Zeppo Marx
| Zeppo Marx | |
|---|---|
Zeppo in 1931
|
|
| Born |
Herbert Manfred Marx February 25, 1901 Manhattan, New York City |
| Died | November 30, 1979 (aged 78) Eisenhower Medical Center Rancho Mirage, California |
| Other names | Herbert Marx |
| Occupation | Actor, comedian, inventor, theatrical agent, and singer |
| Known for | Duck Soup, Monkey Business |
| Spouse(s) |
Marion Benda (m. 1927; div. 1954) Barbara Blakeley (m. 1959; div. 1973) |
| Children | 2 (adopted) |
| Parent(s) |
Minnie Schönberg Sam "Frenchie" Marx |
| Relatives |
Al Shean (maternal uncle) Chico Marx (brother) Harpo Marx (brother) Groucho Marx (brother) Gummo Marx (brother) |
Herbert Manfred Marx (February 25, 1901 – November 30, 1979), better known by his stage name, Zeppo Marx, was an American actor, comedian, theatrical agent, and engineer. He was the youngest of the five Marx Brothers. He appeared in the first five Marx Brothers feature films, from 1929 to 1933, but then left the act to start his second career as an engineer and theatrical agent. Zeppo Marx was a multi-millionaire due to his engineering efforts.
Zeppo was born in Manhattan, New York City on February 25, 1901. His parents were Sam Marx (called "Frenchie" throughout his life), and his wife, Minnie Schönberg Marx. Minnie's brother was Al Shean. Marx's family was Jewish. His mother was from East Frisia in Germany; and his father was a native of France, and worked as a tailor.
As with all of the Marx Brothers, there are different theories as to where Zeppo got his stage name: Groucho said in his Carnegie Hall concert in 1972 that the name was derived from the Zeppelin airship. Zeppo's ex-wife Barbara Sinatra repeated this in her 2011 book, Lady Blue Eyes: My Life with Frank. His brother Harpo offered a different account in his 1961 autobiography, Harpo Speaks!, claiming (p. 130) that there was a popular trained chimpanzee named Mr. Zippo, and that "Herbie" was tagged with the name "Zippo" because he liked to do chinups and acrobatics, as the chimp did in its act. The youngest brother objected to this nickname, and it was altered to "Zeppo."
Zeppo appeared in the first five Marx Brothers movies, as a and romantic lead, before leaving the team. According to a 1925 newspaper article, he also made a solo appearance in the Adolphe Menjou comedy A Kiss in the Dark. Although no copy of the film is known to exist, according to newspaper reviews, he appeared in a minor role.
In Lady Blue Eyes, Barbara Sinatra claimed that Zeppo was considered too young to perform with his brothers, and it wasn't until Gummo joined the Army that Zeppo was asked to join the act as a last-minute stand-in at a show in Texas. Zeppo was supposed to go out that night with a Jewish friend of his. They were supposed to take out two Irish girls, but Zeppo had to cancel to board the train to Texas. His friend went ahead and went on the date, and was shot a few hours later when he was attacked by an Irish gang that disapproved of a Jew dating an Irish girl.
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Wikipedia