Harpo Marx – the Little Brother

Adolph Arthur Marx, also known as Harpo Marx was born November 23, 1888. Harpo was one of the famous Marx Brothers, a comedic group who did vaudeville, radio, motion pictures and television. Harpo and his brothers were inspired by their parents, Sam and Minnie Marx. It was their parents who started the boys out in vaudeville and on Broadway. There were six brothers however Manfred Marx, the oldest sibling, died in infancy.

Harpo was the one Marx brother who gained fame from his trademarks. He played the harp and never spoke. Harpo also frequently used props in sight gags. Harpo was very popular for what he didn’t say with the use of the sight gags. Harpo joined two of his brothers to form “The Three Nightingales” in 1910. He was said to have been inspired to develop his “silent” routine after reading a review of one of their performances. The critic wrote, “Adolph Marx performed beautiful pantomime which was ruined whenever he spoke”. So part in protest and part in successful response Harpo simply stopped speaking during performances. It became his most famous trademark.

Harpo was reported to have gotten his stage name during a card game at the Orpheum Theatre. The dealer reportedly called him “Harpo” because he played the harp. Harpo joined his famous brothers with a new given name to match his personality.
Harpo did 15 movies with his brothers, Groucho and Chico. Historically it is reported that one of the fifteen movies, a silent film, was destroyed. Groucho, it is reported, cut up the movie into guitar picks in order to prevent its release. He apparently didn’t like the movie.

Harpo taught himself to play the harp. He reportedly said that he couldn’t sing, he couldn’t dance, and he didn’t talk well so he needed something to do. His harp playing became a huge part of his personification. As the story goes, Harpo learned how to hold the harp properly by going to a five-and-dime store and looking at a picture of a girl playing a harp. Harpo couldn’t find anyone who would teach him how to play so he taught himself. He was said to have spent good money hiring the best teachers. Harpo actually made a career out of playing the harp in the wrong fashion.

Harpo legally changed his real name to Arthur shortly before World War I. He thought that Adolph sounded “too German” and didn’t want to get involved in the anti-German feelings of the time. Harpo finally married actress Susan Fleming in 1936. The couple adopted four children. He was said to have been a quiet man in his personal life and devoted to his family.

In 1955, Harpo made an appearance on Lucille Ball’s popular sitcom, I Love Lucy. In the episode he and Lucy re-enacted the famous mirror scene from the classic Marx Brothers movie, Duck Soup. The episode was very funny and became one of the signature performances of his career later on. It remains one of the most famous comedic scenes today. Harpo continued to do comedy until he retired to, as he said, “play with his grandchildren”.

Harpo published his autobiography, Harpo Speaks in 1961 and it won critical acclaim. He recants stories in the book about people thinking that he really could not speak. He stated that most people believed he was really a mute. There are now famous voice recordings that can be found on the internet of Harpo’s voice although there is still a sector of old movie buffs who insist that it isn’t his voice. Health problems dogged Harpo in later years and he finally died on September 28, 1964 after open heart surgery.