Chico Marx

About Chico Marx

Who is it?: American comedian
Birth Day: March 22, 1887
Birth Place: New York City, New York, United States
Cause of death: Arteriosclerosis
Burial place: Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Los Angeles
Other names: Leo Marx
Occupation: Actor, bandleader, comedian
Years active: 1910–1960
Height: 5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
Spouse(s): Betty Karp (m. 1917; div. 1940) Mary De Vithas (m. 1958)
Children: 1
Parent(s): Sam "Frenchie" Marx Minnie Schönberg
Relatives: Harpo Marx (brother) Groucho Marx (brother) Gummo Marx (brother) Zeppo Marx (brother) Al Shean (maternal uncle)

Chico Marx

Chico Marx was born on March 22, 1887 in New York City, New York, United States, is American comedian. Known popularly by the nickname Chico Marx, Leonard Marx was the eldest of the Marx Brothers who gained fame for themselves in the entertainment industry in the initial years of the 20th century. A comedian and actor, he sported a charming yet dim-witted character of the Italian origin in the various acts of the brothers. Not only did he sport a curly-haired wig and Tyrolean hat to complete the look, he complemented the same with an Italian accent as well. Though Marx spent the better part of his life gambling and womanizing, he was blessed with shrewd and savvy business sense. It was due to his business acumen that the Marx Brothers gained a contract with the MGM and also much profits from their acts. However, he could not manage his own wealth which remained elusive due to his lifelong gambling addiction and penchant for chasing women. Nevertheless, his antic personality drew him a lot of fame and distinction.
Chico Marx is a member of Film & Theater Personalities

Does Chico Marx Dead or Alive?

As per our current Database, Chico Marx has been died on October 11, 1961(1961-10-11) (aged 74)\nHollywood, California, U.S..

🎂 Chico Marx - Age, Bio, Faces and Birthday

When Chico Marx die, Chico Marx was 74 years old.

Popular As Chico Marx
Occupation Film & Theater Personalities
Age 74 years old
Zodiac Sign Aries
Born March 22, 1887 (New York City, New York, United States)
Birthday March 22
Town/City New York City, New York, United States
Nationality United States

🌙 Zodiac

Chico Marx’s zodiac sign is Aries. According to astrologers, the presence of Aries always marks the beginning of something energetic and turbulent. They are continuously looking for dynamic, speed and competition, always being the first in everything - from work to social gatherings. Thanks to its ruling planet Mars and the fact it belongs to the element of Fire (just like Leo and Sagittarius), Aries is one of the most active zodiac signs. It is in their nature to take action, sometimes before they think about it well.

🌙 Chinese Zodiac Signs

Chico Marx was born in the Year of the Pig. Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Pig are extremely nice, good-mannered and tasteful. They’re perfectionists who enjoy finer things but are not perceived as snobs. They enjoy helping others and are good companions until someone close crosses them, then look out! They’re intelligent, always seeking more knowledge, and exclusive. Compatible with Rabbit or Goat.

Some Chico Marx images

Famous Quotes:

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?"

Biography/Timeline

1915

His nickname (acquired during a card game in Chicago in 1915) was originally spelled Chicko. A typesetter accidentally dropped the "k" in his name and it became Chico. It was still pronounced "Chick-oh" although those who were unaware of its origin tended to pronounce it "Cheek-oh". Numerous radio recordings from the 1940s exist where announcers and fellow actors mispronounce the nickname, but Chico apparently felt it was unnecessary to correct them. As late as the 1950s, Groucho was happy to use the wrong pronunciation for comedic effect. A guest on You Bet Your Life told the quizmaster she grew up around Chico (California) and Groucho responded, "I grew up around Chico myself. You aren't Gummo, are you?"

1917

Chico was married twice. His first marriage was to Betty Karp in 1917. Their union produced one daughter named Maxine (1918–2009). His first marriage was plagued by his infidelity, ending in divorce in 1940; he was very close to his daughter Maxine and gave her acting lessons.

1929

Chico became the unofficial manager of the Marx Brothers after their mother, Minnie, died in 1929. As manager, he cut a deal to get the brothers a percentage of a film's gross receipts—the first of its kind in Hollywood. Furthermore, it was Chico's connection with Irving Thalberg of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer that led to Thalberg's signing the Brothers when they were in a career slump after Duck Soup (1933), the last of their films for Paramount.

1930

As well as being a compulsive womanizer, Chico had a lifelong gambling habit. His favorite gambling pursuits were card games, horse racing, dog racing, and various Sports betting. His addiction cost him millions of dollars by his own account. When an interviewer in the late 1930s asked him how much money he had lost from gambling, he answered, "Find out how much money Harpo's got. That's how much I've lost." Gummo Marx, in an interview years after Chico's death, said: "Chico's favorite people were actors who gambled, producers who gambled, and women who screwed." Referring to Chico's love life, George Jessel quipped, "Chico didn't button his fly until he was seventy."

1935

Groucho Marx once said that Chico never practiced the pieces he played. Instead, before performances he soaked his fingers in hot water. He was known for 'shooting' the keys of the piano. He played passages with his thumb up and index finger straight, like a gun, as part of the act. Other examples of his keyboard flamboyance are found in A Night at the Opera (1935), where he played the piano for a group of delighted children, and A Night in Casablanca (1946), where he played a rendition of "The Beer Barrel Polka".

1940

Chico's lifelong gambling addiction compelled him to continue in show Business long after his brothers had retired in comfort from their Hollywood income, and in the early 1940s he found himself playing in the same small, cheap halls in which he had begun his career 30 years earlier. The Marx Brothers' penultimate film, A Night in Casablanca (1946), was made for Chico's benefit since he had filed for bankruptcy a few years prior. Because of his out-of-control gambling, the brothers finally took the money as he earned it and put him on an allowance, on which he stayed until his death.

1958

Chico's second marriage was to Mary De Vithas. They married in 1958, three years before his death.

1960

Chico had a reputation as a world-class pinochle player, a game he and Harpo learned from their Father. Groucho said Chico would throw away good cards (with the knowledge of spectators) to make the play "more interesting". Chico's last public appearance was in 1960, playing cards on the television show Championship Bridge. He and his partner lost the game.

1961

Chico died of arteriosclerosis at age 74 on October 11, 1961, at his Hollywood home. He was the eldest brother and the first to die.

1972

During Groucho's live performance at Carnegie Hall in 1972, he states that his brother got the name Chico because he was a "chicken-chaser" (early 20th century slang for womanizer). "In England now, they call them birds."

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