Melinda Marx (Groucho's daughter) - East Side of Town

"The Hollywood Palace"
Intro from Groucho.
10 April 1965 (Season 2, Episode 28)
Venue: El Capitan Theater (owned by ABC at the time and renamed the "ABC Hollywood Palace")
Hollywood, California, U.S.A.

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Category:

Music

Tags:

• you
• bet
• your
• life
• brothers
• harpo
• duck
• soup
• chico

[Lampshade51]

Melinda--much later--said that she really didn't want a career in show biz, that Groucho kind of pushed her along.

She was always cute as a little kid on the quiz show in the 50s, and she is trying hard here as a teen in the 60s....but she didn't really have all that much talent.

The 60s production of the record and the dance moves of the era are nostalgic in a charming way, though.

Definitely a knock-off of "Downtown"!

[dumont1957]

Corny choreography, but I enjoyed the vocals. I wonder why some people feel compelled to castigate all of Groucho's kids? All that bitching and moaning....

[johnnyaa]

Whoever choreographed this should shot. Song is mediocre. Vocal is OK but you can only do so much without good material.

[ElmozGhost]

Ok for what it is. What bugs me about it is now knowing how much she hated doing it.

[sugarjoe50]

Not a bad song by any means. The choreographed dancing is still popular today (Britney, Gaga, Beyonce, etc.). From all reports Belinda wanted nothing to do with showbiz.

[GoldenSilents]

Thank God his daughter Miriam was spared all this.

Melinda probably just did it to feel closer to her father and impress him. Rather sad, actually.

[TroyOi]

I'm not gonna rag on Melinda, she may well have had talent. The problem is, if she did have talent, this number sure didn't give her a chance to display it. The whole thing seems very derivative of Petula Clark's Downtown, but without any "oomph". The choreography, lyrics, everything, just seem like they were phoned in.

Yes, I know, this was the style of the times - I was there. It was the style, but it completely lacked the electricity.

[takineko]

@Lampshade51 From how Groucho tells it, he didn't realize she didn't like performing until she told him later on.

[takineko]

@Lampshade51 Makes sense, his mom kind of pushed all her sons into it. Maybe he felt that was something you have to push kids with. 

[bashbrannigan]

Why is this video attracting so many idiot comments? Lester2955 is about the only person who seems to know anything real. For the era, this was quite normal. It was middle-class interpretation of rock. And Groucho's kids had the same problems of many. You can always tell the idiots as the ones why type with the caps lock on!

[LouisLambert]

Hare Hare Yukai @ Marx

[Lester2955]

Thank you for posting this. The song was very normal for the time. This was about the same time as the Beatles produced Rubber Soul. If you watch Shindig of the same era, the dancing by girl groups was about the same. Leslie Gore was a better singer, but was also very stiff in her dancing (hey they all can't be Ann Margaret).

Lots of fun to watch. Thanks again for posting.