Marx Brothers. Their comedy could be both witty and slapstick, while the Stooges were more of a one joke trio. They were masters of that one joke, but still there wasn't much depth to their routines. The Marx Brothers however could do the sight gags and pratfalls of vaudeville, but also conversational interplay, verbal sparing if you will, that was satirical and smart. Groucho and Chico played off against each other in a different way than Chico and Harpo or Harpo and Groucho. There was a balance between the three and Margret Dumont, the actress who often found herself the object of Groucho's hijinks. I don't dislike the Stooges but I always placed them beneath the Marx Brother, Laurel and Hardy and Abbott and Costello as far as noted comedy teams of the 30's and 40's go.
The Three Stooges vs The Marx Brothers, who was better?
I would say Three Stooges, Laurel and Hardy, Abbot and Costello and Finally the Marx Brothers. This rates from the most simplistic to most sophisticated and urbane. The Stooges are an example of basic slapstick humor rooted in vaudeville, whereas the Marx brothers pioneered a more adult and mature form of baroque comedy that was not particularly well-received or understood at the time. Their material was, more often than not, over the heads of their audiences. It was best enjoyed by more intellectually oriented patrons, then and now.
The Marx Brothers. Their comedy is timeless and never ages, I haven't found The Three Stooges funny since I was 6 or so.
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