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. 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 - one of his most commonly used props in films was a walking stick with a built-in bulb horn. Image File history File linksMetadata Harpomarx1. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... is the 327th day of the year (328th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... This article is about the state. ... This article is about the state. ... is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also Nintendo emulator: 1964 (emulator). ... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... For the documentary about Jerry Seinfeld, see Comedian (film). ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... For mime as an art form, see mime artist. ... Susan Fleming (February 19, 1908–December 22, 2002) was a Hollywood ingenue known as the Girl with the Million Dollar Legs for a role she played in the W.C. Fields film Million Dollar Legs (1932). ... Harpo Marx as rendered by Dalí 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. ... is the 327th day of the year (328th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also Nintendo emulator: 1964 (emulator). ... This article is about the comedian siblings. ... This article is about the musical variety theatre. ... For other uses of Broadway, see Broadway. ... An entertainer is someone who is hired to entertain people. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... For other uses, see Harp (disambiguation). ... A metal whistle Human whistling is the production of sound by means of a constant stream of air from the mouth. ...

Early life and career

In January 1910, Harpo joined two of his brothers, Julius (later "Groucho") and Milton, to form "The Three Nightingales". 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." Groucho redirects here. ... Milton Marx (October 23, 1892 - April 21, 1977), known as Gummo, was one of the Marx Brothers. ... For other uses, see Pantomime (disambiguation). ...

Harpo got his stage name during a card game at the Orpheum Theatre in Galesburg, Illinois. The dealer (Art Fisher) called him "Harpo" because he played the harp. 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^{[citation needed]} (In Harpo's autobiography, he says that mother Minnie Marx sent him the harp.) 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. Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, in the United States. ... For other uses, see Harp (disambiguation). ... Al Shean (May 12, 1868 in Germany - August 12, 1949) was the stage name for comedian Albert Schönberg. ... Minnie Schönberg Marx (1865-1929) was the mother and manager for the Marx Brothers and the sister of Al Shean. ...

In his autobiography Harpo Speaks (1961), Harpo recounts how Chico got him jobs playing piano to accompany silent movies. 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. Pianoforte redirects here. ... A silent film is a film which has no accompanying soundtrack. ... A Night at the Opera is a 1935 comedy film starring the Marx Brothers. ...

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.^[1] Urban Legend is also the name of a 1998 movie. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Hitler redirects here. ...

In film

Harpo in
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). 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. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A Night at the Opera is a 1935 comedy film starring the Marx Brothers. ... Cover of sheet music for When My dreams Come True The Cocoanuts (1929) is the first released Marx Brothers film. ...

In the Marx Brothers' movie At the Circus (1939), however, Harpo spoke in a movie with the brothers for the one and only time. 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. At the Circus is a 1939 Marx Brothers comedy film in which they save a circus from bankruptcy. ... Jerry Maren (January 24, 1920 - ) is an actor, a short one. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... Barbershop harmony is a style of unaccompanied vocal music characterized by consonant four-part chords for every melody note in a predominantly homophonic texture. ...

Harpo gained notoriety for prop-laden sight gags. In Horse Feathers (1932), Groucho tells him that Harpo cannot "burn the candle at both ends". 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.") A visual gag is a joke that relies on a physical object or action. ... Horse Feathers (1932) was the fourth Marx Brothers film. ...

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". In The Cocoanuts, this exchange occurred: For the food, see Animal crackers. ...

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". 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". A partnership is a type of business entity in which partners (owners) share with each other the profits or losses of the business undertaking in which all have invested. ...

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]. His tour was a huge success. For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ...

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. Harpo was part of a team of polo-playing movie stars which included Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy. His mount was an ostrich. For the book of comics by Daniel Clowes, see Caricature (Daniel Clowes collection). ... Disney redirects here. ... Mickeys Polo Team is a short animated film, directed by David Hand and first released on January 4, 1936. ... For other uses, see Polo (disambiguation). ... A movie star is a celebrity who is well known for his or her starring, or leading, roles in motion pictures. ... Charles Chaplin redirects here. ... Laurel and Hardy, in a promotional still from their 1937 feature film Way Out West. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Distribution of Ostriches. ...

Harpo was also caricatured in "Sock-A-Bye Baby" (1934), an early episode of the Popeye cartoon series created by Fleischer Studios. 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.) For other uses, see Popeye (disambiguation). ... Fleischer Studios, Inc. ...

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).^[3] Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an iconic American comedienne, film, television, stage and radio actress, glamour girl and star of the landmark sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show and Heres Lucy. ... I Love Lucy is a popular American situation comedy, starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance and William Frawley. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

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). Sony BMG Music Entertainment is the result of a 50/50 joint venture between Sony Music Entertainment (part of Sony) and BMG Entertainment (part of Bertelsmann AG) completed in August 2004. ... Mercury Records is a record label currently headquartered in the UK, and is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. ...

