Adolph Marx (1888 - 1964)

Born 23 Nov 1888 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Susan Alma Fleming — married 28 Sep 1936 in United States

Died 28 Sep 1964 at age 75 in Los Angeles, California, United States

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Biography

Arthur Marx is Notable.

Breaking Harpo Marx's Silence

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtNP3bhyB4I

If Groucho was the witty Marx Brother, Harpo was without a doubt the wild one. His persona of the silent lunatic who runs around wreaking havoc is one of the most instantly recognizable characters in movie history. But just who was the man behind the character? The answer to that is much different than people realize. In this video you will hear how Susan Alma Fleming proposed their marriage. And at first Harpo turned down Susan's proposal. And Harpo tuned down a second proposal but three times was the charm because Harpo accepted ! And they married in complete secrecy. However President Franklin Delano "FDR" Roosevelt heard about the marriage from a mutual friend and inadvertently leaked the secret by publicly sending Harpo a congratulatory telegram. In 1933 President Franklin Delano "FDR" Roosevelt made Harpo one of the first Goodwill Ambassadors to Soviet Russia. During his visit to Moscow at the American Embassy the staff had Harpo carry a secret message back to America in a seal envelope which Harpo tape to his leg. Harpo coined the phrase "In the hot seat" this was due to the many visits that Harpo made to the mansion of William Randolph Hearst [1] [2]. Harpo observed that when anyone became less welcome at the mansion Hearst would have the unwelcome person seated at the far end of the dinner table next to the fireplace. Seated in the "hot seat" usually meant that you would stop receiving future invitations to the mansion. If you want to know why Harpo never spoke in the Marx Brothers films just click on the YouTube video link above. Harpo died on the very day of his 28th wedding anniversary to his beloved Susan.

Adolph Marx was born in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States,^{[1] [2]} on November 23, 1888, the third child, second surviving of Simon Marx and Miene "Minnie" (née Schönberg), who had five sons. He was known within the family as "Ahdie".

His mother pushed the children into performing in vaudeville, and they began as a musical singing number. They stumbled into comedy by accident.

Chico was the only child who had formal music lessons, but apparently often didn't make it to the lessons, losing the money gambling. Groucho appears to have also played a couple of instruments at perhaps a basic level. But Harpo excelled at music, on many instruments.

Arthur "Harpo" Marx playing the harp (circa 1926).

Harpo was self taught on the harp. Later in life he tried to get proper lessons on the harp, but struggled to find lessons, because instructors were always more fascinated at wanting to watch his technique. The major exception was Mildred Dilling, the professional harpist, who finally taught Marx proper harp technique, and collaborated with him regularly when he had difficulty composing.

The first performance where the brothers decided to do a comedy routine instead of a serious performance, reviews said that Harpo was extremely funny and talented, until he opened his mouth to speak, and his voice didn't match his character. So Harpo then, chose to almost never speak again when in character (he did speak extemporaneously onstage on occasion. Just not from a script and not often, including on opening night of Animal Crackers when he tackled Margaret Irving and proceeded to tell her a rather questionable joke). It is likely Harpo can be heard singing with his brother in the beginning of Monkey Business, while the four brothers are hidden in barrels.

They went on to stage on Broadway, and eventually to Hollywood, where initially they adapted their stage performances into their first movies. Harpo had several routines that were included in most movies. Talking with his horn; needing to communicate something important to his brother Chico, with lots of hilarious misunderstandings; and always a scene with Harpo on the harp (rarely the same harp twice in any movie), which was usually the only scene that Harpo would play seriously.

