Collection Summary
Groucho Marx Papers
1930-1967
(bulk 1950-1965)
1930-1967
(bulk 1950-1965)
MSS47845
Marx, Groucho,
1890-1977
1,000
items
6 containers
2.4 linear feet
English
Collection material in
English
Manuscript Division, Library of
Congress
Washington, D.C.
Humorist and actor.
Correspondence, book typescripts, and film scripts relating to Marx’s life
and acting career.
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Ace, Goodman--Correspondence.
Allen, Fred, 1894-1956--Correspondence.
Blake, George, 1917-1955--Correspondence.
Cavett, Dick--Correspondence.
Eliot, T. S. (Thomas Stearns), 1888-1965--Correspondence.
Lewis, Jerry, 1926-2017--Correspondence.
Marx, Groucho, 1890-1977.
Marx, Groucho, 1890-1977. Groucho and me. 1959.
Sheekman, Arthur, 1901-1978--Correspondence.
Truman, Harry S., 1884-1972--Correspondence.
White, E. B. (Elwyn Brooks), 1899-1985--Correspondence.
Subjects
Motion picture actors and actresses.
Motion picture industry--United States.
Motion picture plays.
Occupations
Actors.
Humorists.
Provenance
The papers of Groucho Marx, humorist and actor, were given to the
Library of Congress by Marx in 1966. Additional material was acquired by
purchase in 2003 and by gift in 2004.
Processing History
The papers of Groucho Marx were housed and listed circa 1966 and
reprocessed in 2006.
Copyright Status
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Groucho Marx is
governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Access and Restrictions
The papers of Groucho Marx are open to research. Researchers are
advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many
collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these
items for research use.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the
following information: Container number, Groucho Marx Papers, Manuscript
Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Biographical Note
Date
Event
1890, Oct. 2
Born Julius Henry Marx, New York, N.Y.
1920
Married Ruth Johnson (divorced 1942)
1924
Appeared in
I’ll Say She Is
(play)
1925
Appeared in
The Cocoanuts
(play)
1928
Appeared in
Animal Crackers
(play)
1929
Appeared in
The Cocoanuts
(film)
1930
Appeared in
Animal Crackers
(film)
1933
Appeared in
Horse Feathers
(film)
Appeared in
Duck Soup
(film)
1935
Appeared in
A Night at the Opera
(film)
1937
Appeared in
A Day at the Races
(film)
1945
Married Catherine “Kay” Marvis-Gorcey (divorced
1951)
1946
Appeared in
A Night in Casablanca
(film)
1947
Appeared in
Copacabana
(film)
1950
1961
Hosted
You Bet Your Life
(television
series)
1954
Married Eden Hartford (divorced 1969)
1959
Published
Groucho and Me.
New York: B. Geis
Associates
1963
Published
Memoirs of a Mangy Lover
. New York:
B. Geis Associates
1972
Awarded Commandeur des Arts et Lettres, Cannes Film Festival
1974
Awarded special Academy Award for achievements of the Marx
Brothers
1977, Aug. 19
Died, Los Angeles, Calif.
Scope and Content Note
The papers of Groucho Marx (1890-1977) span the years 1930-1967, with
the bulk of the material dating from 1950 to 1965. Marx is best known as an
actor in comedy films in the 1930s and 1940s as well as the host of the
television show
You Bet Your Life
in the 1950s. The
collection consists of typescripts of his books and film scripts, including
Animal Crackers
,
Duck Soup
, and
A Night at the Opera
. A large part of the
collection contains correspondence with politicians, literary figures, and
colleagues in the entertainment industry such as Goodman Ace, Fred Allen, Dick
Cavett, T. S. Eliot, Jerry Lewis, Arthur Sheekman, Harry S. Truman, E. B.
White, and Earl Wilson. An addition consists of a typescript draft of Marx’s
autobiography
Groucho and Me
, the published book, and
correspondence with George Blake, the director of commercials for
You Bet Your Life
.
Arrangement of the Papers
This collection is arranged alphabetically by type of material.
