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Groucho Marx Biography (1890-1977)

Original name, Julius Henry Marx; born October 2, 1890 (some sources say 1895), in New York, NY; died of pneumonia, August 19, 1977, in Los Angeles, CA; son of Simon (an actor, tailor, and cook; also known as Sam and Frenchie) andMiene (a manager and director; maiden name, Schoenberg; also known as MinniePalmer) Marx; brother of Chico, Harpo, Gummo, and Zeppo Marx (all actors andcomedians); married Ruth Johnson, 1920 (divorced, 1942); married Kay Marvis Gorcy, 1945 (divorced, 1951); married Eden Hartford, July 17, 1954 (divorced,December, 1969); children: (first marriage) Arthur, Melinda; (second marriage) Miriam.

Nationality

American

Gender

Male

Birth Details

October 2, 1890

New York City, New York, United States

Death Details

August 19, 1977

Los Angeles, California, United States

Famous Works

• Credits; Film Appearances
• Villain, Humorisk, 1920.
• Hammer, The Cocoanuts, Paramount, 1929.
• Captain Jeffrey Spaulding, Animal Crackers, Paramount, 1930.
• The House That Shadows Built, Paramount, 1931.
• Groucho, Monkey Business, Paramount, 1931.
• Hollywood on Parade No. 5, Paramount, 1932.
• Professor Wagstaff, Horse Feathers, Paramount, 1932.
• Rufus T. Firefly, Duck Soup, Paramount, 1933.
• Otis B. Driftwood, A Night at the Opera, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1935.
• Sunbather, Yours for the Asking, Paramount, 1936.
• Dr. Hugo Z. Hackenbush, A Day at the Races, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1937.
• Gordon Miller, Room Service, RKO, 1938.
• Attorney J. Cheever Loophole, At the Circus (also known as The Marx Brothers at the Circus), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1939.
• S. Quentin Quale, Go West (also known as Marx Brothers Go West), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1940.
• Wolf J. Flywheel, The Big Store, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1941.
• Instatanes, 1943.
• Screen Snapshots No. 2 (short film), 1943.
• Screen Snapshots No. 8 (short film), 1943.
• Ronald Kornblow, A Night in Casablanca, United Artists, 1946.
• Lionel Devereaux, Copacabana, United Artists, 1947.
• Himself, Love Happy, United Artists, 1949.
• Himself, Mr. Music, Paramount, 1950.
• Emil J. Keck, Double Dynamite (also known as It's Only Money),RKO Radio Pictures, 1951.
• Benny Linn, A Girl in Every Port, RKO Radio Pictures, 1952.
• Peter Minuit, The Story of Mankind, Cambridge/Warner Bros., 1957.
• George Schmidlap, Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (also known as Oh! Fora Man!), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1957.
• Showdown at Ulcer Gulch (short film), 1958.
• Big Parade of Comedy (documentary), 1964.
• "God," Skidoo, Paramount, 1968.
• Credits; Television Appearances; Series
• You Bet Your Life, NBC, 1950-61.
• Tell It to Groucho, CBS, 1962.
• Credits; Television Appearances; Episodic
• "The Incredible Jewel Robbery," General Electric Theater (also known as G. E. Theater), CBS, 1959.
• "The Mikado," The Bell Telephone Hour, NBC, 1960.
• "The Holdout," General Electric Theater (also known as G. E.
• Theater), CBS, 1962.
• "Time for Elizabeth," Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theater, NBC, 1964.
• "Murder at NBC," Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theater, NBC, 1966.
• "The Greatest Invention in the World," I Dream of Jeannie, NBC, 1967.
• Julia, NBC, 1968.
• Also appeared in The Dick Cavett Show, ABC and CBS.
• Credits; Television Appearances; Specials
• Joys, NBC, 1976.
• Credits; Stage Appearances
• Fun in Hi Skool (also known as Fun in Hi Skule), New York City, 1912.
• Home Again, 1914, later Palace Theatre, New York City, 1917.
• 'N Everything, New York City, 1919.
• The Cinderella Girl, New York City, 1919.
• I'll Say She Is, New York City, 1919.
• The Cocoanuts, New York City, 1925.
• The Man Who Came to Dinner, New York City, 1940.
• Also appeared in Mr. Green's Reception, On the Mezzanine Floor, Animal Crackers, A Night at the Opera, A Day at the Races, At the Circus, and The MarxBrothers Go West.
• Credits; Stage Work
• Consultant, Minnie's Boys, Imperial Theatre, New York City, 1970.
• Credits; Major Tours
• An Evening with Groucho (solo show), 1972.
• Credits; Radio Appearances
• The Pabst Blue Ribbon Show, 1943-44.
• Host, You Bet Your Life, 1947-50.
• Also appeared in Flywheel, Shyster, and Flywheel, The Marx Brothers Show,and That Was the Week That Was.
• Writings;Screenplays
• (With Norman Krasna) The King and the Chorus Girl (also known as RomanceIs Sacred; based on the story "Grand Passion" by Groucho Marx and Norman Krasna), Warner Bros., 1937.
• Writings;Stage Plays
• (With Norman Krasna) Time for Elizabeth, Broadway production, New York City, 1948.
• Writings;Memoirs
• Groucho and Me, Random House (New York City), 1959.
• Memoirs of a Mangy Lover, Bernard Geis Associates (New York City), 1964.
• The Groucho Letters: Letters from and to Groucho Marx, Simon & Schuster, 1967.
• (With Richard J. Anobile) The Marx Bros. Scrapbook, Darien House (New York City), 1973.
• The Groucho File: An Illustrated Life, Bobbs-Merrill (New York City), 1976.
• (With Hector Arce) The Secret Word Is Groucho, Putnam (New York City), 1976.
• Writings;Humor
• Many Happy Returns: An Unofficial Guide to Your Income-Tax Problems, Simon & Schuster (New York City), 1942.
• Writings;Other Writings
• Beds, 1930.

Further Reference

Books:

• International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 3: Actors and Actresses, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1992.