Breaking Harpo Marx's Silence 

My grandmother was his housekeeper. She said he was a very pleasant man.

On a Saturday, two consecutive years, before I was 10 years old, my mother took me to my City's Municipal Auditorium. Where she dropped me off. Only kids were allowed inside. There, Harpo Marx conducted a 50 piece orchestra in a celebration of musical artistry! It was truly spectacular. Harpo was the master of ceremonies. He spoke throughout the entire show. He introduced us to all of the instruments and artists. He, himself, gave a quick tutorial on the playing of each instrument. Yes, all of them! Then helped all to see how all the instrumentation were properly meshed sonically to perform orchestral pieces. It was a phenomenal show and incredibly entertaining and educational. Of course, the entire event was infused with Harpo's innate sense of humor! The highlight for me was, as he led the orchestra in playing a complex song, without missing a beat of his baton, proceeded to pull out of his pocket a set of 'wind up chattering teeth', which he placed on his dais chattering away. He continued to bring out another and another. Winding them up and setting them to chatter. He eventually brought out what seemed like 30 pairs of wind up teeth. He covered his dais, and placed many of them surrounding him on the floor. Of course, he would immediately grab and rewind any pair the moment it wound down! It was an impossibly funny scene with him making his astounding faces throughout! The whole show was so memorable as to be one of the highlights of my highlight filled life! Harpo apparently did this concert series all over the USA for at least the two years that I was lucky to see him! He will always be one of my heroes!

I remember Harpo passing. Jimmy Durante was the star of the Kellog's Morning Show and he spoke tearfully of his passing. damn, I'm old.

He was an angel....virtually everyone that met him, knew him, said he was the kindest soul going...talented and superbly funny.... A true genius in so many ways.

In "Why a Duck?," Groucho said Harpo never lacked money when he retired. He took Hollywood producers golfing and invited them to play cards. He was such a talent at cards and a great golfer, and everyone lost money to him. The producers didn't mind, though. Harpo was so entertaining they enjoyed it.

By all accounts, Harpo was a truly good man. I remember hearing his actual voice. He sounded like his brother, Chico.

That bit he and Lucy did is such a classic. Absolutely brilliant!❤

Harpo was a rare talent. A real pleasure to watch in the old movies.

What an amazing story! So many wonderful qualities to this man. To hear that he and his wife had such a long, happy marriage - that doesn't happen unless you are a good man.

His brilliant harp playing was a huge influence on my guitar playing What a talent

“Nobody cares about Zeppo…” A gifted engineer and entrepreneur, Herbert “Zeppo” Mark invented the Marmon clamp, still used today to hold radiator hoses and pressure tanks together. Marmon clamps were also used on the first atomic bomb casings. More of his designs were integral in winning World War II a as well as the Cold War. The youngest of the brothers, Herbert was far and away the most versatile, playing guitar like Julius “Groucho”, piano like Leonard “Chico”, and Harp like… well, you know. He often filled in for his brothers on tour when one of them was ill or otherwise indisposed. After one such fill-in for Groucho, Julius told a theater critic that “I’d let him do my part of the act every time but they won’t let me smoke my cigar in the audience.” So… somebody cares… just not you.

Harpo was my favorite Marx Brother

I enjoyed this video. I didn't think it was clickbait at all. It told me a lot that I didn't know about Harpo Marx, and I think his whole life was tragic in so many was - imagine, as a child in second grade, being thrown out a second story window by your "peers". I'd never have come back, either. As a matter of fact, after being relentlessly bullied from kindergarten on, one recess (I think it may have been when I was in 2nd grade) I simply walked home. Unfortunately, my mother was off work that day and brought me back. On a separate day, I remember telling my mother that I didn't think I needed anymore schooling - I could read, write, and do math - wasn't that enough? Because I certainly had enough of my classmates despising me for no reason (other than jealousy, which I didn't know about at the time). The bullying and lack of support in stopping it from my family made me feel quite unimportant, unloved, a feeling that strongly influenced the rest of my life and I'm 65 now. Harpo did a hell of a lot better in life than I ever did. God bless and godspeed to him.😢

My father used to bring reels and projector home so that we could watch the Marx brothers just as he did when young. So enjoyed the antics, a precious childhood memory. What a talented set of brothers!