Catalog Record: [https://lccn.loc.gov/mm82047845]
Container List
Container
Contents
1
Books
Groucho and Me
, typescripts,
1959
1959
(14
folders)
1
Memoirs of a Mangy Lover
,
typescripts,
1963
1963
(4
folders)
2
Correspondence
2
Ace, Goodman,
1950-1962, undated
1950-1962, undated
(3
folders)
2
Allen, Fred,
1950-1956, undated
1950-1956, undated
(2
folders)
2
Astor, David,
1954
1954
2
Atkinson, Brooks,
1953
1953
2
Baker, Russell,
1963-1964
1963-1964
2
Benoff, Mac,
1965
1965
2
Berlin, Irving,
1956-1959
1956-1959
2
Blake, George,
1954-1956
1954-1956
2
Brown, John M.,
1963
1963
2
Cantor, Eddie,
1956-1964
1956-1964
2
Cavett, Dick,
1964-1966
1964-1966
2
Cerf, Bennett,
undated
undated
2
Coe, Fred,
1964-1965
1964-1965
2
Cook, Alistair,
1953-1957
1953-1957
2
Crosby, John,
1956-1963
1956-1963
2
Cross, Perry,
1962
1962
2
Curley, James M.,
1956
1956
2
Delahanty, Thornton,
1945
1945
2
Eliot, T. S.,
1961-1964
1961-1964
2
Evans, Bergan,
1951-1963
1951-1963
2
Folsom, Frank,
1954
1954
2
Gardner, Hy,
1953
1953
2
Gershwin, Ira,
1959-1961
1959-1961
2
Gordon, Max,
1948-1954
1948-1954
2
Gottlieb, Alex,
1962
1962
2
Green, Abel,
1948-1960
1948-1960
2
Green, Adolph,
1956-1961
1956-1961
2
Harbach, William,
1964
1964
2
Hayden, Phyllis McGinley,
1954-1964
1954-1964
2
Hecht, Ben,
1951-1954
1951-1954
2
Hoffman, Irving,
1948-1953
1948-1953
2
Hughes, Lawrence,
1963
1963
2
Johnson, Nunnally,
1960-1965, undated
1960-1965, undated
2
Kanter, Hal,
1962
1962
2
Kerr, Walter,
1958-1962
1958-1962
2
Kaufman, George S.,
1951-1957
1951-1957
2
King, Alexander,
1960-1961
1960-1961
2
Kuchel, Thomas,
1964
1964
2
Lee, C. Y.,
1957
1957
2
Levin, Hermin,
1956-1957
1956-1957
2
Lewis, Jerry,
1954-1962
1954-1962
2
Lieberson, Goddard,
1955-1964
1955-1964
2
Lindsay, Cynthia,
1962, undated
1962, undated
2
Little, Brown & Co.,
1957-1958
1957-1958
2
Loesser, Frank,
1962-1964
1962-1964
2
Lyons, Leonard,
1962-1964
1962-1964
3
Martin, Peter,
1957-1960
1957-1960
3
Marx, Andrew,
1963-1965
1963-1965
3
Marx, Arthur,
1940-1945
1940-1945
3
Marx, Harpo,
1964
1964
3
Marx, Minnie,
1964
1964
3
McCall’s Magazine
,
1963
1963
3
Murray, Arthur,
1951-1962
1951-1962
3
Murray, James,
1964
1964
3
Murrow, Edward R.,
1955-1959
1955-1959
3
Osterman, Lester,
1962-1963
1962-1963
3
Perelman, S. J.,
1948
1948
3
Rivkin, Allen,
1962
1962
3
Rosten, Leo,
1951-1963
1951-1963
3
Ruby, Harry,
1949-1965
1949-1965
3
Salinger, Samuel,
1954-1964
1954-1964
3
Schlesinger, Arthur Meier (1917-
),
1961
1961
3
Schuster, M. Lincoln,
1950-1963
1950-1963
3
Sheekman, Arthur,
1930-1965, undated
1930-1965, undated
(3
folders)
3
Sheldon, Sidney,
1951-1952
1951-1952
3
Smith, C. R.,
1953-1954
1953-1954
3
Sullivan, Frank,
1960-1965
1960-1965
3
Susskind, David,
1961-1964
1961-1964
3
Swope, Herbert B.,
1954
1954
3
Thompson, Mr. & Mrs. Eugene
A.,
1959-1963
1959-1963
3
Thurber, James
1957-1962
1957-1962
3
Time
magazine,
1946-1952
1946-1952
3
Truman, Harry S.,
1954
1954
3
Tynan, Mrs. Kenneth,
1959
1959
3
Van Horn, Harriet,
1957-1962
1957-1962
3
Welch, Joseph N.,
1957-1960
1957-1960
3
White, E. B.,
1954-1959
1954-1959
3
Wilson, Colin,
1957-1959
1957-1959
3
Wilson, Earl,
1949-1962
1949-1962
3
Zolotow, Samuel,
1945-1946
1945-1946
3
“A-Z” miscellaneous,
1943-1965
1943-1965
(3
folders)
4
Film scripts
4
Animal Crackers
,
1930
1930
4
Monkey Business
,
1931
1931
(2
folders)
4
Duck Soup
,
1933
1933
4
A Night at the Opera
,
1935
1935
(2
folders)
4
A Day at the Races
,
1936
1936
4
Go West
,
1940
1940
5
Room Service
,
1938
1938
5
A Day at the Circus
,
1939
1939
5
A Night in Casablanca
,
1946
1946
5
It’s Only Money
,
1948
1948
6
Addition
Book,
Groucho and Me
,
1959
1959
6
Drafts
(6
folders)
6
Published
6
Correspondence, George Blake,
1954-1956, 1967, undated
1954-1956, 1967, undated