| Harpo Marx | |
|---|---|
 Harpo playing the harp in Monkey Business (1931) |
|
| Born | Adolph Marx November 23, 1888 New York, New York |
| Died | September 28, 1964 (aged 75) Los Angeles, California |
| Occupation | Comedian, Actor, Mime |
| Spouse(s) | Susan Fleming |
- This article is about Harpo Marx. Monkey Business ( is the third of the Marx Brothers ' movies and the first not to be an adaptation of one of their Broadway shows Events 800 - Charlemagne arrives at Rome to investigate the alleged crimes of Year 1888 ( MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience primarily by making them laugh An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works Susan Fleming ( February 19 1908 &ndash December 22 2002) was a Hollywood ingenue known as the "Girl with the Million Dollar For the writer Arthur Marx, son of Groucho, see Arthur Marx. Arthur Marx (born July 21, 1921, New York New York) is an author a former ranked amateur Tennis player, and son of entertainer Groucho
Arthur Marx (previously Adolph Marx), popularly known as Harpo Marx (November 23, 1888 – September 28, 1964) was one of the Marx Brothers, a group of Vaudeville and Broadway theatre entertainers who later achieved fame as comedians in the Motion Picture industry. Events 800 - Charlemagne arrives at Rome to investigate the alleged crimes of Year 1888 ( MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. The Marx Brothers were a popular team of sibling Comedians who appeared in Vaudeville, stage plays film and television Vaudeville was a Genre of variety entertainment prevalent on the stage in the United States and Canada, from the early 1880s Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located See also Entertainment (disambiguation and The Entertainer (disambiguation Entertainment is an activity designed to give people He was well known by his trademarks: he played the harp; he never talked during performances, although he often blew a horn or whistled to communicate with people; and he frequently used props. The harp is a Stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicular to the soundboard. Human whistling is the production of Sound by means of a constant stream of air from the mouth
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Early life and career
In January 1910, Harpo joined two of his brothers, Julius (later "Groucho") and Milton, to form "The Three Nightingales". Milton Marx ( October 23, 1892 - April 21, 1977) known as Gummo, was one of The Marx Brothers. Harpo was inspired to develop his "silent" routine after reading a review of one of their performances which had been largely ad-libbed. The theater critic wrote, "Adolph Marx performed beautiful pantomime which was ruined whenever he spoke. Pantomime (informally panto) (not to be confused with a Mime artist, referring to a theatrical performer of mime is a performance genre traditionally found "
Harpo got his stage name during a card game at the Orpheum Theatre in Galesburg, Illinois. Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, in the United States. The dealer (Art Fisher) called him "Harpo" because he played the harp. The harp is a Stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicular to the soundboard. He had taught himself to play because he could not sing, or dance, and did not talk very well, so he needed something to do. Al Shean sent him a harp (In Harpo's autobiography, he says that mother Minnie Marx sent him the harp. Al Shean ( May 12, 1868, Dornum, Germany - August 12, 1949, New York City) was the stage name for comedian Minnie Schönberg Marx ( November 9, 1865 &ndash September 13, 1929) born in Dornum, East Frisia, was the mother ) Harpo learned how to hold it properly by going to a five-and-dime store where he found a picture of a girl playing a harp. No one in town knew how to play the harp, so Harpo tuned it as best he could, starting with one basic note and tuning it from there. Three years later he found out he had tuned it incorrectly, but he could not tune it properly because if he had, the strings would have broken each night. His way placed much less tension on the strings. Although he played this way for the rest of his life, he did try to learn how to play correctly, and he spent considerable money hiring the best teachers. They, however, spent their time listening to him, fascinated by the way he played. In the movies he is actually playing the harp with his own alternate tuning.