Marx bros marathons used to be shown every New Years Eve and I loved watching them as a kid.

Bill Marx, Harpo's son (not Groucho's - to the commenter who said he was) was a big part of my life in the '70s and '80s. He and my mother dated for many years and for all intents and purposes, he was my stepdad and extremely influential in my upbringing. A truly remarkable man and quite the positive father figure, a direct characteristic, I can only imagine he'd acquired from his father. As an example of his and his siblings' adoptions along with all the adopted people I've known my life, I, in turn have adopted my only child. This is the influence of the Marx Bros. outside of entertainment. In case anyone's wondering, my sisters and I are mentioned at the bottom of page 230 in Bill's autobiography, "Son of Harpo Speaks".

Read his own book. Minnie never 'forced' her sons to work. They were poor, the boys wanted money to do the things they wanted to do. They had skills, they utilised them. This is such a slanted documentary.

After all that (mostly accurate) information, the simple reason Harpo didn’t speak was that he didn’t talk as fast as his brothers, he was a brilliant physical comedian, and it was decided he would stay mute.

For someone that did not speak , His acting and humour spoke volumes .

The words, "beautiful man" usually don't go together, but it works for Harpo.

4:04 Good gracious ... he is beautiful! Also, with or without the Harpo gear, he reminds me of Martin Short, a lot.

Read his autobiography, _HARPO SPEAKS._ One of his friends called him "...the only normal man in Hollywood..." and pointed out that Harpo didn't have an enemy in the world, had never taken a sleeping pill, never spent an hour on the psychiatrist's couch, that he had been married to the same lady for [however-many] years, that his children were well-adjusted and genuinely loved heir parents, just on-and-on. Then another friend brought up a gag on the golf course tha had resulted in Harpo getting poison ive, let's just say below the waist but well above the knees... Friend one amended his assessment to "...the most normal man in Hollywood."

Words from the Horsefeather's mouth: So my little bungalow in the Garden of Allah was a peaceful retreat. It was the best place to practice I ever had-until a piano player moved into a bungalow across from mine and shattered the peace. I was looking forward to a solid weekend of practice, without interruptions, when my new neighbor started to bang away. I couldn’t hear anything below a forte on the harp. There were no signs the piano banging was going to stop. It only got more overpowering. This character was warming up for a solid weekend of practice too. I went to the office to register a complaint. One of us had to go, I said, and it wasn’t going to be me because I was there first. But the management didn’t see it my way. The new guest, whose playing was driving me nuts, was Sergei Rachmaninoff. They were not about to ask him to move. I was flattered to have such a distinguished neighbor, but I still had to practice. So I got rid of him my own way. I opened the door and all the windows in my place and began to play the first four bars of Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C-sharp Minor, over and over, fortissimo. Two hours later my fingers were getting numb. But I didn’t let up, not until I heard a thunderous crash of notes from across the way, like the keyboard had been attacked with a pair of sledge hammers. Then there was silence. This time it was Rachmaninoff who went to complain. He asked to be moved to another bungalow immediately, the farthest possible from that dreadful harpist. Peace returned to the Garden. I didn’t really know until much later how sharp my intuition had been. I found out that the great pianist and composer detested his Prelude in C-sharp Minor. He considered it a very Minor piece of work. He was haunted by it everywhere he went, by students who butchered it and by audiences who clamored for it, and he wished he’d never written it. After playing the damn thing nonstop for two hours I knew exactly how he felt.. ps thanks for who doesn't love Harpo

one of my fave Marx Bros performance stories was that during their stage success, they would switch costumes/roles, and the audience did not catch on; they all looked so similar and their exaggerated makeup was enough to convey character...

