Harpo Marx

Harpo Marx
Marx c. 1926
Born
Adolph Marx

(1888-11-23)November 23, 1888
New York City, New York, U.S.
DiedSeptember 28, 1964(1964-09-28) (aged 75)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupations
Years active1910–1964
Spouse
​
(m. 1936)​
Children4
Parents
Relatives
Lobby card for Monkey Business (1931) with Chico (left) and Harpo (right)

Arthur "Harpo" Marx (born Adolph Marx;[1] November 23, 1888 – September 28, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, mime artist,[2] and harpist, and the second-oldest of the Marx Brothers.[1] In contrast to the mainly verbal comedy of his brothers Groucho and Chico, Harpo's comic style was visual, being an example of vaudeville, clown and pantomime traditions. In all of his movie appearances, he wore a curly reddish blonde wig and did not speak,[3] instead blowing a horn[4] or whistling[5] to communicate. Marx frequently employed props[6] such as a horn cane constructed from a lead pipe, tape, and a bulbhorn.[7]

  1. ^ a b Lankford, Ronnie D. Jr. "The Marx Brothers Biography & History". AllMusic. Netaktion, Inc. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  2. ^ Kiss, Stephen Sr. "Who is Harpo Marx?". New York Public Library. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  3. ^ American Jewish Historical Society (October 19, 1999). American Jewish Desk Reference. New York, NY: Random House Reference. pp. 467–468. ISBN 0375402438. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  4. ^ Kostenbaum, Wayne (February 29, 2012). The Anatomy of Harpo Marx (1 ed.). Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. ISBN 978-0520269019.
  5. ^ "The Silent Articulator; Harpo Marx Used Variety of Methods To Express Himself Without Dialogue". The New York Times. September 30, 1964. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  6. ^ Dove, Steve. "HARPO MARX'S SUITCASE FROM THE ACADEMY COLLECTIONS". ABC Oscars. ABC. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  7. ^ "The Ephemera: Items". Harpo's Place. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2021.