Arthur Marx
Encyclopedia
Arthur Julius Marx was an American author, a former ranked amateur tennis player, and son of entertainer Groucho Marx
and his first wife, Ruth Johnson.
Marx spent his early years accompanying his father around vaudeville
circuits in the United States
and abroad. When he was 10, the family moved to Southern California
, where the Marx Brothers
continued their film careers.
, he won the National Freshman Intercollegiate Tennis title at Montclair, New Jersey
.
At the Cincinnati Masters
, Marx reached the singles final in 1941 before falling to Bobby Riggs
. To reach the final, Marx knocked off future International Tennis Hall of Fame
enshrinee John Doeg
in the round of 16, Frank Froehling in the quarterfinals, and Gardner Larned in the semifinals. Riggs had blown through his competition to reach the final, and Marx gave him his toughest test of the tournament, stretching the future Hall of Famer to five sets before falling, 11-9, 6-2, 4-6, 6-8, 6-1.
during World War II
, 16 months of which were spent in the South Pacific, he worked as an advertising copywriter, a radio gag man for Milton Berle
, and a writer of Hollywood movies, Broadway
plays and TV scripts for such hit shows as All in the Family
and Alice
. He and his collaborator, Robert Fisher
, were head writers for Alice and wrote 40 episodes of that show.
Along with Fisher, he co-authored The Impossible Years
, which ran for three seasons on Broadway and starred Alan King; Minnie's Boys
, a musical hit about the Marx Brothers' vaudeville years that starred Shelley Winters
; My Daughter's Rated X, which won the Straw Hat award for best new comedy on the summer stock
circuit, and Groucho: A Life in Revue
, which won great critical acclaim and was nominated for a New York Outer Critics Circle award for best play and London's Laurence Olivier Award for Comedy Production of the Year.
Solo, Marx authored 12 books, including The Ordeal of Willie Brown (1951), Not as a Crocodile (1958), Goldwyn: A Biography of the Man Behind the Myth (1976), Red Skelton (1979), The Nine Lives of Mickey Rooney (1988), The Secret Life of Bob Hope and the tennis-themed murder mystery Set to Kill (both 1993). His 1974 book on Dean Martin
and Jerry Lewis
entitled Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime (Especially Himself) was adapted into the 2002 made-for-television movie Martin and Lewis
.
Marx also wrote several books featuring different takes on his relationship with his father, including Life with Groucho (1954), Son of Groucho (1972), My Life With Groucho (1992), and Arthur Marx’s Groucho: A Photographic Journey (2001).
Groucho Marx
Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx was an American comedian and film star famed as a master of wit. His rapid-fire delivery of innuendo-laden patter earned him many admirers. He made 13 feature films with his siblings the Marx Brothers, of whom he was the third-born...
and his first wife, Ruth Johnson.
Marx spent his early years accompanying his father around vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
circuits in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and abroad. When he was 10, the family moved to Southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where the Marx Brothers
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
continued their film careers.
Tennis career
Marx was a nationally ranked tennis player before he was 18. While he was attending the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, he won the National Freshman Intercollegiate Tennis title at Montclair, New Jersey
Montclair, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,977 people, 15,020 households, and 9,687 families residing in the township. The population density was 6,183.6 people per square mile . There were 15,531 housing units at an average density of 2,464.0 per square mile...
.
At the Cincinnati Masters
Cincinnati Masters
The Cincinnati Open is an annual outdoor hardcourts tennis event held in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, Ohio, USA. The event started on September 18, 1899 and is the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city., Between...
, Marx reached the singles final in 1941 before falling to Bobby Riggs
Bobby Riggs
Robert Larimore "Bobby" Riggs was a 1930s–40s tennis player who was the World No. 1 or the co-World No. 1 player for three years, first as an amateur in 1941, then as a professional in 1946 and 1947...
. To reach the final, Marx knocked off future International Tennis Hall of Fame
International Tennis Hall of Fame
The International Tennis Hall of Fame is located in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. The hall of fame and honors players and contributors to the sport of tennis and includes a museum, grass tennis courts, an indoor tennis facility, and a court tennis facility.-History:The hall of fame and...
enshrinee John Doeg
John Doeg
John Thomas Godfray Hope Doeg was a male tennis player from the United States.He has won one major tournament: the U.S. Championships in 1930....
in the round of 16, Frank Froehling in the quarterfinals, and Gardner Larned in the semifinals. Riggs had blown through his competition to reach the final, and Marx gave him his toughest test of the tournament, stretching the future Hall of Famer to five sets before falling, 11-9, 6-2, 4-6, 6-8, 6-1.
