History of the Marx Brothers

LEONARD “CHICO” MARX

• Leonard Marx (March 22, 1887 – October 11, 1961) billed as Chico Marx was an American comedian, bandleader, actor and film star as part of the Marx Brothers.

• His persona in the act was that of a charming, dim-witted albeit crafty con artist, seemingly of rural Italian origin, who wore shabby clothes, and sported a curly-haired wig and Tyrolean hat.

• Leonard was the eldest of the five brothers, though he was not the first-born; Manfred Marx, born before Chico, died as an infant.

• Along with his work as a performer, he played a significant role in the managing and developing the act, at least in the younger years.

ACTING CAREER

• Calling himself Chico, he used an Italian persona as his main character; though he was not Italian, overly stereotypical roles were common in Vaudeville.• Marx has an extensive list of acting roles

including starring in several successful films such as:• Monkey Business (1931)• Duck Soup (1933)• A Night at the Opera (1935)• Full list here: (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0555597/?

ref_=nv_sr_1)

ACTING CONTINUED

• Chico was known to be an incredible pianist, which the brothers used to make money in their earlier days.• Brother, Groucho, was quoted as saying he had

never seen Chico practice a piece in his life; he simply soaked his fingers in hot water and “shot” the keys. • Chico also, during his days of acting, became the

first manager to get his clients (the other brothers) a cut from their movie’s total gross income.

PERSONAL LIFE

• Early Life:• Was born in New York City on March 22nd, 1887 to Sam

and Minnie Marx• Acquired his nickname due to the fact that he was always

“womanizing” members of the opposite sex. He was always chasing “chicks”.

• Learned Pinochle and Bridge from his father, played with his brothers and eventually became a world class player, often making a show out of his matches. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPSXGqWUVSE)

PERSONAL LIFE

• Marx’s first marriage was to a woman named Betty Karp in 1917.• They had a single daughter who they named

Minnie.• Their relationship was ravaged by Marx’s

constant gambling and infidelity, which lead to an inevitable split.• Marx married again three years (1958) before his

death to a woman named Mary de Vithas.

PERSONAL LIFE

• Gambling:• Marx was a serious gambler, with a self-diagnosed

addiction to sports betting.• By his own account, Marx lost millions of dollars to

gambling.• Quoted, when asked the exact amount saying: “Find out

how much money Harpo has, that’s about how much I’ve lost.”

DEATH

• Chico Mark died on October 11, 1961 at the age of 74.• Died of a disease called arteriosclerosis, which is

the thickening of one’s arteries. • His legacy was solidified however as Chico was

enshrined in the Motion Picture Hall of Fame in 1977.

HARPO MARX

• Adolf Marx (November 23, 1888 – September 28, 1964) was born in New York City. • He was an American actor, a mime and a

musician as a part of the Marx Brothers.• His persona was always that of a mute who often

used instruments or props to relay his thoughts. These would include cane horns made from piping, trumpets and most commonly a harp.• Harpo was the second oldest of the Marx

brothers.

ACTING CAREER

• His first film appearance was in the film “Humor Risk” a film shot with all of his brothers.• Harpo was known for being entirely silent in

everything he appeared in and in fact has never been filmed speaking in his career. (Although he did have a “line” in a silent move at one point.”• Was the sight gag brother, rather he set up jokes

with various props and objects. • Was actually talented at playing the harp in real

life.

ACTING CONTINUED

• Was a star in several films with his brother including:• The Coconauts (1929)• Monkey Business (1931) • At the Circus (1939)

• Marx did complete one film in 1925 in which he was solo called “Too Many Kisses”.• Was usually billed as Chico’s partner in crime.• Full List of Harpo Marx’s performances:

(http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0555617/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

PERSONAL LIFE

• Marx was born to Sam and Minnie Marx in 1888.• He never completed any formal schooling past

the second grade, but instead chose to join his brothers in the early days of their acting careers.• He garnered his nickname from a card dealer

during a game. The dealer kept calling him “Harpo” as it was known that he was the only person around that knew how to play the harp.• It is said that Harpo learned to hold the harp by

looking at classic art and taught himself (incorrectly yet none the less effectively) how to tune his harp.

PERSONAL LIFE

• Marx married actress Susan Fleming on September 28th, 1936.• They adopted four children Bill, Alex, Jimmy, and

Minnie.• Marx was an avid Croquet player and was

eventually inducted into the hall of fame in 1979.• He also wrote an extremely successful

autobiography called “Harpo Speaks” chronicling his life and relaying to the public what he could not due to his silent screen persona.

DEATH

• Harpo Marx died on September 28th, 1964 aged 75 years. (This was he and his wife’s 28th anniversary.)• His death followed unsuccessful open heart

surgery after a massive heart attack. • It hit the brothers extremely hard.• Arthur Marx, son of Groucho Marx, is quoted as saying “it

was the only time I ever saw my father cry”.

