Leonard "Chico" Marx
Chico's piano performance scene from Monkey Business, "shooting" the keys
Born	March 22, 1887 New York, New York
Died	October 11, 1961 Hollywood, California

Leonard Marx, known as Chico, (March 22, 1887 – October 11, 1961) was one of the Marx Brothers. Image File history File linksMetadata Chicomarx2. ... Monkey Business is a 1931 film, the third of the Marx Brothers movies and the first not to be an adaptation of one of their Broadway shows. ... March 22 is the 81st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (82nd in leap years). ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. ... NY redirects here. ... NY redirects here. ... October 11 is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... Greetings from Hollywood Hollywood is a district of the city of Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., that extends from Vermont Avenue on the east to just beyond Laurel Canyon Boulevard above Sunset and Crescent Heights Boulevards on the west; the north to south boundary east of La Brea Avenue... March 22 is the 81st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (82nd in leap years). ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. ... October 11 is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... Groucho, Gummo, Minnie (mother), Zeppo, Frenchy (father), Chico and Harpo. ...

He was originally nicknamed Chicko due to his reputation as a ladies man, or a "chicken chaser" in the popular slang of the day. A typesetter accidentally dropped the "k" in his name and it became Chico. It was still pronounced "Chick-o" although those who were unaware of its origin tended to pronounce it "Cheek-o". Radio recordings from the 1940s exist where announcers and fellow actors mispronounce the nickname, but Chico apparently felt it was unnecessary to correct them. As late as the 1950s, even Groucho used the "wrong" pronunciation for comedic effect. A guest on You Bet Your Life told the quizmaster she came from Chico, California and Groucho responded that he had a brother named "Cheek-oh." (Chico can sometimes be spotted in cutaways to the studio audience, out of character and costume.) You Bet Your Life was an American radio and television quiz show. ... Nickname: City of Roses, City of Trees Location of Chico in California Coordinates: Country State County United States California Butte Settled 1843 Founded 1860 Incorporated January 8, 1872 Government  - Mayor Andrew Holcombe  - City Council Scott Gruendl Steve Bertagna Larry Wahl Ann Schwab Mary Flynn Tom Nickell  - City Manager Greg Jones...

Marx used an Italian accent for his on-stage character; stereotyped ethnic characters were common with Vaudeville comedians, and all the Marx brothers sometimes performed "dialect characters" early in their careers, but Chico was the only one to continue this into their films. Vaudeville is a style of multi-act theatre which flourished in North America from the 1880s through the 1920s. ... A comedian, or comic, is an entertainer who amuses an audience by making them laugh. ...

The obvious fact that he was not really Italian was referenced twice on film. In their second feature, Animal Crackers, he recognizes someone he knows to be a shady character, impersonating a respected art collector: Animal Crackers is a 1930 comedy film, and one of the Marx Brothers most beloved and oft-quoted movies. ...

Chico: "How did you get to be Roscoe W. Chandler?"

Chandler: "How did you get to be Italian?"

Chico: "Never mind — whose confession is this?"

In A Night at the Opera, which begins in Italy, his character, Fiorello, claims to not be Italian, eliciting a surprised look from Groucho: A Night At the Opera is a 1935 comedy film starring the Marx Brothers. ... Groucho Marx poses for an NBC promotional photograph Julius Henry Marx, known as Groucho Marx (October 2, 1890 - August 19, 1977), was an American comedian, working both with his siblings, the Marx Brothers, and on his own. ...

Driftwood: "Well, things certainly seem to be getting better around the country."

Fiorello: "I don't know: I'm a stranger here myself."

Chico was a talented pianist. He originally started playing with only his right hand and fake playing with his left, as his immigrant teacher did so herself. Chico eventually got a better teacher and learned to play the piano correctly. As a young boy, he would get jobs playing piano to earn money for the Marx family. Sometimes Chico would even get work playing in two places at the same time. He would acquire the job with his piano-playing skills, work for a few nights, and then substitute Harpo on one of the jobs. The two brothers looked so much alike, no one could tell the difference, at first. Pianist Claudio Arrau, Carnegie Hall, 1954. ... Adolph Arthur Marx, popularly known as Harpo Marx, (November 23, 1888 – September 28, 1964) was one of the Marx Brothers, a group of Vaudeville entertainers who later achieved fame as comedians in the Motion Picture industry. ...