• Life has been created for you to enjoy, but you won't enjoy it unless you pay for it with some good, hard work. This is one price that will never be marked down. — Arthur "Harpo" Marx
• If things get too much for you and you feel the whole world's against you, go stand on your head. If you can think of anything crazier to do, do it. — Arthur "Harpo" Marx

On the 25th April 1910, the Marx family were boarders in lodgings on Cabernet Avenue, Chicago. Home at the time were the head of the household: Pennsylvania-born Jennie G Home (41); her nephew: Pennsylvania-born Richard J Lillis (26), an electrician with a telephone company; the Marx's: Samuel (48), a commercial traveller selling cloaks; Minnie (45), an actress on circuit; Adolph/Arthur/Harpo (21); Julius/Groucho (19); Milton/Gummo (17), all three being actors on circuit; and the youngest: 9-year-old Herbert (not yet known as Zeppo); and Minnie's sister: 47-year-old Hänne, known at the time as Anna Scheckler, an actress on circuit; and Hänne's (second) husband: German-born Julius E Scheckler (44), also a commercial traveller selling cloaks.^[3]

Harpo Marx and children.

There are many stories about why Adolph, as he still was, chose to change his forename to Arthur. It certainly wasn't because of Adolph Hitler, who was not even heard of at the time. The most likely is that it was during the time of the 1914-1918 war - "because Adolph was 'too German'",^[4] or because of a much disliked lawyer named Adolph Marks, and Ahdie's desire to not be associated with the same-sounding name.

Arthur/Harpo married Susan Alma Fleming on September 26, 1936,^[5] and, loving children but having no biological of their own, over time they adopted four children: Bill, Alex, Jimmy and Minnie.

When he was asked by George Burns in 1948 how many children he planned to adopt, he answered, "I’d like to adopt as many children as I have windows in my house. So when I leave for work, I want a kid in every window, waving goodbye."

Harpo Marx and Shirley Temple on the set of "Duck Soup" (circa 1933)

Some of the more notable movies that Harpo appeared in, usually with two or three brothers, were: The Cocoanuts (1929), Animal Crackers (1930), Monkey Business (1931), Horse Feathers (1932), Duck Soup (1933), A Night at the Opera (1935), A Day at the Races (1937), Room Service (1938), At the Circus (1939), Go West (1940), The Big Store (1941), A Night in Casablanca (1946), Love Happy (1949). There are other lesser known movies and television appearances as well.^[6] One of his last short films 'Silent Panic' (1960), he appears without any of his brothers (and is currently available online to watch).

On the 2nd May 1940, the "Harpo" Marx's were living on Camden Drive, Beverley Hills. Home at the time were Harpo (52), movie actor in the motion picture industry; his wife: Susan (32); their son: William Woollcott "Bill"; and their staff, New York-born Frank Delisi (27), butler; Finland-born Hannah Delisi (29), cook; and German-born Marianne Barnstien (37), nurse.^[7]

All five Marx brothers just before the Tonight! show (1957), their only television appearance together.

Harpo published his autobiography, Harpo Speaks! in 1961.

In his later life, after a heart attack prevented him from playing his belovèd harps, Susan persuaded Arthur to take up painting, at which he became quite adept — later donating any number of his paintings to hospitals around the country, never accepting payment for any of them.

Arthur (formerly Adolph) aka "Harpo" Marx died on September 28, 1964 (his 28th wedding anniversary), in (West) Los Angeles, California, United States, one day after open-heart surgery, aged 75 years.^{[1] [2]}

His remains were cremated and interred at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Los Angeles,^[8] and, it is said, some part of his ashes were scattered into the sand trap at the seventh hole of the Rancho Mirage golf course.

Legacy

• In 2002, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars, located at 190 E. Tahquitz Way, was dedicated to Harpo's memory.
• Reports are that he donated a harp to Israel in his Will, but his family reports taking his two Lyon & Healy Gold-Gilt Concert Grand, model #24 harps to Israeli orchestras after his death, and having some problems regards import duty on arrival. Said problems were sorted out when an Israeli official cleared up the matter. The family's desire was that the harps be used, not just left sitting in a museum; and, at last heard, they were part of orchestras in Israel.
• At least four actors have portrayed Harpo, or played characters based on him, in a movie, and on Broadway.
• Harpo's wig is on display at the National Museum of American History. Donated by his brother Julius aka Groucho, the wig had been made by Venicelon of Italy.^[9] (Originally Harpo appeared wearing a red wig, but later changed it to the better-known "red-blond" wig of later appearances.)