In his autobiography Harpo Speaks (1961), Harpo recounts how Chico got him jobs playing piano to accompany silent movies. The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers Unlike Chico, Harpo could only play two songs on the piano, Waltz Me Around Again, Willie and Love Me and the World Is Mine, but he adapted this small repertoire in different tempos to suit the action on the screen. He was also seen playing chords on the piano in A Night at the Opera, in such a way that the piano sounded much like a harp, as a prelude to actually playing the harp in that scene. A Night at the Opera is a 1935 Comedy film starring Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx, Kitty Carlisle,
Harpo changed his name from Adolph to Arthur by 1911. This was due primarily to his dislike for the name Adolph (as a child, he was routinely called "Ahdie" instead). Urban legends to the effect that the name change came about during World War I -- due to anti-German sentiment in the US -- or during World War II -- due to the stigma that Adolf Hitler imposed on the name -- are groundless. An urban legend or urban myth is a form of modern Folklore consisting of stories thought to be factual by those circulating them World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately [1]
In film
A Night at the Opera (1935)
He appeared without his brothers in Too Many Kisses (1925) four years before the brothers' first widely-released film, The Cocoanuts (1929). A Night at the Opera is a 1935 Comedy film starring Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx, Kitty Carlisle, The Cocoanuts ( 1929) was the first feature-length Marx Brothers film produced by Paramount Pictures. In Too Many Kisses, Harpo spoke the only line he would ever speak on-camera in a movie: "You sure you can't move?" Fittingly, it was a silent movie, and the audience only saw his lips move and saw the line on a title card.
In the Marx Brothers' movie At the Circus (1939), however, Harpo spoke in a movie with the brothers for the one and only time. At the Circus is a 1939 Marx Brothers Comedy Film in which they save a circus from Bankruptcy. In the scene in which he visits the room of Little Professor Atom (Jerry Marenghi), Harpo sneezes--clearly saying "At-choo!" In the opening scene of Monkey Business (1931), where the four brothers are in barrels marked "Kippered Herring", "Sweet Adeline" is clearly being sung by all four. Jerry Maren (born January 24, 1920) is an American actor and one of the last surviving Munchkins from the 1939 film The Wizard Monkey Business ( is the third of the Marx Brothers ' movies and the first not to be an adaptation of one of their Broadway shows "Sweet Adeline" is a ballad best known as a barbershop standard
Harpo gained notoriety for prop-laden sight gags. In comedy a visual gag or sight gag is anything which conveys its Humor visually often without words being used at all In Horse Feathers (1932), Groucho tells him that Harpo cannot "burn the candle at both ends". Horse Feathers ( 1932) was the fourth Marx Brothers Film. It stars the four Marx Brothers Groucho, Chico, Harpo He immediately produces, from within his coat, a lit candle burning at both ends. (As author Joe Adamson put it his book, Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Sometimes Zeppo, "The president of the college has been shouted down by a mute. ")
His non-speaking in films was occasionally referenced by the other Marx Brothers, who were careful to imply that his character's not speaking was a choice rather than a disability. They would make joking reference to this part of his act. For example, in Animal Crackers his character was ironically dubbed "The Professor". Animal Crackers is a 1930 Comedy film, in which mayhem and zaniness ensue when a valuable painting goes missing during a party in honor of famed African explorer Captain In The Cocoanuts, this exchange occurred:
- Groucho: Who is this?
- Chico: 'At's-a my partner, but he no speak.
- Groucho: Oh, that's your silent partner!
Harpo further distinguished his character by wearing a "fright wig". For partnership in cricket terminology see List of cricket terms A partnership is a type of Business entity in which partners Early in his career it was dyed pink, as evidenced by color film posters of the time and by allusions to it in films, with character names such as "Pinky". It tended to show as blonde on-screen. Over time, he darkened the pink to more of a reddish color, again alluded to in films with names such as "Rusty".
In other media
In 1933, following U. S. diplomatic recognition of the Soviet Union, he spent six weeks in Moscow as a performer and goodwill ambassador[2]. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of His tour was a huge success.
In 1936 he was one of a number of performers and celebrities to appear as caricatures in the Walt Disney Production of Mickey's Polo Team. A caricature is either a Portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness or in literature a description Mickey's Polo Team is a short Animated film, directed by David Hand and first released on January 4, 1936. Harpo was part of a team of polo-playing movie stars which included Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy. Polo is a team sport played outdoors on Horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team For other uses including various songs titled "Movie Star" see Movie star (disambiguation. Laurel and Hardy were the popular American -based comedy team of thin British-born Stan Laurel (1890-1965 and heavy American-born Oliver Hardy (1892-1957 His mount was an ostrich. The Ostrich ( Struthio camelus) is a large Flightless bird native to Africa (and formerly the Middle East)
Harpo was also caricatured in "Sock-A-Bye Baby" (1934), an early episode of the Popeye cartoon series created by Fleischer Studios. Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional hero famous for appearing in comic strips and animated films as well as numerous TV shows Fleischer Studios Inc is an American corporation which originated as an Animation studio located at 1600 Broadway, New York City New York. Harpo is playing the harp, and wakes up Popeye's baby, and then Popeye beats him up and supposedly kills him. (After Popeye hits him, a halo appears over his head and he floats to the sky. )
Harpo also took an interest in painting, and a few of his works can be seen in his autobiography. In the book, Marx tells a story about how he tried to paint a nude female model, but froze up because he simply didn't know how to paint properly. The model took pity on him, however, showing him a few basic strokes with a brush, until finally Harpo (fully clothed) took the model's place as the subject and the naked woman painted his portrait.
