ABC Photo · Public domain

As the fast-talking third of the Marx Brothers, Groucho spent three Broadway shows and thirteen films playing a shady, wisecracking foil to his brothers Chico and Harpo, developing the exaggerated stoop, greasepaint moustache, and cigar that became his trademark. After the brothers' film partnership wound down, he built a second career on radio and television as host of the quiz show You Bet Your Life, where his unscripted asides to contestants were often the real draw. He's remembered above all for the one-liner delivered with perfect timing and no warning.