Breaking Harpo Marx's Silence

Factinate ^ | 29/3/24

[Eleutheria5]

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.

Transcript of 15 minute video available.

[from occupied ga]

If Harpo Marx breaks his silence a lot of people are going to be really shaken up.

[HartleyMBaldwin]

His autobiography, Harpo Speaks!, is well worth reading.

[Bullish]

I liked Groucho... But Marco? Not so much, too much jibber jabber all the time... But I definitely did NOT like Harpo’s shtick. Good harpist, but his shtick was stupid with the same stupid act every single movie.

Harpo always got a look on his face like he was a crazed axe murderer or something... I really did not like Harpo.

[dfwgator]

I liked Groucho... But Marco? Not so much, too much jibber jabber all the time..

Well at least he was better than Karl.

[KamperKen]

“His autobiography, Harpo Speaks!, is well worth reading.”

Definitely worth reading. I’ve read it twice over the years.

[Jonty30]

If memory serves me correct, he stuttered. That stuttering prevented him from making jokes, so they made him the group mime and let him act his comedic routines instead.

It was something like that.

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

😄

[dfwgator]

Harpo and Lucy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxJO4L1vK64

[Eleutheria5]

No such person as “Marco”.

[dfwgator]

What about “Polo”?

[Eleutheria5]

Harpo preferred Croquet.

[Jonty30]

If you type in Marco Marx into a search engine, it comes up Harpo.

[dfwgator]

Harpo spelled backwards is “Oprah”, that’s why she calls her company “Harpo Productions”.

[Paal Gulli]

I don’t find the story credible when he doesn’t know how they pronounced “Chico.” It’s chick-oh, not cheek-oh.

[Fai Mao]

One of the best biographies I’ve read is “Me Cheetah”

https://www.amazon.com/Me-Cheeta-My-Life-Hollywood/dp/006164742X

[SuperLuminal]

Best movie was when they were Joe Stalin’s henchmen...

[KamperKen]

“One of the best biographies I’ve read is “Me Cheetah””

Ya know, I just might get a copy. A rara avis; a Hollywood star with brains.

[torqemada]

According to Groucho, it was Chico that was the wild one. As I recall, Groucho was quoted as saying it was Chico who singlehandedly brought gonorrhea to Vaudeville.

[DJ Frisat]

”I don’t find the story credible when he doesn’t know how they pronounced “Chico.”

With you on that. Same thing goes for music writers and critics who mispronounce the Guess Who and Bachman Turner Overdrive guitarist Randy Bachman’s name. According to Randy, it’s “Back-man”, not “Bock-man”.

It’s simple sign of courtesy and respect to learn to spell and properly pronounce someone’s name.