Marx Brothers-Harpo's Son Interviewed

[rmariani1]

Happy 123rd Boithday Harpo!! 11/23/2011

[tommyrock69]

You can always tell the 80s by the beach scenery. Why was EVERYTHING about the beach then?!

[RockTheNight8]

Harpo is my favorite Marx Bros... he looked so sweet and nice and I just love his movies <3

[Juliaflo]

Incidentally, this fall will mark 50 years since Leonard (Chico to you) passed away.

[Ididnotwanttojoin]

It's odd, in the clip the coat looked dark but the one his son shows is khaki. It must just be some strange phenomenon with black & white movies, since I am sure his son knows of what he speaks.

[BigDickMcGirk]

@groovyjen Huh? Dumb ass. 

[BigDickMcGirk]

Gee, Mary Hart is sedate....why did she start bulging her eyes out and act like a raging cunt now.

[longmind]

@ShananagansOnYou ... Perhaps it was because he was born 50 years before the world had heard of Hitler

[ShananagansOnYou]

Why would they named Harpo Adolph Marx since he was a Jew

[HazukiOfMutsu]

@ShananagansOnYou I think Minnie Marx (their mother) came from Dornum, which is a district in Germany...so she was both German and Jewish. O.o Plus, Adolph used to be a common name in Germany before WWII.

[birdmanofbooze]

Chico you ignorant slut...not "Chicko"...MORON

[jeetkd]

@birdmanofbooze Well although his name was spelt Chico you did actually pronounce it 'Chicko' - have a look at the 'Unknown Marx Brothers Excerpt' video on youtube, they talk about how they got their names

[princesstamika]

@birdmanofbooze It's actually Chick-o. Because he chased chicks a typist dropped the "k" once and they kept the misspelling. Guess you're the ignorant slut.

[younghoss]

I didn't even see the knives at 2:20, I was looking at those legs!

[Dfrankjazz]

Hi fellow MB freaks! I invite you to enjoy my new master class on the music of Chico and Harpo. Free, hilarious, and very educational! Type in "Dave Frank" Marx on Youtube.

Dave Frank

Assoc. Prof, Piano Dept.

Berklee College of Music

[143AC]

With all due respect to Ms.Hart..That is not true..Harpo did speak on a radio talk show.Where he told a dirty story about losing a performing job due to a bout with

the measles.He was also interviewed for a movie newsreel.

[princesstamika]

@143AC That recording was played on BBC radio but it was done for his autobiography; recorded memoirs. After their movie careers got started, Harpo never spoke on stage. Before that he would do it periodically.

[143AC]

Dear MissGibDreamer,

 Actually? Harpo's mom's real first name was Minnie..but she

could have used Mimi as her nickname. Still it is a tribute to Harpo's Mom and to Mr.Bill Marx' mom to have a

daughter named after them.

[jra1985]

The Marx Bros were the best comedians ever. Period.

[huntedrasta]

harpo was pretty G

[NScole6407]

Which Marx film was that last clip from?

[exwhyyou]

@NScole6407 cocoanuts, i think

[dickiesan46]

Anyone know where his Lyon & Healy gold 23 harp that was in his movies is ?

[CocteauDalighari]

The "bloodhound" line is from a Marx Bro. movie; I forget which. It's Chico speaking about Harpo, who's supposed to shadow (follow) someone: of course, every day but Shadowday.

[princesstamika]

@CocteauDalighari "face like a bloodhound" etc., is from Duck Soup.

Either way, they were handsome. :P

[CocteauDalighari]

He's gotta nose like a bloodhound. & The resta his face don' look so good either.

[kyrastube]

@CocteauDalighari I think he was a very good-looking man. big nose? yes, but it fits beautifully in his face. its about proportions and shapes, not size

[WSenator1]

@CocteauDalighari - Maybe so, but he (and his brothers) remain a blessing to later generations. Handsome face? Maybe not. Talent to make people laugh and move them with his music? Priceless!