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. The Today Show, officially known as Today, is an American morning news and talk show airing weekday mornings on NBC. Debuting on January 14, 1952, it was the first of its genre, spawning similar morning news and entertainment television programs across the United States and around the world. ... Play Your Hunch was an American game show first hosted by Merv Griffin (who would occasionally sing during the show, and play a song from his piano) from 1958 to 1962, and was then hosted by Robert Q. Lewis until 1963. ... Candid Camera is a long-running television series, created and produced by Allen Funt, which initially began on radio as Candid Microphone June 28, 1947. ... Ive Got a Secret (abbreviated as IGAS) was a weekly panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television and was created by Allan Sherman as essentially a knockoff of Whats My Line?. The original version of the show premiered in June 19, 1952... Art Linkletters House Party or House Party was an American daytime TV variety/talk show which aired on CBS Radio from January 15, 1945 to October 13, 1967, CBS-TV from September 1, 1952 to September 5, 1969, and on NBC-TV from December 29, 1969 to September 25... 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, 1971, and was hosted by former entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. ...

In 1962 he guest-starred with Carol Burnett in an installment of the DuPont Show of the Week entitled "The Wonderful World of Toys". The show was filmed in Central Park and featured Marx playing "Autumn Leaves" on the harp. A visit to the set inspired poet Robert Lowell to compose a poem about Marx. 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.^[4] Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933 in San Antonio, Texas) is an Emmy Award-winning actress, comedian, singer, dancer, and writer. ... Central Park is a large public, urban park (843 acres, 3. ... Autumn Leaves is a much-recorded popular song. ... Robert Lowell (March 1, 1917–September 12, 1977), born Robert Traill Spence Lowell, IV, was a highly regarded mid-twentieth-century American poet. ... Richard Bernard Red Skelton (July 18, 1913 – September 17, 1997) was an American comedian whose greatest impact — in a career which began as a teen circus clown and graduated to vaudeville, Broadway, MGM films, and radio — began when he reached television stardom with The Red Skelton Show (NBC, 1951–1952... This article is about the broadcast network. ... Mr. ... For other persons named Frank Capra, see Frank Capra (disambiguation). ... Fess Parker (born August 16, 1924) is an American film and television actor. ...

Personal life

He married actress Susan Fleming on September 28, 1936. Unlike his brothers, who were unlucky with love (Groucho was divorced three times, Chico once, and Zeppo twice), Harpo's marriage to Susan was lifelong. The couple adopted four children: Bill, Alex, Jimmy and Minnie. When asked by George Burns how many children he planned to adopt, he answered "I’d like to adopt as many children as I have windows. So when I leave, I want a kid in every window, waving goodbye."^[5] Susan Fleming (February 19, 1908–December 22, 2002) was a Hollywood ingenue known as the Girl with the Million Dollar Legs for a role she played in the W.C. Fields film Million Dollar Legs (1932). ... is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... George Burns[1], born Nathan Birnbaum (January 20, 1896 – March 9, 1996), was an American comedian and actor. ...

Harpo Marx as rendered by Dalí

Harpo was good friends with theater critic Alexander Woollcott and because of this became a regular member of the Algonquin Round Table. 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. Image File history File links A sketch of Harpo Marx by Salvador Dali. ... Image File history File links A sketch of Harpo Marx by Salvador Dali. ... Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, 1st Marquis of Púbol (May 11, 1904 – January 23, 1989), was a Spanish surrealist painter of Catalan descent born in Figueres, Catalonia (Spain). ... Alexander Woollcott, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1939 Alexander Humphreys Woollcott (January 19, 1887 – January 23, 1943) was a critic and commentator for The New Yorker magazine, and a member of the Algonquin Round Table. ... The Algonquin Round Table was a group of New York City writers, critics, actors and wits that met from 1919 until about 1929, though its legacy endured long afterward. ... George Simon Kaufman (November 16, 1889 - June 2, 1961) was an American playwright, director, producer, humorist, and drama critic noted for his many collaborations with other writers and his contributions to 20th century American comedy. ... Moss Hart (October 24, 1904 – December 20, 1961) was an American playwright and director of plays and musical theater. ... The Man Who Came to Dinner, comedy in three acts written by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart that debuted on October 16, 1939 at the Music Box Theatre in New York City. ...

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. 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!". Allan Sherman (sometimes incorrectly Alan and Allen), November 30, 1924 – November 20, 1973, was an American musician, parodist, satirist, and television producer. ...

Death

Harpo Marx died on September 28, 1964 at the age of 75 after undergoing open heart surgery.^[6] Groucho's son Arthur Marx has said that Harpo's funeral was the only time he ever saw his father cry. is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also Nintendo emulator: 1964 (emulator). ... Harpo Marx as rendered by Dalí 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. ...

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.^[7]

Notes

Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 221st day of the year (222nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the in-memory database management system, see In-memory database. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also Nintendo emulator: 1964 (emulator). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Glenn Mitchell (September 28, 1950–November 20, 2005) was a Dallas, Texas radio personality on NPR-member public radio station KERA 90. ... This article is about the capital of England and 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