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Birth Date and Death — Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index, Master File. Social Security Administration. Name: Arthur Marx; Social Security Number: - - - ; Birth Date: 23 Nov 1888; Issue Year: Before 1951; Issue State: California; Last Residence: California, USA; Death Date: Sep 1964
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Birth Date and Death Date — State of California, Los Angeles; Date: 28 Sep 1964; Social Security: - - - .California Death Index, 1940-1997. Sacramento, CA, USA: State of California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics. Name: Arthur H Marx; Social Security #: - - - ; Gender: Male; Birth Date: 23 Nov 1888; Death Date: 28 Sep 1964; Death Place: Los Angeles; Mother's Maiden Name: Schoenbe
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MKCQ-JY9 : accessed 8 June 2021), Adolph Marx in household of Jennie G Horne, Chicago Ward 6, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 350, sheet 9A, family 185, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 246; FHL microfilm 1,374,259.
4. ↑ Name Change — The Marx Brothers: Harpo Marx (Adolph/Arthur)
5. ↑ Marriage — Publication Date: 5/ Nov/ 1936; Publication Place: Xenia, Ohio, USA; URL: <https://www.newspapers.com/image/25211320/?article=fbe16f71-d69e-44ed-8ee5-72de432da719&focus=0.011807381,0.6173146,0.13237391,0.78323746&xid=3398> Ancestry.com. U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2020.
6. ↑ Movie Database
7. ↑ Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls. United States of America, Bureau of the Census, Year: 1940; Census Place: Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California; Roll: m-t0627-00220; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 19-38A
8. ↑ Disposition post Death — Find a Grave, database and images (www.findagrave.com/memorial/679/harpo-marx : accessed 08 June 2021), memorial page for Harpo Marx (23 Nov 1888–28 Sep 1964), Find A Grave: Memorial #679, ; Maintained by Find A Grave Cremated, Ashes scattered, who reports a Ashes allegedly sprinkled into the sand trap at the seventh hole of the Rancho Mirage golf course.
9. ↑ American History: Harpo's wig by Groucho's bequest.

See also:

• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSKY-DYD : accessed 12 June 2021), Adolph Marks in household of Samuel Marks, Borough of Manhattan, Election District 1 New York City Ward 32, New York County, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 879, sheet 8B, family 167, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,120.

• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MKCQ-JY9 : accessed 12 June 2021), Adolph Marx in household of Jennie G Horne, Chicago Ward 6, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 350, sheet 9A, family 185, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 246; FHL microfilm 1,374,259.

• "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K681-XKF : 23 February 2021), Arthur Marx, 1917-1918.

• "United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV5Y-RM4L : 16 March 2018), Arthur Marx, 1922; citing Passport Application, Wisconsin, United States, source certificate #171321, Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925, 1032, NARA microfilm publications M1490 and M1372 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8FN-3Z1 : 9 March 2021), Adolph Marx and Alva Fleming, 28 Sep 1936; citing Orange, California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 2,051,139.

• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K97H-3WS : 5 January 2021), Arthur H Marx, Beverly Hills Judicial Township, Los Angeles, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 19-38A, sheet 7A, line 5, family 118, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 220.

• "United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V4DC-88Y : 24 November 2020), Harpo Marx, 1942; citing NARA microfilm publication M1936, M1937, M1939, M1951, M1962, M1964, M1986, M2090, and M2097 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• "United States, GenealogyBank Historical Newspaper Obituaries, 1815-2011", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q5QT-9VZH : 18 July 2020), Harpo Marx, 1964.

• Find a Grave, database and images (www.findagrave.com/memorial/679/harpo-marx : accessed 12 June 2021), memorial page for Harpo Marx (23 Nov 1888–28 Sep 1964), Find A Grave: Memorial #679, ; Maintained by Find A Grave Cremated, Ashes scattered, who reports a Ashes allegedly sprinkled into the sand trap at the seventh hole of the Rancho Mirage golf course.

• Wikipedia : Harpo Marx
• Wikidata: Item Q317237, en:Wikipedia