Marx Brothers Part II: Harpo

 

 

And now, it's Harpo's turn to speak. *honk! honk!* 

 

Adolph Marx was born on November 23, 1888, in Manhattan, New York City, making him the second eldest brother. As a child, his nickname was "Ahdie." Pretty adorable, huh? Harpo did not like his real name because it sounded 'too German' so he had it changed to Arthur in 1911. It's also likely he did this to avoid anti-German sentiment during World War I. He earned his stage name because he could play the harp -- commonly acknowledged fact. 

Growing up in the rough streets of New York City, rebels and hoodlums surrounded the area. Take the delinquents from the Cagney film, The Mayor of Hell for example, but worse. Those are the kind of kids the Marx brothers grew up around. In his autobiography, he reveals a lot of stories about growing up in Manhattan. Though they were Jewish, religion was more of a cultural thing in the Marx family. Despite his upbringing, Harpo stood out from the crowd. In his own words, he wrote: "I was not a gang boy. I was a lone wolf. This made me, in turn, more conspicuous to the gangs. Gang boys couldn't tolerate loners. They called me "queer" and worse. Today, I guess, a kid like me would get all kinds of special attention from the authorities. They'd call me an "antisocial nonconformist" -- and worse. [...] I took to spending a lot of time in Central Park, four blocks to the West, the park being a friendly foreign country. It was a safe territory for lone wolves, no matter what Streeters we were."  

  

As far as education, he was the brother who received the least bit of it. He quit school at the age of eight because he wasn't exactly benefitting from it. School made him feel uncomfortable and depressed because he was bullied for being the only Jewish kid in the classroom. Being one of the many show business kids who didn't receive a proper formal education, it didn't necessarily leave him plain stupid. He was, however, an avid reader.   

Harpo strumming his harp during a rehearsal for Animal Crackers 
(I believe), 1926.

 

"I started off as a street musician playing the harp. I was always fascinated by it and it became my passion." He was actually never taught how to play the harp professionally. His grandparents had an old one that came from Germany and he basically taught himself how to play. Over the years his knowledge progressed and he learned how to read music. Then by the time he was successful, I think he paid for some lessons.

 

In 1908, he added a fourth nightingale to The Three Nightingales -- a singing group with Groucho, Gummo, and Lou Levy. Harpo's character was the pantomime. He was always silent and remained that way. Why? Sources will vary. What I believe is when he was pushed onstage for the first time, he got stagefreight and knew none of his lines so he became the silent brother. It suited him. If you've ever wondered what his voice sounded like, I think there are two recordings on YouTube. He had a thick New York accent and pronounced his name as "Happo" -- fun fact.

 

I've pretty much highlighted the Marx brothers' career in my Chico entry, as far as their 14 films. Harpo's solo films consist of Too Many Kisses (1925), Stage Door Canteen (1943), and a few cameo appearances in Hollywood shorts. He also appeared in The Story of Mankind (1957) with Chico and Groucho. Harpo made quite a few television appearances in the 1950s and 60s, including an episode of I Love Lucy. 

 

In 1934, he went on a six-week tour performing in Moscow, upon receiving diplomatic recognition from a US goodwill ambassador. What's interesting is he also worked as a secret courier, smuggling papers out of Russia. Who would've known that Harpo, a spunky-haired comedian, was also a spy?   

 

Harpo, his wife Susan, and their four children. 
Photograph taken sometime during the early 1960s.

 

In 1936, the 48-year-old bachelor finally settled down and married his sweetheart of four years -- the lovely, talented, and former actress and Ziegfeld girl, Susan Fleming. The marriage was a very happy one and they adopted four kids -- Bill (b.1937), Alex (b.1943), Jimmy (b. ?), and Minnie (b. ?), who was named after his mother. When George Burns asked him how many kids he wanted to have, he said he wanted one in every window so when he left for work, there would be one waving goodbye in each window. That's probably my favorite quote from him. He was a lone wolf for many years and a ladies' man, but he made the best decision ever by marrying Susan. He was just afraid of marriage and needed the time to think it through, that's all. Gummo even advised him, "Harpo, she's a lovely person. She deserves a good husband. Marry her before she finds one." When he married Susan, she recalled years later that he said to her, "I am yours now forever whether you like it or not." I may or may not have teared up a little bit when I heard that... 

On September 28, 1964, he passed away on his 28th wedding anniversary after having open-heart surgery at the age of 75. His remains were cremated. A portion of them were scattered into the seventh-hole bunker at the Tamarisk golf course. The rest were entered into a crypt next to his brother, Chico, at the Hollywood Forever Cemetary. According to Groucho's son Arthur Marx, the only time he saw his father cry was at Harpo's funeral. 

Harpo lived his life to the fullest. It was a happy ride. He should be remembered as the kind, gentle, and quiet Marx brother -- whose personality was full of love and laughter beyond compare. Happy birthday, Harps!  

"The secret to a happy life is not taking yourself too seriously. Laugh at your mistakes and embrace your quirks."