Milton"Gummo"Marx(October 23, 1892 – April 21, 1977) was an Americanvaudevillianperformer, actor, comedian, and theatrical agent.[1]He was the second youngest of the fiveMarx Brothers.Born inManhattan,he worked with his brothers on the vaudeville circuit, leaving the act when he was drafted into theUS Armyin 1918 duringWorld War Iand replaced by his brotherZeppo.He had no taste for the theatre and became a successful businessman.
Gummo Marx | |
|---|---|
 Gummo at a reunion of his brothers on theTonight Show | |
| Born | Milton Marx October 23, 1892 New York City,U.S. |
| Died | April 21, 1977(aged 84) Palm Springs,California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery,Glendale, California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1899−1918 |
| Spouse |
Helen von Tilzer
(m.1929; died 1976) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) | Sam "Frenchie" Marx Minnie Schönberg |
| Relatives | Chico Marx(older brother) Harpo Marx(older brother) Groucho Marx(older brother) Zeppo Marx(younger brother) Al Shean(maternal uncle) Gregg Marx(grandson) |
Early life
editMarx was born inManhattan,New York City, on October 23, 1892.[note 1]His parents wereSam Marx(called "Frenchie" throughout his life), andMinnie Schoenberg Marx.Marx's family was Jewish. His mother was fromDornuminEast Frisia,and his father was a native ofAlsaceand worked as a tailor.[2][3][4]
Career
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Gummo was the first of his brothers to make his debut on stage, pretending to be a dummy in an act with his uncle Henry Shean (né Heinemann Schoenberg), the brother ofAl Shean,in 1899.[citation needed]Milton was put into a costume with apapier-mâchéhead and pretended to be a dummy while Henry pretended to work him.[citation needed]The act may have only been performed once and was not helped by Shean's deafness or Milton's stammer.[5]
Gummo, who in an interview said he never liked being on stage,[citation needed]left the group and joined the military during World War I. He was not sent overseas because the armistice was signed shortly afterward.[citation needed]Gummo's younger brother Zeppo took his place in the group. After his Army career, Gummo went into theraincoatbusiness.[6]He later joined with Zeppo and operated atheatrical agency.[7]After that collaboration ended, Gummo represented his brother Groucho and worked on the television showThe Life of Riley,which he helped develop.[citation needed]
Gummo represented other on-screen talent and a number of writers, and was well-respected as a businessman. He rarely required contracts, believing that if the people he represented liked his work, they would stay with him.[8]Around the time he left his brothers' Vaudeville act, Marx applied for a patent for a clothes-packing rack. On October 28, 1919, Marx was granted patent US1320335A.[9]
Gummo may have received hisnicknamebecause he had a tendency to sneak around backstage, creeping up on others like a "gumshoe" privatedetective.Another explanation cited by biographers and family members is that Milton, the sickliest of the brothers, often worerubber overshoes,also called "gumshoes", to protect himself in inclement weather.[10]According to Zeppo in a much later BBC TV interview, Gummo may have received hisnicknamebecause he was usually chewing gum.[11]
Personal life and death
editMarx married Helen von Tilzer née Theaman (who had a two-year-old daughter, Karlyn "Kay" von Tilzer, from her previous marriage), on May 3, 1929.;[12]they remained married until her death in January 1976.[citation needed]Their son, Robert Stuart, was born on August 19, 1930.[13]Gummo's grandsonGregg Marxis an actor.
Gummo died on April 21, 1977, at his home inPalm Springs, California,aged 84, from acerebral hemorrhage.[1]His death was never reported to Groucho, who by that time had become so ill and weak that it was thought the news would be a further detriment to his health. Groucho died four months later on August 19, at age 86.
Gummo and his wife Helen are interred next to each other in the Freedom Mausoleum at theForest Lawn Memorial ParkinGlendale, California.[14]Gummo's brother Chico is in a crypt across the hall from them.[citation needed]Gummo's only biological child, Robert, served in theUnited States Coast Guardfor two years and later worked as anarchitect.He died on May 21, 2023, aged 92.[15]
Notes
edit- ^The 1900 United States Census shows his birth as "October 1892". His World War I and World War II draft registrations uses "October 21, 1892". His death certificate and his grave use the year 1893. The documents originating closest to the birth date are usually more accurate.
References
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- ^ab"Gummo Marx, Managed Comedians".New York Times.Reuters.April 22, 1977. p. D19.RetrievedDecember 15,2013.
Gummo Marx, an original member of the Marx brothers' comedy team, died here today. He was 83 years old.
- ^La famille paternelle des Marx Brothers(in French)
- ^"Mrs. Minnie Marx. Mother of Four Marx Brothers, Musical Comedy Stars, Dies".New York Times.September 16, 1929. p. 27.RetrievedDecember 15,2013.
- ^"Samuel Marx, Father of Four Marx Brothers of Stage and Screen Fame".New York Times.May 12, 1933. p. 17.RetrievedJune 27,2008.
- ^Bader, Robert S. (2016).Four of the Three Musketeers: The Marx Brothers on Stage.Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press. pp.53–54.ISBN9780810134164.
- ^Current Biography,The H. W. Wilson Company,archived fromthe originalon April 26, 2012,retrievedNovember 29,2011
- ^Anstey, Robert Graham (June 5, 2017).The Marx Brothers: Their World, Their Movies, Their Lives, Their Humour and Their Legacy.West Coast Paradise Pub.ISBN9781896779850.RetrievedJune 5,2017– via Google Books.[permanent dead link]
- ^Simon Louvish (2000)Monkey Business: The Lives and Legends of the Marx Brothers.New York: Thomas Dunne, 337–8.ISBN0-312-25292-7
- ^Patent US1320335A: Devices facilitating the insertion of articles or materials into bags e.g. guides or chutes,US Patent Office, 1919.
- ^Bader, Robert S. (2016).Four of the Three Musketeers: The Marx Brothers on Stage.Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press. p. 170.ISBN9780810134164.
- ^BBC Archives
- ^Index to New York City Marriages, 1866-1937. Marriage License Date: 3 May 1929; License Number: 10208
- ^"Gummo Marx".Biography.RetrievedJune 5,2017.
- ^Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries
- ^"Robert Marx Obituary (2023) - Los Angeles, CA - Los Angeles Times".Legacy.RetrievedMay 26,2024.
External links
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