[missgibbdreamer]

@CocteauDalighari It depends on how you SEE a person. I see him as handsome and kind.

[XGL93]

I wish I had a sweet coat like that. That thing's got huge pockets; as I've seen from the Marx Brother movies, you can fit a whole lot of random stuff in there

[LiquidGardener]

Sure I was a spy, I was a mince pie....hey, atta's some joke, eh, boss?

[Boberto13ify]

Does anyone know if Bill Marx will get that Movie done?

[princesstamika]

Gah, I would love to see the interview with Harpo and Susan @ 2:25

[143AC]

Yes! Mr.Harpo Marx and his wife Sue did adopt their four

kids.The birth parents of their daughter Minnie died and Harpo

and Sue gave their daughter and their three sons Bill,Jim and Alec a happy and loving life.

[missgibbdreamer]

@143AC Just a tidbit, thier daughter Mimi was named Mimi Susan Marx, afther the two ladies Harpo loved, his mother Mimi and his beloved wife Susan. Harpo was a little older when he married Susan, his one and only wife and they stayed together untill Harpo died

[mexcurmudgeon]

Exapno Mapcase, Secret Agent! There's a chapter in his autobiography, Harpo Speaks! all about it. He was afraid to sleep most of the time he had secret documents strapped to his leg.

And he got to play straight man for Maxim Litvinov who stole Harpo's knife-dropping bit.

[bumblebeefightergirl]

But did you know, his son Bill was adopted! All four of his kids were.

[jsnbrodie]

001. Way before 007. Harpo was the first gentleman spy. Russia never had a chance.

[JEMCO2008]

Thank you

[Sistererica]

I can't imagine what's keeping that coffee pot.

[darksorcerermusic]

amazing.. never seen color footage of harpo.... thanks for the clip

[tidalriddle]

1:30 way down low

I love it.

[jordidecorazon]

los mejores musicos del mundo y mejores humoristas del mundo

[Tclay43]

RIP harpo marx, one of the funniest people ive ever seen

[143AC]

I saw that kinnie film clip of Harpo on The Spike Jones Tv Show. Harpo didn't ad lib a laugh.

[tweetielovesme]

I love the Marx brother's there very funny! Harpo was the greatest!

[143AC]

If Harpo tried to play golf in the nude on a golf

course today? They'd would put him in jail and he'd be a scandel

on a tv tabloid show.

[BreezybriProductions]

He was on a deserted golf course, and nobody new but Harpo's son was the only one who new he did that

[coyclown]

Gee, I'd hate to see that Americas Funniest Home Video!

[princesstamika]

OR Sascha Baron Cohen/Andy Kaufman/Abby Hoffman thingy.

[143AC]

This is not true..Harpo did really speak in a

rare radio interview and in a recently discovered

newsreel outside of The Criterion Theater in NYC.

[tkhering]

Ah, yes, he says, "Honk! Honk!" on the newsreel. But it is speech.

For what it's worth, Harpo also ad-libs a raucous laugh ("Haw Haw Haw!") on the Spike Jones Show, 1954.

[jursee33]

yeah, Alice has talked about those days. Look up Alice and Groucho and some good newspaper articles should pop up.

[sHaDoWoFsWoRdS]

my dad told me today that groucho used to live near alice cooper in his elder years and he would invite him over sometimes to watch movies while smoking cigars and drinking beer...lol...cute

[DrummingLove]

marx brothers=comedic genius

[PRR5406]

Harpo was a beautiful human being, and by all accounts, the man you saw on screen was the same man at home. He married later in life and was faithful to his beloved Susan and his children. He'd be well over 100 years old today, but it is only right to cry a little, since we didn't have him longer. The world is only better for love of Harpo.

[missgibbdreamer]

@PRR5406 Yes, he waited for the lady he would love for life. He was ready to settle down and be a husband and a dad Not to say there are not good serious reasons to divorce but he had his piorities in order wich helps. Unlike today all Harpo s childern seem to have such possative things to say about thier dad. REFRESHING

[04KUPO86]

Buy the book Harpo Speaks, you will learn a lot about him. <3 you Marx Brothers!