• His remains were cremated and spread upon Rancho Mirage golf course.

JULIUS MARX

• Julius “Groucho” Marx, perhaps the most recognizable of the Marx brothers was born on October 2nd.• He was an American actor that also participated

in the Marx brothers group and is widely considered one of the best comedians of the era.• His legacy lies in his trademark outfit which

involves Thick rimmed glasses, an oversized nose and a bushy mustache.

ACTING CAREER

• Marx was famous for his act as a wise-cracking con-man who used wit and improvised insults to degrade those he was speaking with.

• This is why, to many, Groucho Marx stands above the rest as the best comedian of the era.

• He acted in 26 total films, 13 with his brothers which includes:• Duck Soup• Animal Crackers• A Night at the Opera

• Full List: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000050/?ref_=nv_sr_1

ACTING CAREER

• Marx was also the host of a few radio shows as well as a TV show.• “You Bet Your Life” was his most famous role as it began

on the radio and moved quickly to television.• Was filmed before a live audience and consisted mostly

of Marx insulting the audience with his world class wit.• It ran for 11 years and is a big reason as to why Groucho

is still the most recognizable Marx brother.

PERSONAL LIFE

• Groucho Marx was born October 2nd,1890 to Sam and Minnie Marx in New York City.

• He was the third youngest of the Marx brothers and due to monetary constraints was also pulled out of school at an early age. (12)

• Despite this, he managed to work a few entry level office jobs before joining his brothers on stage and eventually became extremely well read.

• There are two popular stories as to how Marx was branded the name Groucho. • First, it is said that the same card dealer that gave Harpo his nickname

gave him the nickname due to the fact that he continuously carried a large bag, at the time called a “grouch bag.”

• The second, although, Marx denies this, was that he acquired it due to his unfriendly demeanor.

PERSONAL LIFE

• Groucho Marx was married three times:• His first marriage was to Ruth Johnson. They had two kids,

Arthur and Miriam Marx. Their marriage ended in a quick divorce.

• His second wife was Kay Mavis, a 21 year old girl which was questionable as Marx was almost 55 at the time. They had one daughter, Melinda Marx. This marriage also ended in divorce.

• His third wife was actress Eden Hartford. They had no children but this marriage, just like the others, ended in divorce.

• Groucho Marx also wrote several books despite never being fully educated. His most famous publication was “Groucho and Me” his autobiography.

DEATH

• Marx was apparently being pushed by a young actress, Erin Fleming (who is behind a debate as to whether she was truly trying to help revitalize Marx in the latest stage of his career, or was simply trying to grow her own career), well beyond his limits in his old age leading to an extreme decrease in health both mentally and physically.

• He was hospitalized for pneumonia on June 22, 1977 and died on August 19th, 1977.

• He had the longest life span of all the brothers. He was cremated and spread in Eden Memorial Cemetery in L.A.

HERBERT MARX

• Herbert “Zeppo” Marx was born February 25th, 1901 in New York City. He was an American actor and the youngest of the Marx Brothers.• He acted in 5 of the Marx Brothers movies but

decided to quit acting to pursue engineering and work as a theatrical agent. • His engineering advancements made Zeppo Marx

a millionare.

ACTING CAREER

• Though it was short live Marx acted in some of the brothers most famous films like:• Animal Crackers• Horse Feathers• Monkey Business

• Usually played a quiet and out of the way role as his brothers “hogged the show”. • Was the least famous of all four brothers in terms

of acting credibility.

ENGINEERING/AGENT CAREER

• Marx was an extremely talented mechanic and often was responsible for keeping the family cars running.

• After acting Marx opened up a mechanical business (Then Marman Co. Now Aeroquip) that specialized in war vehicles during world war two.• Invented a motorcycle called the Marman twin that was

used in combat.• Invented Marman clips, used to hold the “Fat Boy” bomb

into the bomber.

• Along with brother Gummo, Zeppo was the brothers main representative and deserves a good deal of credit for the brothers success.

PERSONAL LIFE

• Marx was born to, like his brothers, Sam and Minnie Marx on February 25th, 1901.• He married a woman named Marion Benda on

April 12, 1927. The couple adopted two kids, Timothy and Thomas Marx. The divorced in 1954.• Marx married again on September 15, 1959 to

Barbara Blakeley. He was an extremely jealous man and consistently fought other men who spoke to his wife. She also caught him cheating several times and Blakeley herself cheated for a long while with Frank Sinatra. The two divorced in 1973.

DEATH

• The last surviving Marx brother died on November 30th, 1979 of lung cancer and was aged 78 years.• His remains were cremated and thrown into the

Pacific Ocean.• Although his legacy is not near that of his

brothers in the business of acting, he will forever be remembered not only as a Marx brother, but for his talents and innovations in the field of theater management as well as mechanical engineering.