So Now You Know

Groucho's greasepaint mustache and eyebrows originated spontaneously prior to a vaudeville performance when he did not have time to apply the pasted-on mustache he had been using (or, according to his autobiography, simply did not enjoy the removal of the mustache every night because of the effects of tearing an adhesive bandage off the same patch of skin every night). After applying the greasepaint mustache, a quick glance in the mirror revealed his natural hair eyebrows were too undertoned and did not match the rest of his face, so Marx added the greasepaint to his eyebrows and headed for the stage.

Marx was asked to do the greasepaint mustache once more for "You Bet Your Life," but refused, opting instead to grow a real one, which he wore for the rest of his life.