First of all, who is Harpo Marx? History seems to have left Harpo as silent as his performances—at least in the memories of most people. Everyone seems to remember his brother Groucho’s signature looks and quotes and most everyone has at least heard of the Marx Brothers, so logic would say, one would remember them all… right? Yet, what happens when one mentions Harpo? Silence. Ironic to hear silence, since he was both extremely noisy and silent. A lot could be said about this unique comedian, musician and artist, but it’s best to see him instead, so here’s a selection of his sketches, for the readers to meet him before we continue:
The man
After reading a critic say something along the lines of “Arthur Marx creates a wonderful world of pantomime that is ruined every time he opens his mouth,” Harpo Marx never spoke again in any of his performances. It got to the point where most people believed he was actually mute. More about Harpo’s personal life, career and anecdotes are described by his son on his official website.
What most people never knew is that there were two Harpos. If we look closely, we can even see it in the films: the difference between the moments he’s bouncing all over the place and the moments where he transforms the very second he touches the strings of the harp. Even before he sits and starts playing, something magical happens. Watch and you’ll see. It shows in his eyes every single time.
There are many Harpos:
The comedian
This is the one we can see in the video above, the clownish silent—but noisy—character who speaks with whistles, blowing horns, and crazy faces. He chases girls and creates chaos everywhere he goes.
The musician
Harpo’s most famous instrument is, of course, the harp, which he learned by himself, using his own system to play it. There were no instructors around when he started learning and this self-taught method led to his particular style. When later he asked harp teachers to teach him to play “properly,” they refused saying, “they had nothing to teach him.” Later in life, he published several albums and even composed some pieces.
The artist
Harpo loved painting. It was also his way to relax. On the official website made by his son, you can see view of his artwork.
The writer
This one is the Harpo we discover find when we read “Harpo Speaks.” His style is simple, personal, and relatable, as well as quite interesting since he’s got so much to tell.
The book
As mentioned before, there were two Harpos: the public one, which can be seen in the funny wacky character he created, and the personal one that no one knew. In “Harpo Speaks” it’s the personal and less known part of Harpo that speaks.
Harpo Marx writes of his life before, during, and after he and his brothers became famous, with lovely, humorous stories and anecdotes. He tells of growing up in a rough neighborhood and of being poor, being bullied and dropping out of school at age 7. He taught himself to read, write, tell time, and to play the piano and harp. He also speaks about his relationship with his family and how he was particularly close to his mother and brother Leonard (Chico), with whom he was closest in age.
It also tells about hilarious anecdotes regarding Harpo’s schooling, his many different occupations, and the people with whom he shared the spotlight. He also accounts for his family’s successes and sorrows in the vaudeville circuit and their rise to fame in the movies. He also writes about making the movies he is most famous for.
This book also shows a lot of details on his private life, including the events surrounding meeting his wife and adopting his children. He also tells us how he achieved his dream of having a smiling face in every window of the house to greet him when he came home. It also details the enormous love and brotherhood he shares with his brothers and the close friendships he forged. Written in 1961, this book was written not too long before his death and it covers the vast majority of his life.
The book may not be in every bookshop nowadays, but one can easily buy it online, and to be honest, I think it’s a great book to have on your shelf and enjoy reading. It gives us a glimpse of how life used to be more than 100 years ago and gives us inspiration on how to improve our life and achieve our dreams, without losing our innocence.