[54spiritedwill54]

What a lovely clip. Thanks for posting this. Great to see home movies of Harpo and hear his family reminisce.

[RubyMooncats]

I wish it didn't get cut off at the end...I was curious to know the story behind that. Never heard of him being a spy before! where's the rest of the story?

[despondentisthmus]

That was all they did on Harpo; they moved on to another story, that's all.

[Mimm42]

Its all in his auotbiography Harpo Speaks. And it's hilarious

[TomBarristerX]

Harpo wasn't a spy, per se. He claims, in his book "Harpo Speaks!" that he smuggled secret papers out of Russia.

[Mad4Hats97]

@RubyMooncats read Harpo Speaks! it's his autobiography and it explains it all (plus it's a fantastic book)

[shinzu4001]

@Mad4Hats97 Got it week ago. Will finish it in a mere 50 pages. Easily one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read. His description of leaving the costume party he crashed as Kaiser Wilhelm and having to sit in the middle of a drunken spousal fistfight in a limo in a full suit of armor had me laughing hard for a good while.

[bchfront]

My mother went to Beverly Hills High with Gummo's daughter Kay -- they used walk back to her parents' house after school. Mom said that Gummo -- who had turned agent -- had two-bars set -- one for the adults -- and an ice cream bar for the kids. Mom said she often saw the Bogarts' (this was Mayo Methot --Bogie's wife before Ms. Bacall) there in the afternoon, bombed out- of- their- minds! And Harpo and I share the same birthday -- we Sag's are great people!

[plaidxmyheart]

i have the same birthday as groucho :D

every year since i've known about the Marx brothers, i've demanded two cakes. one for me. and one for groucho's memory.

i seriously started crying when i found out none of them were still living...

[bluecheif88]

how did you not know they're were dead they're movies were in the 1930s thats when they were like 20-30 do the math. but you should have cigars as candles 4 groucho cake

[jsteeber]

I never get tired of that expression. Doing the math correctly, though, would have made Harpo 43 in 1931, at the point when he became a real film star. He realistically could have lived into the 1980's, though.

[marxfan8]

Wow, Bill's as a talented musician as his dad! Thanks for posting this!!

[AyrtonSennaGODsPilot]

imagine living with the marx brothers it would be so funny

good job!

[Gwenlj]

Marx Brothers RULE! better than the smut on TV.

[jamierourketen]

no blood ties,so not his son,just adoptid

[ElectraAlan]

Oh yeah? What are they going to call it, Harpo Sneaks?

[brendaPMB]

lol

[leopardstar23]

I wonder if he ever got the movie made. that would be cool!

[HugoGernsback]

to spikeylink

if you raise them

they ARE your children

does not matter where they come from

[kamesan]

damn it's crazy to see miriam all grown up

[spikeylink]

i was reading that harpo adopted his children they wheren,t really his

[MissHarpoMarx]

Ats-a da truth!

he adopted all 4 of them...i wonder why though...did susan have one of those conditions where she was barren?

That will probibly be one answer we shall never know.

[HCShannon]

Also he loved Shirley Temple so much he wanted to adopt her!

[princesstamika]

lol, he offered her parents $50,000.

[MissHarpoMarx]

You'r kidding right?

Oh my word!

Is she still alive?

[princesstamika]

If you read "The Marx Brothers Scrapbook" Groucho talks about it in one of the later chapters.

[brendaPMB]

I think I read somewhere that Harpo couldn`t have kids.. but don`t know lol

Err.. what do you mean by she was barren.. I don`t get that term...

[MissHarpoMarx]

Barren as in unable to have children...idk im only 16..lol

[princesstamika]

Like there's something wrong with the uterus.

[missgibbdreamer]

@MissHarpoMarx It shouldnt matter. They were wanted and loved wich is the only reason to have children ratter born from your body or born from your heart. My childern know they are adopted but I dare anyone to tell me they are not realy my kids. They are my heart and the reason I exsist

[medea39]

What a lovely clip. Thanks for posting this. Great to see home movies of Harpo and hear his family reminisce.

