The Marx Brothers Biography
The Marx Brothers
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Born: Oct 2, 1890 in New York City, NY
Died: Aug 19, 1977 in Los
Angeles
Groucho was born Julius Henry Marx on Oct 2 1890 in New York. He was the third of the five surving sons of Sam and Minnie Marx. He was the first of the brothers to start stage career aged 15 in an act called The Leroy Trio. Other acts followed, but none of them was a great success. Twice the other members of the act disappeared overnight and left him penniless in a town far away from home.
When his Brothers came on stage the finally has a success with the musical comedy called I'll Say She Is. It was at one of the performances of this show that Groucho got his painted moustache. He arrived late at the theater and used greasepaint to create a moustache. He found this so much easier than a glued on moustache that he insisted on using this technique from then on.
I'll Say She Is is was followed by two more Broadway hits - The Cocoanuts and Animal Crackers. The latter of which has the character of Captian Spaulding which remained (with the song Hooray for Captain Spaulding) a trademark for Groucho for the rest of his life.
The Cocoanuts and Animal Crackers were also the first movies (except for one unreleased on) made by the Brothers and were filmed in New York. The remaining movies were made in Hollywood.
In the later year of the Brothers movie career Groucho started working on radio. He hosted several programmes and was a guest on many shows. His biggest succes was the comedy quiz show You Bet Your Life which started in 1947. The show later moved to television and was on the air until 1961.
Groucho also appeared in a few movies without his brothers (see below).
Always being a liberal, Groucho sometimes made critical remarks about politics and had friends which were regarded as communist the the US of the 1950s. This let to Groucho being investigated by the FBI.
When Marx Brothers became popular again in the last sixties/early seventies Groucho made a comeback with a show in Carnegie Hall in 1972.
At the film festival in Cannes in 1972 he was made Commandeur des Arts et Lettres and in 1974 he received a special Academy Award for the achievements of the Marx Brothers.
Groucho died on August 19th 1977 at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. His ashes
are at Eden Memorial Park, San Fernando, California.
Groucho Marx appeared in the following movies:
Important dates in the live of Groucho Marx:
| 2 Oct 1890 | Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx is born |
| 1909 | The Three Nightingales: Groucho and Gummo are joined by Mabel O'Donell for this singing trio managed by Minnie Marx |
| Jan 1910 | Harpo joins The Three Nightingales to form The Four Nightingales |
| Feb 1910 | When joined by Minnie Marx and aunt Hannah Schickler The Four Nightingales become The Six Mascots |
| 1912 | Fun in Hi Skule is the first musical sketch of the Brothers. This half-hour 'school act' features the four brothers, Paul Yates and others |
| 1913 | Mr. Green's Reception is a followup to Fun in Hi Skule |
| 1914 | Home Again is developed from the second half of Mr. Green's Reception |
| 1918 | In The Cinderella Girl Zeppo replaces Gummo. This musical comedy is written by Jo Swerling with music by Gus Kahn |
| 4 Feb 1920 | Groucho marries Ruth Johnstone |
| 1921 | The silent movie Humorisk is made with money raised by a friend. Director is Jo Swerling. It was made in two weeks at Fort Lee, NJ. studios and in a studio at 49th St. and 10th Ave. in New York. No copy exists of this (unfinished?) film. |
| 1921 | On the Mezzanine Floor (in England: On the Balcony) a musical revue written by Herman Timberg, produced by Benny Leonard |
| Jul 1921 | Arthur, son of Groucho and Ruth, born |
| 19 May 1924 | Stage show I'll say she is, scripted by Will B. Johnstone, opens at the Casinos |
| 8 Dec 1925 | Stage show The Cocoanuts opens at the Lyric and runs for 275 performances, a full season on Broadway, as well as two years on the road. |
| 19 May 1927 | Miriam, daughter of Groucho and Ruth, born |
| 23 Oct 1928 | Stage show Animal Crackers opens at the 44th Street Theater and runs for 191 performances. It was laid off the following summer, went on tour in mid-October. |
| 1929 | Groucho's first book Beds is serialized in the magazine 'College Humor' |
| 3 Aug 1929 | Film The Cocoanuts released |
| 1930 | Groucho first book Beds published |
| 6 Sep 1930 | Film Animal Crackers released |
| 5 Jan 1931 | The Marxes appear in the London Palace Theatre |
| 19 Sep 1931 | Film Monkey Business released |
| 31 Aug 1932 | Film Horse Feathers released |
| 24 Nov 1933 | Film Duck Soup released |
| 1934 | Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel Radio Show with Groucho and Chico |
| 1934 | Groucho appears in a revival of the play Twentieth Century |
| 15 Nov 1935 | Film A Night at the Opera released |
| 24 Jul 1936 | Film Yours For the Asking released. Groucho is an uncredited extra in this. |
| 1937 | The film The King and the Chorus Girl, written by Groucho and Norman Krasna, appears |
| 11 Jun 1937 | Film A Day at the Races released |
| 30 Sep 1938 | Film Room Service released |
| 1939 | The Kellog's Show on radio with Groucho and Chico |
| 20 Oct 1939 | Film At the Circus released |
| 6 Dec 1940 | Film Go West released |
| 1941 | until 1942 Groucho is a regular guest on The Rudy Vallee Show |
| 20 Jun 1941 | Film The Big Store released |
| 1942 | Groucho's book Many Happy Returns is published. It deals with income taxes |
| 15 Jul 1942 | Groucho and Ruth get divorced |
| 1944 | Groucho starts a radio series The Pabst Show but is soon replaced by Danny Kaye |
| 21 Jul 1945 | Groucho marries Kay Gorcey |
| 1946 | Melinda, daughter of Groucho and Kay Gorcey, born |
| 10 May 1946 | Film A Night in Casablanca released |
| 1947 | Groucho starts his show You Bet Your Life which runs until the 60's on radio and from 1950 also on TV |
| 30 May 1947 | Film Copacabana released |
| 27 Sep 1948 | The play Time for Elizabeth by Groucho and Norman Krasna opens on Brodway but only runs for 8 performances |
| 3 Mar 1950 | Film Love Happy released |
| 12 May 1950 | Groucho and Kay get divorced |
| 28 Dec 1950 | Film Mr. Music released |
| Dec 1951 | Film Double Dynamite released |
| Jan 1952 | Film A Girl in Every Port released |
| 17 Jul 1954 | Groucho marries Eden Hartford |
| Aug 1957 | Film Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? released |
| 8 Nov 1957 | Film The Story of Mankind released. Chico, Harpo and Groucho appear in this film, but not together in one scene |
| 1959 | Groucho's book Groucho and me is published. A highly fictional autobiography |
| 8 Mar 1959 | The TV film The Incredible Jewel Robbery is the last film to have three Marx Brothers |
| Apr 1960 | A TV production of The Mikado has Groucho as Koko |
| 1965 | Groucho's book Memoirs of a Mangy Lover published |
| 1967 | Groucho's book The Groucho Letters published |
| 19 Dec 1968 | Film Skidoo released |
| 4 Dec 1969 | Groucho and Eden get divorced |
| 1972 | Solo concert with Groucho in Ames, Iowa |
| 1972 | at the Cannes Film Festival Groucho is made 'Commandeur des Arts et Lettres' by the French government |
| May 1972 | Solo concert with Groucho at Carnegie Hall in New York |
| 1974 | Groucho receives a Special Academy Award in recognition of a lifetime's achievement |
| 16 Jan 1977 | The Marxes are inducted to the Motion Picture Hall of Fame |
| 19 Aug 1977 | Groucho dies |
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