Comedic Actor. Groucho Marx is remembered as an American entertainer of the 20th century with a nearly seven-decade career. Besides being a comedic actor, he was a talented writer, stage, film, radio, singer, television star and vaudeville performer. He was probably the best-known of the Marx Brothers comedy team. He achieved fame in the film industry with his brothers Harpo and Chico and sometimes Zeppo. He had much success on television with the show "You Bet Your Life." Born Julius Henry Marx, the fourth son of six of Sam and Minnie Schönberg Marx, his career started as a boy singer with his mother being his manager. After teaming with his brother Harpo and Gummo, his brother Chico joined the group later, and the brother switched from a musical team to a comedy team. With his greasepaint mustache, large glasses, bushy-eye-bows, big cigar, swallow tail coat, stooped walk, and most of all, sarcastic, caustic wit, he was always the leader of the brothers. The brothers became a smash hit on Broadway in 1924 with "I'll Say She Is." He played the role of the lawyer. By 1929 Zeppo had replaced Gummo and the film version of "The Cocoanuts," which made them a successful act. The Marxes made 13 films together, finally retiring with "Love Happy" in 1949. Five of their films was selected for the top 100 comedy films by the American Film Institute. His two younger brothers, Gummo and Zeppo, never developed their stage characters to the same extent as Chico, Harpo, and Groucho. After their film work, Groucho tried several radio programs and solo films with little success. He was known for singing his version of "Lydia the Tattooed Lady." In 1947, he began a radio program as the quizmaster of "You Bet Your Life," a show more famous for its repartee between Groucho and his contestants than for the game itself. The program went on television in 1950 and ended in 1961. The show was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1988. In 1951 the show received the Best Primetime Emmy Award and in 1949 the Peabody Award. After the deaths of Harpo and Chico, Groucho faded into semi-oblivion, having ended his third marriage in 1969. He had a daughter and a son by his first wife and a daughter by his second wife. He appeared as a guest on television shows including the 1968 Tony Award presentation, where he had the audience in roaring laughter. From 1969 until his death, actress Erin Fleming became his hired secretary, manager and companion, who helped revive his professional visibility with campus tours and a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall. From his Carnegie Hall performance, his double album "An Evening with Groucho" was recorded and was a Grammy nominee for Best Comedy Recording. In 1974, he had an honorary Academy Award presented to him during his lifetime. Groucho also wrote eight books including his humorous autobiography "Groucho and Me." He died a very wealthy man. Author Sidney Sheldon penned in 1976 the novel based on Groucho and Fleming's relationship, which was made into a television movie "A Stranger in the Mirror" in 1993. Upon the independence of the country of Georgia from the Soviet Union, the country issued a postage stamp with his image. His remains were cremated.

Comedic Actor. Groucho Marx is remembered as an American entertainer of the 20th century with a nearly seven-decade career. Besides being a comedic actor, he was a talented writer, stage, film, radio, singer, television star and vaudeville performer. He was probably the best-known of the Marx Brothers comedy team. He achieved fame in the film industry with his brothers Harpo and Chico and sometimes Zeppo. He had much success on television with the show "You Bet Your Life." Born Julius Henry Marx, the fourth son of six of Sam and Minnie Schönberg Marx, his career started as a boy singer with his mother being his manager. After teaming with his brother Harpo and Gummo, his brother Chico joined the group later, and the brother switched from a musical team to a comedy team. With his greasepaint mustache, large glasses, bushy-eye-bows, big cigar, swallow tail coat, stooped walk, and most of all, sarcastic, caustic wit, he was always the leader of the brothers. The brothers became a smash hit on Broadway in 1924 with "I'll Say She Is." He played the role of the lawyer. By 1929 Zeppo had replaced Gummo and the film version of "The Cocoanuts," which made them a successful act. The Marxes made 13 films together, finally retiring with "Love Happy" in 1949. Five of their films was selected for the top 100 comedy films by the American Film Institute. His two younger brothers, Gummo and Zeppo, never developed their stage characters to the same extent as Chico, Harpo, and Groucho. After their film work, Groucho tried several radio programs and solo films with little success. He was known for singing his version of "Lydia the Tattooed Lady." In 1947, he began a radio program as the quizmaster of "You Bet Your Life," a show more famous for its repartee between Groucho and his contestants than for the game itself. The program went on television in 1950 and ended in 1961. The show was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1988. In 1951 the show received the Best Primetime Emmy Award and in 1949 the Peabody Award. After the deaths of Harpo and Chico, Groucho faded into semi-oblivion, having ended his third marriage in 1969. He had a daughter and a son by his first wife and a daughter by his second wife. He appeared as a guest on television shows including the 1968 Tony Award presentation, where he had the audience in roaring laughter. From 1969 until his death, actress Erin Fleming became his hired secretary, manager and companion, who helped revive his professional visibility with campus tours and a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall. From his Carnegie Hall performance, his double album "An Evening with Groucho" was recorded and was a Grammy nominee for Best Comedy Recording. In 1974, he had an honorary Academy Award presented to him during his lifetime. Groucho also wrote eight books including his humorous autobiography "Groucho and Me." He died a very wealthy man. Author Sidney Sheldon penned in 1976 the novel based on Groucho and Fleming's relationship, which was made into a television movie "A Stranger in the Mirror" in 1993. Upon the independence of the country of Georgia from the Soviet Union, the country issued a postage stamp with his image. His remains were cremated.

Bio by: LincolnFan