In 1955, Harpo made an appearance on Lucille Ball's sitcom I Love Lucy, in which they re-enacted the famous mirror scene from the Marx Brothers movie Duck Soup (1933). Lucille Ball (August 6 1911 – April 26 1989 was an American comedienne, film television stage and radio Actress, model, film I Love Lucy is an American Situation comedy, starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance and William Frawley Duck Soup is a Marx Brothers Anarchic comedy film written by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, with additional dialogue by Arthur [3]
Harpo recorded an album of harp music for RCA Victor (Harp by Harpo, 1952) and two for Mercury Records (Harpo in Hi-Fi, 1957; Harpo at Work, 1958). RCA Records (originally The Victor Talking Machine Company, then RCA Victor is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. Mercury Records is a Record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Music Group in the US and are both subsidiaries of
Marx made a number of notable television appearances in the 1960s. In 1960 he appeared in an episode of The DuPont Show with June Allyson entitled "A Silent Panic". Marx plays a deaf-mute who works as a "mechanical man" in a department store window who witnesses a gangland murder. In 1961, he made guest appearances on The Today Show, Play Your Hunch, Candid Camera, I've Got a Secret, Here's Hollywood, Art Linkletter's House Party, Groucho's quiz show You Bet Your Life, The Ed Sullivan Show, and Your Surprise Package. Today, also referred to as The Today Show, is an American morning news and talk show airing weekday mornings on NBC. Play Your Hunch was an American game show first hosted by Merv Griffin from 1958 to 1962, and was then hosted by Robert Q Candid Camera was a Television series created and produced by Allen Funt, which initially began on Radio as Candid Microphone For IGAS qua graphology organization see International Graphoanalysis Society I've Got a Secret is a weekly panel Game show produced Art Linkletter's House Party or House Party was an American daytime TV variety/talk show which aired on CBS Radio from January You Bet Your Life is an American Radio and Television Quiz show. The Ed Sullivan Show was an American television Variety show that ran from June 20, 1948 to June 6,
In 1962 he guest-starred with Carol Burnett in an installment of the DuPont Show of the Week entitled "The Wonderful World of Toys". Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American Actress, Comedian, Singer, Dancer and The show was filmed in Central Park and featured Marx playing "Autumn Leaves" on the harp. Central Park is a large public Urban park in New York City, with about twenty-five million visitors annually " Autumn Leaves " is a much-recorded Popular song. Originally a 1945 French song " Les feuilles mortes " (literally "Dead Leaves" A visit to the set inspired poet Robert Lowell to compose a poem about Marx. Robert Lowell (March 1 1917&ndashSeptember 12 1977 born Robert Traill Spence Lowell IV, was an American Poet whose works confessional in nature 1962 saw Marx appearing on Red Skelton's CBS series as its first guest and in his final television appearance played himself in an episode of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington based on the Frank Capra film, and starring Fess Parker. Richard Bernard “Red” Skelton ( July 18, 1913 &ndash September 17, 1997) was an American comedian who was best known as a top CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. Mr Smith Goes to Washington is a Drama film directed by Frank Capra about one man's effect on American politics. Frank Russell Capra ( May 18, 1897 &ndash September 3, 1991) was an Academy Award winning Italian-American Film Fess Elisha Parker Jr (born August 16, 1924) is an American film and television Actor best known for his 1950s portrayals of Davy [4]
Personal life
He married actress Susan Fleming on September 28, 1936. Susan Fleming ( February 19 1908 &ndash December 22 2002) was a Hollywood ingenue known as the "Girl with the Million Dollar Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Unlike most of his brothers, who were unlucky in love (Groucho was divorced three times, Chico and Zeppo were divorced once each), Harpo's marriage to Susan was lifelong. The couple adopted four children: Bill, Alex, Jimmy and Minnie. Harpo often said that he wanted to see one child in each window of his home when he returned from work each day.