Literary career
After his time as a tournament tennis player and four years in the United States Coast GuardUnited States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, 16 months of which were spent in the South Pacific, he worked as an advertising copywriter, a radio gag man for Milton Berle
Milton Berle
Milton Berlinger , better known as Milton Berle, was an American comedian and actor. As the manic host of NBC's Texaco Star Theater , in 1948 he was the first major star of U.S. television and as such became known as Uncle Miltie and Mr...
, and a writer of Hollywood movies, Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
plays and TV scripts for such hit shows as All in the Family
All in the Family
All in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, picked up where All in the Family had ended...
and Alice
Alice (TV series)
Alice is an American sitcom television series that ran from August 31, 1976 to July 2, 1985 on CBS. The series was based on the 1974 film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. The show stars Linda Lavin in the title role, a widow who moves with her young son to start her life over again, and finds a job...
. He and his collaborator, Robert Fisher
Robert Fisher
Robert Fisher may refer to:* Robert M. Fisher , American artist* Robert Fisher , American writer on play The Impossible Years* Robert J. Fisher , American business manager and director of Gap Inc...
, were head writers for Alice and wrote 40 episodes of that show.
Along with Fisher, he co-authored The Impossible Years
The Impossible Years
The Impossible Years is a 1965 comedy play by Robert Fisher and Arthur Marx, son of famed comedian Groucho Marx.The comedy revolves around Jonathan Kingsley, a teaching psychiatrist at the local university, his wife, and their two teenaged daughters...
, which ran for three seasons on Broadway and starred Alan King; Minnie's Boys
Minnie's Boys
Minnie's Boys is a musical with a book by Arthur Marx and Robert Fisher, music by Larry Grossman, and lyrics by Hal Hackady.It provides a behind-the-scenes look at the early days of the Marx Brothers and their relationship with their mother, the driving force behind their ultimate success.After an...
, a musical hit about the Marx Brothers' vaudeville years that starred Shelley Winters
Shelley Winters
Shelley Winters was an American actress who appeared in dozens of films, as well as on stage and television; her career spanned over 50 years until her death in 2006...
; My Daughter's Rated X, which won the Straw Hat award for best new comedy on the summer stock
Summer Stock
For the article about the theatre genre, see Summer stock theatre.Summer Stock is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical made in 1950. The film was directed by Charles Walters and stars Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Eddie Bracken, Gloria DeHaven, Marjorie Main, and Phil Silvers...
circuit, and Groucho: A Life in Revue
Groucho: A Life in Revue
Groucho: A Life in Revue is a stage play written by Groucho Marx's son Arthur Marx and Robert Fisher. It is a look at the life and career of the famous entertainer Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers and You Bet Your Life fame. It opened off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre on October 8, 1986...
, which won great critical acclaim and was nominated for a New York Outer Critics Circle award for best play and London's Laurence Olivier Award for Comedy Production of the Year.
Solo, Marx authored 12 books, including The Ordeal of Willie Brown (1951), Not as a Crocodile (1958), Goldwyn: A Biography of the Man Behind the Myth (1976), Red Skelton (1979), The Nine Lives of Mickey Rooney (1988), The Secret Life of Bob Hope and the tennis-themed murder mystery Set to Kill (both 1993). His 1974 book on Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
and Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
entitled Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime (Especially Himself) was adapted into the 2002 made-for-television movie Martin and Lewis
Martin and Lewis (film)
Martin and Lewis is a 2002 CBS TV film written and directed by John Gray, portraying the lives of the comedy team of Martin and Lewis.The film featured Jeremy Northam as Dean Martin and Sean Hayes as Jerry Lewis....
.
Marx also wrote several books featuring different takes on his relationship with his father, including Life with Groucho (1954), Son of Groucho (1972), My Life With Groucho (1992), and Arthur Marx’s Groucho: A Photographic Journey (2001).