Whoever did this life review, should do all the famous 20th century entertainers. This one is brilliantly prepared and presented. God bless

"There was Groucho and Chico and Harpo that didn't speako then there was Zeppo and Gummo. Five baby boys we born. Minnie Marx' many mini marxes made us marxist minions all." These lyrics are from The Melody Four's "Thanks to Minnie" from the 10" inch album, "Hello, we must be going" (1987). It's actually a trio and they are so much in tune with the Marx Brothers when playing and singing songs from the movies 🙂Many thanks for this wonderful portrait of Harpo!

I read Harpo Marx had trouble memorizing lines that's why he stayed silent in the Marx Brothers' movies. Harpo's son Bill said- Harpo Marx was a silent man anyway. His real voice was a quiet New York accent. I love the Marx Brothers. They were so funny! Even made my mom laugh when we watched "Duck Soup" together and they were dancing towards the camera! Thanks for the upload.

Very enjoyable. The slight given to Zeppo should have been omitted though.

I love the video. Just wish it was longer. I loved Harpo since I was a little girl. To me he was funny and cute. What an entertainer he was. Such a natural at his craft. ❤❤❤❤

The reason he didn't talk was that he had a very deep voice that didn't match the character. He thought he could do better as a physical comic than a wisecrack.

This man is legendary. I always looked forward to his harp playing in the Marx brothers movies.

Harpo was the one that kids related to, the most. I didn't know they adopted all their kids. Imagine being one of the 4 orphans he adopted. It'd be like hitting the lottery!

for some of the best info on harpo marx read " Harpo Speaks" if i remember correctly it was written by his son Bill Marx, an entertainer in the Palm Springs area for many years....i just saw Bill this past monday at a special event....

So Harpo was named Harp because he played the harp, fancy that, who would have guessed. Marion Davies was not a starlet, she was a star. The definition of a starlet is a young woman in the early stages of her career who has yet to become a star. Actually Harpo was the most popular of the brothers in real life, Groucho’s son wrote that when Harpo walked into a room all the children and pet dogs ran to him. Harpo was apparently a wonderful person. You treated Zeppo with great disrespect, in fact he was an intelligent and very gifted man

Adolph Marx... Two names that spark controversy.

Adolph Marx ? Now there's a bag of ferrets of a name. When Harpo was performing the irrepressible Groucho was unable to get a word in edgewise

Harpo is memorable still. Loved his character. Enjoyed the bio!

My entire high school class practiced the face he called "the googie". We treated our history teacher to 35 faces blown out with lips and teeth exaggerated. The principal got the same treatment from hundreds of us when he "laid down the law."

I discovered the Marx Bros in 1972, when I went to college. Students would rent old movies and show them wherever they could find a place. I got hooked on 30s and 40s movies. And I just fell in love with Harpo. He was just so cute and so funny !!!! The best movie of theirs, in my opinion, was Duck Soup.

I have always been a very big fan of the Marx Brothers, from my younger days when I stayed home from school sick I would watch their movies on television (along with shows like Perry Mason etc.) RIP all the brothers !

I loved Harpo in the I love Lucy episode. He played the harp so beautifully and delicately. It was wonderful. ❤

I LOVE ... To this day... Cracking Marx brother jokes with my dad, watching the movies, Harpo with the piano or harp is just magic to me... We make Harpo faces at each other too 😊

My favourite story of the Marx Bros is about a clause in their contract where if one of them got ill they all got time off. One time Harpo had a problem so filming was stopped. The reason? He had lost his voice!

Fascinating narrative!!! Thank you for illuminating their history which I knew zero about but I sure LOVED their movies!!

I kept expecting addiction, corruption, greed or abuse. But no. He just lived a good life

Many years ago, i think it was my dad that told me that the reason Harpo took to being silent was because in the throws of a huge fight with some theater owner Harpo blurted out that he " hoped that his theater burns down " and after saying it, that same night the man's theater burned to the ground. Harpo then decided he better keep his mouth shut and did so incredibly well.