Harpo was good friends with theater critic Alexander Woollcott and because of this became a regular member of the Algonquin Round Table. Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech 1st Marquis of Púbol (May 11 1904 &ndash January 23 1989 was a Spanish Catalan Surrealist Alexander Humphreys Woollcott ( January 19, 1887 &ndash January 23, 1943) was an American critic and commentator for The New Yorker The Algonquin Round Table was a celebrated group of New York City writers critics actors and wits Harpo, who was quiet in his personal life, said his main contribution was to be the audience in that group of wits. George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart based the character of "Banjo" in their play The Man Who Came to Dinner on Harpo and later played the role in Los Angeles opposite Alexander Woolcott who had inspired the character of Sheridan Whiteside. George Simon Kaufman ( November 16 1889 - June 2 1961) was an American Playwright, Theatre director and Moss Hart ( October 24 1904 &ndash December 20 1961) was an American Playwright and director of plays and Musical The Man Who Came to Dinner is a Comedy in three acts by George S
In 1961, Harpo published his autobiography, Harpo Speaks. In it, he tells one story of a man who did not believe that Harpo could actually talk. Many people believed he was mute. In fact, recordings of his voice can be found on the Internet, documentaries, and on bonus materials of Marx Brothers DVDs. In relating one story, he had a distinguished voice like a professional announcer, though like his brothers he did have a New York accent his entire life (for example: "girls" he would pronounce "giles", turkey would be "tike-ee", etc), hear, for instance, these audio recordings. ) Harpo actually had a much deeper and more resonant speaking voice than Groucho, which some suspect may be the real reason he was dissuaded from ever speaking in the act. For reference, his voice was fairly similar to Chico's, perhaps too similar, which would be another reason he developed his unique stage persona. Possibly also, is that his rich voice is completely at odds with his puckish character. He forged a career in after-dinner speaking. He would often open with the line "Unaccustomed as I am to speaking. . . . " to choruses of laughter.
Harpo's final time before the public came in 1964, when he appeared on stage with singer/comedian Allan Sherman. Allan Sherman (November 30 1924 – November 20 1973 was an American Musician, parodist, satirist, and Television producer Sherman burst into tears when Harpo announced his retirement. Comedian Steve Allen, who was in the audience, remembered that Harpo--in announcing his retirement from the stage--kept talking for several minutes. After a while, the audience started tittering and giggling. Allen said that everyone found it charmingly ironic that the comedian, mute for several decades, "wouldn't shut up!".
Death
Harpo Marx died on September 28, 1964 at the age of 75 after undergoing open heart surgery. Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. [5] Groucho's son Arthur Marx has said that Harpo's funeral was the only time he ever saw his father cry. Arthur Marx (born July 21, 1921, New York New York) is an author a former ranked amateur Tennis player, and son of entertainer Groucho
His remains were reportedly sprinkled into the sand trap off the seventh fairway of his favorite golf course. In his will, he donated his trademark harp to the nation of Israel. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. [6]
Notes
- ^ Mikkelson, Barbara and David (2007-08-09). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus Harpo Marx. Snopes. com. Retrieved on 2008-01-01. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC
- ^ Harpo goes to Moscow
- ^ Harpo Marx at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ Hickey, Matthew. "TV's Silent Panic: Harpo Marx & the Golden Age of Television", Filmfax magazine, May/June 1996, pp. 64-9.
- ^ "Harpo Marx, the Silent Comedian, Is Dead at 70 [sic]; Blond-Wigged, Horn-Tooting Star Scored on Stage and in Films With Brothers Harpo Marx, Silent Comedian, Dies. ", New York Times, September 29, 1964, Tuesday. Events 522 BC - Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. Retrieved on 2007-08-21. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan.
- ^ The Marx Brothers Encyclopedia. Glenn Mitchell, 1996; B. Glenn Mitchell ( September 28, 1950 &ndash November 20, 2005) was a Dallas Texas Radio personality T. Batsford Ltd, London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.
Further reading
- Marx, Harpo (1961). Harpo Speaks. New York: B. Geis Associates; New York: Limelight Editions, 1985. ISBN 0-87910-036-2
External links
- Harpo Marx at the Internet Movie Database
- Harpo Marx at the TCM Movie Database
- Harpo Marx at the Internet Broadway Database
- Comprehensive fan site
- Clips of Harpo speaking
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Marx, Harpo |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Actor, comedian |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1888-11-23 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New York, New York |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1964-9-28 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
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