Harpo Marx 130 Remembered
Nov 23, 2018 9:33:22 GMT
jervistetch, Captain Spencer, and 3 more like this
Post by teleadm on Nov 23, 2018 9:33:22 GMT
130 years ago Adolph Marx was born, better known as Harpo, who together with his brothers, became one the most beloved, recognized and caricatured characters in movie history, reaching far beyond his movies. Though he could talk, in movies and on stage he was mute, using horns, whistling, flutes and an occasional harp to express himself, together with a pontomime-like characterisation.
Harpo received little formal education and left grade school at age eight (mainly due to bullying) during his second attempt to pass the second grade. He began to work, gaining employment in numerous odd jobs alongside his brother Chico to contribute to the family income, including selling newspapers, working in a butcher shop, and as an errand office boy.
In January 1910, Harpo joined two of his brothers, Julius (later "Groucho") and Milton (later "Gummo"), to form "The Three Nightingales", later changed to simply "The Marx Brothers".
Multiple stories, most unsubstantiated, exist to explain Harpo's evolution as the "silent" character in the brothers' act. In his memoir, Groucho wrote that Harpo simply wasn't very good at memorizing dialogue, and thus was ideal for the role of the "dunce who couldn't speak", a common character in vaudeville acts of the time.
Harpo gained his stage name during a card game at the Orpheum Theatre in Galesburg, Illinois. The dealer (Art Fisher) called him "Harpo" because he played the harp, or at least that's one story of how he got his name.
Well enough about that and now over to the movies and later television and other stuff:
Humor Risk 1921, was Harpo's movie debut with his brothers, according to Groucho, it was only screened once and then lost. Apparently movie stills have survived.
Too Many Kisses 1925, with Richard Dix, was a solo performance without his brothers, and the movie were Harpo speaks, too bad it was done in the silent era, so his speaking came via title cards. Some have said that it is possible to hear Harpo whispering when he was a guest star on a Spike Jones TV show in the 1950s.
The Cocoanuts 1929, sound debut with his brothers.
Animal Crackers 1930
The House That Shadows Built 1931, was a promotional short (47 minutes), made for exhibitors and never had a regular theatrical release. The Marx Brothers segment is around 6 minutes.
Monkey Business 1931
Horse Feathers 1932
Duck Soup 1933, a financial flop at the time, that over the years have become known has one of the funniest movies ever made (In fairnes many movies have been called that).
A Night at the Opera 1935. It was the first of five films the Marx Brothers made for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer after their departure from Paramount Pictures, and the first after Zeppo left the act.
A Day at the Races 1937
The Harpo character appeared in many animated shorts, like this one, Mickey's Polo Team 1936
Room Service 1938, made at RKO.
At the Circus 1939
Go West 1940
_03.jpg)
The Big Store 1941
Stage Door Canteen 1943, one of the many stars that popped up in this movie.
A Night in Casablanca 1946
Love Happy 1950
The last Marx Brothers movie? I let the experts decide what movie that should be concidered their last.
Guest star on I Love Lucy 1955
The Story of Mankind 1957, as Sir Isaac Newton
The Incredible Jewel Robbery 1959, an episode on General Electric Theater.
A Silent Panic 1960, an episode on The DuPont Show with June Allyson anthology series
First editions were published in 1961
:format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/R-10488177-1535215438-5354.jpeg.jpg)
Harpo recorded three albums, Harp by Harpo 1952, Harpo in Hi-Fi 1957 and Harpo at Work 1958.
The DuPont Show of the Week 1961, with Carol Burnett, in a segment made in Central Park, New York.
Harpo's final public appearance came on January 19, 1963 with singer/comedian Allan Sherman. Sherman burst into tears when Harpo announced his retirement from the entertainment business. Comedian Steve Allen, who was in the audience, remembered that Harpo spoke for several minutes about his career, and how he would miss it all, and repeatedly interrupted Sherman when he tried to speak. The audience found it charmingly ironic, Allen said, that Harpo, who had never before spoken on stage or screen, "wouldn't shut up!".
Thanks for watching, hope you enjoyed and tickled your interest!
Thoughts and opinions are as always welcome!
Harpo received little formal education and left grade school at age eight (mainly due to bullying) during his second attempt to pass the second grade. He began to work, gaining employment in numerous odd jobs alongside his brother Chico to contribute to the family income, including selling newspapers, working in a butcher shop, and as an errand office boy.
In January 1910, Harpo joined two of his brothers, Julius (later "Groucho") and Milton (later "Gummo"), to form "The Three Nightingales", later changed to simply "The Marx Brothers".
Multiple stories, most unsubstantiated, exist to explain Harpo's evolution as the "silent" character in the brothers' act. In his memoir, Groucho wrote that Harpo simply wasn't very good at memorizing dialogue, and thus was ideal for the role of the "dunce who couldn't speak", a common character in vaudeville acts of the time.
Harpo gained his stage name during a card game at the Orpheum Theatre in Galesburg, Illinois. The dealer (Art Fisher) called him "Harpo" because he played the harp, or at least that's one story of how he got his name.
Well enough about that and now over to the movies and later television and other stuff:
Humor Risk 1921, was Harpo's movie debut with his brothers, according to Groucho, it was only screened once and then lost. Apparently movie stills have survived.
Too Many Kisses 1925, with Richard Dix, was a solo performance without his brothers, and the movie were Harpo speaks, too bad it was done in the silent era, so his speaking came via title cards. Some have said that it is possible to hear Harpo whispering when he was a guest star on a Spike Jones TV show in the 1950s.
The Cocoanuts 1929, sound debut with his brothers.
Animal Crackers 1930
The House That Shadows Built 1931, was a promotional short (47 minutes), made for exhibitors and never had a regular theatrical release. The Marx Brothers segment is around 6 minutes.
Monkey Business 1931
Horse Feathers 1932
Duck Soup 1933, a financial flop at the time, that over the years have become known has one of the funniest movies ever made (In fairnes many movies have been called that).
A Night at the Opera 1935. It was the first of five films the Marx Brothers made for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer after their departure from Paramount Pictures, and the first after Zeppo left the act.
A Day at the Races 1937
The Harpo character appeared in many animated shorts, like this one, Mickey's Polo Team 1936
Room Service 1938, made at RKO.
At the Circus 1939
Go West 1940
The Big Store 1941
Stage Door Canteen 1943, one of the many stars that popped up in this movie.
A Night in Casablanca 1946
Love Happy 1950
The last Marx Brothers movie? I let the experts decide what movie that should be concidered their last.
Guest star on I Love Lucy 1955
The Story of Mankind 1957, as Sir Isaac Newton
The Incredible Jewel Robbery 1959, an episode on General Electric Theater.
A Silent Panic 1960, an episode on The DuPont Show with June Allyson anthology series
First editions were published in 1961
Harpo recorded three albums, Harp by Harpo 1952, Harpo in Hi-Fi 1957 and Harpo at Work 1958.
The DuPont Show of the Week 1961, with Carol Burnett, in a segment made in Central Park, New York.
Harpo's final public appearance came on January 19, 1963 with singer/comedian Allan Sherman. Sherman burst into tears when Harpo announced his retirement from the entertainment business. Comedian Steve Allen, who was in the audience, remembered that Harpo spoke for several minutes about his career, and how he would miss it all, and repeatedly interrupted Sherman when he tried to speak. The audience found it charmingly ironic, Allen said, that Harpo, who had never before spoken on stage or screen, "wouldn't shut up!".
Thanks for watching, hope you enjoyed and tickled your interest!
Thoughts and opinions are as always welcome!