Growing up, I was a huge Marx Brothers fan. One of my prized treasures was a first edition of the book "Harpo Speaks" in the book he reveals that shortly after vowing never to speak on stage, they performed in Belleville, Illinois. They were looking for a "gimmick" for Harpo. Harpo claims to have stolen the horn off a taxi cab, outside the theatre. When he honked the horn, the audience loved it. Belleville is outside of St. Louis, about 20 miles outside of it, just like my hometown, Alton, Illinois. I have been past the theater that Harpo first used "the horn. The book was an incredible read. I lost the book when i loaned it to someone whos house burned down. YEARS LATER....im still searching for the book. Ill probably never find it. But its at the top of my bucket list.

I watched them as I grew up. They were one of the initial exposures I had to classical music, the love growing as I got older. Now I play piano and remember my childhood heros playing it their way. They put the play into playing music.

There is a recording of him speaking and he had a rather deep, low voice which was contrasted heavily with the other three (including Zeppo) brothers' voices. All-in-all I think that Harpo's 'regular act" as the mute anarchist fit him perfectly. I can't imagine him playing another type of character.

My dad use to take us to see the Marx bros. at the theater. Great memories. And they are still funny even now.

For anyone interested in Harpo or indeed the Marx Bros, read ‘Harpo Speaks’. It is a wonderful read and I can’t recommend it too highly.

Chico’s name is pronounced chick-o (as in a baby chicken) because he chased after the ladies.

As for Zeppo, he was athletic, and a popular act was a chimp named "Mr. Zippo". Zeppo was named after the chimp, as he frequently did acrobatic swinging by his arms.

This was a fantastic doc on my favourite Marx Brothers. It is filled with so much I did not know about. Harp essentially introduced me to classical music! I love him still. My father lived in the neighbourhood where they evolved from and the Marx brothers for us were the great successes to him. We never missed a showing. I love them still and Harpo above all. This is the best doc I have ever seen as I lived again my memories through the narration!

I am seeing some accusations of Clickbait titles. While I somewhat agree, that does not mitigate the fact that the research and information is exceptional. Keep up your work. There will always be critics.

Thank you, so much for this, truly wonderful presentation. 🙏 I can recommend Harpo's autobiography, "Harpo Speaks".

Awesome documentary! I bet most of the viewers never knew much about Harpo - myself included. Thank you for telling his story. ❤

I once read that when all the brothers were now living in Beverly Hills with big houses and their film careers mostly over, Harpo received a telegram at home out of nowhere for no reason and for no special occasion. The telegram read “Harpo, no message, Love Groucho”. To this day, the thought of that telegram practically moves me tears. So sweet and memorable and powerful. The way only brothers would understand.

Those Black and White photos are breath-taking! Why can't we have pix like that .. now?

Philip K. Dick once wrote that if he could have anything he wanted, it would be for God to listen to what Harpo was not saying.

The story I heard about why Harpo didn't speak was his deicidedly New York accent. Words like "girl" came out something like "goil" and so on. Either way he was always my favorite Marx Brother, as he was the musical genius of the group and I'm a musician myself, playing trumpet, flute, French horn and piano. Stringed instruments seem to confound me. smh

I remember LOVING the Marx Brothers movies in my childhood! Comedic genius, all of them.

When playing "Patsy Brannigan" onstage in his red wig, his voice was changing. His voice cracked, the audience laughed, and he swore he'd never speak onstage again. From "Harpo Speaks" his autobiography.

Harpo, Chico, Groucho, Gummo and Zeppo.

They were always in a category by themselves; they are a true classic.

Arthur aka Harpo was a sweet heart. His wife and kids loved him and he loved them. His friends adored him the same can't be said for Groucho or Chico.

He was my favourite brother. Loved Harpo.

I once heard he had laryngitis and decided to do mime until he recovered.Ot went over so well he went with it permanently.