In a record album about the Marx Brothers, narrator Gary Owens stated that "although Chico's technique was limited, his repertoire was not." The latter was not true of Harpo, who could only play a few tunes on the piano, which typically thwarted Chico's scam and resulted in both brothers being fired. Gary Owens (born Gary Altman on May 10, 1936) is a disc jockey and voice actor born in Mitchell, South Dakota. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

Groucho Marx one time said that Chico never practiced the pieces he played. Before performances he would soak his fingers in hot water before going on instead. He was known for "shooting" the keys of the piano. As part of the act he would play passages with his thumb up and index finger straight — like a gun (he appears in the film A Year to Remember (1948) playing an extraordinary "shooting" version of the famous Australian song Waltzing Matilda to a group of Australian soldiers). Julius Henry Marx, known as Groucho Marx (October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977), was an American comedian, working both with his siblings, the Marx Brothers, and on his own. ... Waltzing Matilda is usually sung in informal settings, but it was played with a 90 piece orchestra and the 100 voice Melbourne Chorale at the 2005 Classical Spectacular Waltzing Matilda is Australias most widely known folk song, and one that has been popularly suggested as a potential national anthem...

Babs Bunny impersonating Groucho in "A Night in Kokomo" with Buster Bunny as Chico.

Chico became manager of the Marx Brothers after their mother, Minnie, died. As manager he cut a deal to get the Marx Brothers a percentage of a film's gross receipts — the first of its kind in Hollywood. Furthermore, it was Chico's connection with Irving Thalberg of MGM which led to Thalberg's signing the Brothers when they were in a career slump after Duck Soup (1933), made at Paramount Pictures. Image File history File links BabsAsGroucho. ... Image File history File links BabsAsGroucho. ... Babs and Buster Bunny are cartoon characters from the Warner Bros. ... Babs and Buster Bunny are cartoon characters from the Warner Bros. ... Groucho, Gummo, Minnie (mother), Zeppo, Frenchy (father), Chico and Harpo. ... Minnie Schönberg Marx (1865-1929) was the mother and manager for the Marx Brothers and the sister of Al Shean. ... ... Irving Grant Thalberg (May 30, 1899 - September 14, 1936) was an American film producer during the early years of motion pictures. ... MGM logo Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer or MGM, is a large media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of cinema and television programs. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and distribution company, based in Hollywood, California. ...

For a while in the 1930s and 1940s Chico led a big band. Singer Mel Torme began his professional career singing with the Chico Marx Orchestra. The 1930s (years from 1930–1939) were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known in Europe as the World Depression. ... The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949. ... A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from 1935 until the late 1940s. ... Mel Tormé (September 13, 1925 - June 5, 1999) was a jazz singer with a light, velvety, high-tenor voice. ...

Chico Marx was a compulsive womanizer, and had a lifelong gambling habit, which usually kept him short of funds, and which compelled him to continue in show business long after his brothers had retired in comfort from their Hollywood income. The term gambling has had many different meanings depending on the cultural and historical context in which it is used. ...

Grave of Chico Marx.

The last two Marx Brothers movies were made for Chico's benefit; the other brothers twice returned to the screen to bail Chico out of debt. Because of his gambling, the brothers finally took the money as he earned it and put him on an allowance, which he stayed on until he died. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 425 KB)[edit] Summary Photo taken by me in September 2005. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 425 KB)[edit] Summary Photo taken by me in September 2005. ...

He had a reputation as a world-class pinochle player. His brother Groucho said Chico would throw away good cards (with the knowledge of spectators) to make the play "more interesting". Chico's last public appearance was playing cards on television show, Celebrity Bridge. He and his partner lost the game, but it didn't seem to bother him at all. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Chico died on October 11, 1961 from cardiovascular disease, aged 74. He is entombed in a crypt in the Freedom Mausoleum in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, in Glendale, California. Chico's younger brother, Gummo, is in a crypt across the hall from him. October 11 is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... Cardiovascular disease refers to the class of diseases that involve the heart and/or blood vessels (arteries and veins). ... Gates of Forest Lawn Forest Lawn Memorial Park is a cemetery in Glendale, Los Angeles County, California. ... Nickname: The Jewel City Location of Glendale within Los Angeles County and the State of California. ... Milton Marx (October 23, 1892 - April 21, 1977), known as Gummo, was one of the Marx Brothers. ...

External links

• Chico Marx at the Internet Movie Database
• Chico Marx at the TCM Movie Database
• Chico Marx at marx-brothers.org
• Chico Marx's Gravesite