[miffy1950]

Harpo was my favourite brother too. Love his performances en especially when he played the harp. That was SO good!!!

[HarpoSpoke]

Good stuff. Harpo is my favorite brother...and favorite all-time comedian. There will never be another like him. I feel sorry for any actor who has to play him in a movie. ...It Can't be done.

[1marxfan]

I totally agree!

[davcar23]

Teller (from Penn & Teller)comes to mind, but I guess you are right.

[VonTreeburner]

I like that last blip of how Harpo was a spy. Stealing Russian Documents for the US governmet! Now that's funny! Just like Harry Hudini(spelling). I heard that he was a spy as well. They would be good ones too. Close and personal with major world-players.

[KARENCOGS]

I agree. They are not over rated at all.. I used to get kidded alot when I was young because I always watched their movies when I was a kid. I guess you just have to have a dry corny sense of humor to appreciate them. I still love them!

[flandersfails]

The Marx Bros. dry and corny? Not really.

[davidthechef1964]

he did an awfull lot of stuff dali who knows but dali was surposed to have writen a script for them which sadly never came to light.

[pabolo]

Does anyone notice that the woman who they claim to be Groucho's daughter says these exact words: "He was my favourite Uncle". !!!WTF? UNCLE? I thought that was his daughter!

[clucaspik]

She's TALKING about her uncle - Harpo.

[akickinthenuts]

She was GRAUCHS daughter....and her reference was about HARPO- her UNCLE

[rsrfm24]

The Marx brothers are and will always be MAGIC with Harpo,though quiet,the loudest and funniest!!!

[brendaPMB]

Harpo rocks!! he`s my favourite marx brother!!! :)

[ShockDoc]

In the early 90s i worked at Paramount on the scoring stage, where movie music was recorded. There was a woman harpist who worked many sessions, rather elderly, and she told me how years previous the phone rang, and the voice on the other end said he was Harpo Marx, and was interested in taking some lessons. She thought it was a gag, and didnt believe him for the first couple of minutes. She gave him lessons and also said he leaned the harp on the wrong shoulder.

[akickinthenuts]

ShockDoc TRUE!!! he also was SELF-TAUGHT.. on a harp that was soo out of tune a trained musician could NOT play it! Thanks for your input- little is know of these marvelous men- they were FUNNY!

[musicAMjm]

Which sort of harp was Harpo's harp? Does somebody know?

[lauralovesadam]

I read on the sotheby's website that it was a Lyon & Healy, Gold Style 23, apparently they auctioned it off for around 35,000 dollars.

[shootersteve]

Not sure what time of harp Harpo used, but in order it's Chico (Born Leonard Marx, March 22, 1887, died October 11, 1961), Harpo (Born Adolph Marx, November 23, 1888, died Septmber 28, 1964), Groucho (Born Julius Henry Marx, October 2, 1890, died August 19, 1977), Gummo (Born Milton Marx, October 23 1892, died April 21, 1977), and Zeppo (Born Herbert Marx, February 25, 1901, died November 30, 1979).

[marysdri]

"Harpo Speaks" is a great read. Birth date uncertain: 1888 (Chico-1887, Groucho-1890); or 1893 (Chico-1891, Groucho-1895). Best friend was Alexander Woollcott (a son named after him); Harpo was member of Algonquin Round Table. During 1933 Russian tour, U.S. Ambassador had him transport packet of letters back to U.S., strapped to his leg.  Jovial Foreign Minister Litvinov shook hands with him and cascades of knives fell out of Litvinov's sleeve -- Harpo as straight man!

[limeyosu]

Harpo was a genius! i sawin another documentary that as crazy as he was on screen, in real life he was the most sane of them all. He took care of I think Zeppo's kids alot as he was a raging alcoholic! it was one of the brothers who he stepped up and took care of the kids!

