Harpo

Click on bat to go back to Harpo section

In 1888 Adolph was born. This child was the closest in appearance and in character to Chico, and they were often mistaken either for twins or for each other. He went to school, where he stayed until he was in second grade, 8 years old. The reason was that two Irish kids bullied him, by throwing him out of the window when the teacher was out. He was a target for this, as he said himself, because he was small for his age, with a painfully squeaky voice, as well as being Jewish. So he resigned himself to staying at home during the day.

One of his early occupations was to look through the window of the local cigar store. The man rolling the cigars was unable to complete this task without making a hideous looking face. So the boy would stand there for 20 minutes at a time perfecting this look until he decided he had it perfect. He would then pound on the window make one of these faces and annoy the cigar maker. The look he dubbed the Gookie, because this was the cigar maker's name. This was the first development of the character the public would know as Harpo. Harpo was an incredibly peaceful and good-natured person. He always preferred to play games than work, and was a very gentle man. He says himself in his book, that he never ever had a bad nights sleep! While a child Harpo taught himself how to play the piano, a task that was supposed to be done by Chico, and like Chico he got jobs working in clubhouses. It was during a job playing piano for a local cinema, that Minnie came down the aisle and took him home with her. She had decided that he, along with Groucho and Gummo were going to go on stage as a singing act. Harpo didn't like this idea, and as he said himself his must have been the most wretched debut in show business. He was absolutely terrified and as he says in his autobiography 'my reaction was instantaneous and overwhelming. I wet my pants.' He however eventually became the brother that many people choose as their favorite, and developed his stage character - the loveable mute.

Harpo, around 1910 or so, changed his name from Adolph to Arthur. When Harpo got his first harp, he had no idea of how to play it. He taught himself and very soon this became the most important part of Harpo's act to him, and one of the reasons that the public loved him so much. Harpo became close friends with Alexander Woolcott and was introduced to the Algonquin Round Table, a club of intellectuals. Harpo, the most uneducated Marx was brought into this world by Woolcott, who saw Harpo as a kind of court jester. He was always horsing around and playing pranks on people. Woolcott arranged in 1933, that Harpo should be the first American artist to entertain in Russia after the removal of the iron curtain. He was a major success there.

Harpo had a remarkable sense of fun. He loved to play games and was always looking for fun. Although Harpo loved practical jokes, they never seem to be done to hurt anyone. He describes in his book, about one night when he was going home from the Algonquin hotel. He was sharing a taxicab with Woolcott and another guy, with whom he was having some sort of a literary argument. Harpo couldn't get a word in, and decided there was no use talking. His was the first stop, and when he got out of the cab Woolcott said something like, 'tell the driver where to drop us, like a good boy.' Harpo said 'I did not like his condescending attitude, so I said to the driver' the other two parties want to go to Werber's theatre, Brooklyn.' Some hours later Harpo was woken by a call from Alexander Woolcott. He said one sentence 'You Jew son of a bitch.' Apparently they had got half way across the Brooklyn bridge, before they realised what sort of a ride they had been taken for. He also describes, after he had moved to California, travelling all the way to New York for the sole purpose of jumping out from some bushes at Woolcott, naked.

This sort of person is priceless. Harpo was an untroubled spirit, blessed with a peacefulness and tranquillity born of a total lack of drive and ambition. Harpo was happy to just exist, drifting happily through life and won over the affections on numerous people along the way. It has been remarked on the way that children and animals would go to him whenever he entered a room. Harpo always saw the best in people, and people would see the best in Harpo, mostly because there was little but the best in him. Harpo displayed a capacity for uncomplicated fun, and when he married in 1936 and adopted four children, he became the perfect family man. He was a very devoted husband and father. He also loved animals. If there were reports on the radio about unwanted pets, he would generally answer them and bring the animals home. His home was always filled with animals. Everyone loved Harpo, and often people would go to him if they had a problem. His was the most successful marriage of the Marx family, and remained married until he died.

He made numerous TV appearances during the 50's and early 60's, especially when he was promoting his autobiography, Harpo Speaks! He was a firm favorite with audiences everywhere. He also did a lot of troop entertainment during the war, and selling war bonds, doing his part to help. Harpo eventually had a ranch built in Palm Springs. Here he lived out the rest of his life. He lived for almost another four years before undergoing heart bypass surgery. This was a new operation at this time, and Harpo did not survive it.  He died in hospital in LA just two months before his 76th birthday.

Everyone seems to have a special place in their heart for Harpo. He was a remarkable man. What do I like most about him? Everything!!