ▁com ed ians ▁than ▁as ▁sing ers . ▁They ▁modified ▁the ▁then - pop ular ▁G us ▁Edwards ▁comedy ▁sk it ▁" Sch ool ▁Days " ▁and ▁renamed ▁it ▁" Fun ▁In ▁Hi ▁Sk ule ". ▁The ▁Marx ▁Brothers ▁would ▁perform ▁variations ▁on ▁this ▁routine ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁seven ▁years . ▁ ▁For ▁a ▁time ▁in ▁v au dev ille , ▁all ▁the ▁brothers ▁performed ▁using ▁eth nic ▁acc ents . ▁Leonard , ▁the ▁oldest , ▁developed ▁the ▁Italian ▁acc ent ▁he ▁used ▁as ▁Ch ico ▁Marx ▁to ▁conv ince ▁some ▁ro ving ▁bul lies ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁Italian , ▁not ▁Jewish . ▁Arthur , ▁the ▁next ▁oldest , ▁don ned ▁a ▁cur ly ▁red ▁w ig ▁and ▁became ▁" P ats y ▁Bran n igan ", ▁a ▁s tere ot yp ical ▁Irish ▁character . ▁His ▁dis com fort ▁when ▁speaking ▁on ▁stage ▁led ▁to ▁his ▁uncle ▁Al ▁She an ' s