[marysdri]

There is no proof that Zeppo was a "raging alcoholic". This sort of statement is irresponsible. He appeared on TV late in life and looked just fine, although he was financially reamed out in his divorce from his last wife, the future Mrs. Sinatra. He was also squelched by Groucho in the Act (as can be seen in "Cocoanuts"), and he left to become a successful theatrical agent. Enough dumping on Zeppo!

[madmomentsgo]

a legend

[skeester63]

HARPO didn't talk becaue during the vaudville days, he forgot his lines, and pee'd his pants. The brothers then worked the script so he wouldn't have to talk and remember the lines

[Jourell1]

That's not the story I heard. According to an interview with his son bill, their mother who was acting as their agent at that time promised theatre owners a new show at the last minute to get them signed. Their uncle Al Shean wrote the script and in his haste forgot to write in lines for Harpo who decided to ad lib. Unfortunately this earned him such a bad review that he never spoke another word on stage

[Guitarman5150]

I heard another story that Groucho told some reporter. I dunno how true it is. He said they were playing a show on stage somewhere and they were so bad they threw them out. Harpo said, "I hope your damn theater burns to the ground!" they looked in the paper the next morning and it had. So he never spoke agian. Take that it came from Groucho who knows if it is the truth or not.

[gothiclolita15]

actually, that was Gummo, he hated being on stage because of stage fright. But their mother Minnie go him into it.

[ZorakRules]

Harpo rocks!

[TokyoStreetReport]

That might be one of Harpo's coats, but probably not the same on in Animal Crackers, which was much darker.  Looks like the coat from Duck soup.

[MattHawes]

Some colors photograph darker on camera. For instance, in "The Cocoanuts," Harpo is wearing a red wig, but it photographs much darker. Because of the differences in black & white film, George Reeves actually wore a brown and gray Superman outfit on the classic "The Adventures of Superman" TV series during it's B&W episodes. -- Matt

[urbanspacemen]

Be aware that there was also a long running stage version of Animal Crackers. The coat shown in the video could well have been made for that production. The extended sleeve would not be noticed as much by a stage audience. In the movie they did not need a special coat as they could just shoot the scene of the silverware dropping anytime. In the play version Harpo had to walk around with coat full of silverware for the whole last scene before he is called upon to release it on cue.

[TitanicTarn]

Harpo never spoke because he was mute

[penguinworm]

So his son and countless other people lied? I heard he stopped talking in his performances because a critic said it got in the way of his pantomining.

[hannahspaw]

that's what I read also. And the critic made such a stink about him talking Harpo never talked on stage or film after hearing that.

[cyborlite]

On what evidence do make this assertion?

[geisler78]

his birth name was Adolf. But during WW1, he changed his name (not legally) to Arthur.

[LiquidGardener]

Sure, I was a spy, a mince pie. Atsa, good, eh, boss?

[skunkypilot]

Too bad the Russians never caught Harpo. The interigation would've been hilarious.

[tkhering]

"Ve half vays of making you TALK!"

[ItalianMan45]

Harpo SPEAKS!!! tell me where please even though we will never know what his voice sounds like.

[Jourell1]

we can actually though only briefly. There is an 18 second clip here where we hear Harpo speak breifly. youtube dot com/watch?v=hi4A4qH07ysBy some accounts his voice was like Groucho's but softer. His autobiography was also called Harpo Speaks

[boyders16]

@ItalianMan45 Type "Harpo Speaks" into Youtube and it's the one where he's wearing the hat, lasts for 18 seconds. He speaks at the start then gives a honk honk to the microphone at the end :-)

[rockzsteady]

& one duck egg

[Korea4Me]

Read the book, Harpo Speaks. It's all there!

[ShovelDuct]

I heard about him being a spy. He's perfect. Who would suspect Harpo?

[fauxtweeterboa]

his name's Bill, dude.

[Freakoboywonder]

sweeet! a spy! Harpo was my favorite!

[takineko]

A SPY???