❤❤❤❤❤❤ loved the way you told his story. 😊 from Melbourne Australia

There are a couple of very short clips of Harpo speaking, which you can find on RU-vid. He had a very deep and melodious voice, and would have made a great radio announcer. Also a very pronounced Brooklyn accent.

Loved this video. Harpo was also a very handsome man! Happy he found love & had 4 children. He must have been an incredible husband & father. I have all the Marx Brothers movies.

As a child, I could NOT stand to watch Laurel & Hardy or the 3 Stooges. But I loved watching the Marx Brothers - especially Harpo!

YesHarpo was an angel. He didn’t really belong here .. thank God we got to witness his wit and wonderful playing of the harp!!! Jus beautiful!!

Harpo and Chico were my absolute favourites. So much musical talent. Thank you for a wonderful video. Cheers. 👍💜👍

TLDR: Harpo couldn't memorize lines so they made his character mute.

Harpo had a high pitched voice, that's all nothing more but a high-pitched voice. I love the Marx Brothers.❤

I always wondered about his silence.. Thank you

Great episode full of fascinating information and insights which I was not aware of!!

Harpo's real name was Adolph Arthur Marx. When Hitler came into power, Harpo went by his middle name after that.

I thoroughly enjoyed this! Thank you

I have been a massive Harpo Marx fan since i first saw Horse Feathers when i was a child. For me, he is the funniest movie star ever......and the world's greatest dog catcher.

You're my favourite narrator on this channel, mostly because I'm Scottish too.

Gracie Allen helped harpo n wife thru the adoption of their first child look up interview with his daughter n u see the family man he was 😊

Well done! Thank you so much!

Thank you for reminding me of my childhood. 🎉 In the early 70s think. I watched all the Marx brothers movies on UK TV. It was late, starting at midnight I think, between Christmas and New Year. Their humour and athletic ability was amazing to a young impressive teenager. 😊 I always look to see them again but as with many of the early quirky movies they have not been released again. 😢

This is a very good follow-up on Harpo Marx so do more than just watch it and see for yourself how right I am in saying so also.

This is soooo well done.

Thank you! What a story, and so unsuspected. The Marx Brothers comedy has depth, and this is partly why.

Harpo did speak. He narrated The DuPont Show of the Month (TV Series) The Red Mill (1958).

I always thought that Tom Baker (Dr Who- "All teeth and curls"), when he grinned, looked like Harpo Marx .

God bless all the family. I always loved Harpo, but he's risen to another level, thanks to this report. Thank you 😊❤😅

Thanks for sharing. Morning coffee with a flash back☕❣️☕cheers Harpo❣️🙏❣️

Very educating video. Harpo learning to play the harp on his own was a surprise it must be one of the most instrument to master and master it he did.

LOVE THIS CHANNEL

Harpo was always my favourite

My maternal grandmother was friends with Susan for some time. She said she and others had questioned Susan many times whether Marco (as they knew him) was actually able to talk and did he speak at home, only in private to her, but Susan was very keen to never answer the question in a way that could draw a conclusion, always leaving them wondering still. My grandmother heard Harpo whistling to Susan things she seemed to readily understand and responded to. She never heard him speak. My grandmother said she wondered if he did that to keep up a front but she sided with the romantic belief that the Beauty fell in love with the Adorable Mute Gentleman. She told us her story many times of being at their home for a lunch and hearing Harpo communicating with Susan by whistling every time he was on TV, she passed away in 1980. Everyone... everyone loved her. We never knew he in fact could and did speak. I'm sure my grandmother would have loved this video. Thank you for telling us all.

I read a great story about Groucho. His instructions after death was to be cremated. A week later his lawyer got a letter from Groucho saying he'd changed his mind and wanted a burial instead. If you're confused the letter was post dated. This story about Harpo was so informative. I love learning things I don't know!

Very interesting video and learning about his story.

He makes me laugh, even watching this. I Love him. ♥️✨

Harpo was my first crush😊