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Chico Marx

Chico Marx
Chico Marx - signed.jpg
Chico Marx around 1930
Born Leonard Marx
(1887-03-22)March 22, 1887
Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Died October 11, 1961(1961-10-11) (aged 74)
Hollywood, California
Cause of death Arteriosclerosis
Other names Leo Marx
Occupation Actor, bandleader, comedian
Years active 1926–1959
Height 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Spouse(s)
  • Betty Karp
    (m. 1917; div. 1940)
  • Mary De Vithas
    (m. 1958; his death 1961)
Children 1
Parent(s) Minnie Schönberg
Sam "Frenchie" Marx
Relatives Al Shean (maternal uncle)
Harpo Marx (brother)
Groucho Marx (brother)
Gummo Marx (brother)
Zeppo Marx (brother)

Leonard Marx (March 22, 1887 – October 11, 1961), known professionally as Chico Marx, was an American comedian, musician, bandleader, actor and film star. He was a member of the Marx Brothers. His persona in the act was that of a charming, dim-witted albeit crafty con artist, seemingly of rural Italian origin, who wore shabby clothes and sported a curly-haired wig and Tyrolean hat. In virtually every film that includes the main trio of the Marx Brothers, Chico is seen working with Harpo Marx, usually as partners in crime. Leonard was the oldest of the Marx Brothers to live past early childhood (first-born Manfred Marx had died in infancy). In addition to his work as a performer, he played an important role in the management and development of the act in its early years.

He was born on March 22, 1887 in Manhattan, New York City.

Billing himself as Chico, he used an Italian persona for his onstage character; stereotyped ethnic characters were common with vaudevillians. His non-Italian-ness was specifically referred to three times on film. In their second feature, Animal Crackers, he recognizes someone he knows to be a shady character impersonating a respected art collector:

Ravelli (Chico): "How is it you got to be Roscoe W. Chandler?"
Chandler: "Say, how did you get to be an Italian?"
Ravelli: "Never mind—whose confession is this?"

In Duck Soup, when Chico impersonates Groucho but retains his accent, Margaret Dumont asks what happened to his voice. Chico replies, "Well, maybe sometime I go to Italy and I'm practicing the language." To which Dumont replies, "Your dialect is perfect."

In A Night at the Opera, which begins in Italy, his character, Fiorello, claims not to be Italian, eliciting a surprised look from Groucho:

Driftwood (Groucho): "Well, things certainly seem to be getting better around the country."
Fiorello (Chico): "Well, I wouldn't know about that; I'm a stranger here myself."

A scene in the film Go West, in which Chico attempts to placate an Indian chief of whom Groucho has run afoul, has a line that plays a bit on Chico's lack of Italian nationality, but is more or less proper Marxian wordplay:


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Wikipedia

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