Guide to the Harpo Marx papers NMAH Staff Archives Center, National Museum of American History P.O. 7012 Suite 1100, MRC 601 Washington, D.C. 20013-7012 archivescenter@si.edu http://americanhistory.si.edu/archives
Table of Contents Collection Overview... 1 Administrative Information... 1 Container Listing... 2 Series : Sound Recordings: Original Audio Discs, 1947, 1949, 1956... 2 Series : Working Box 1... 6 Series : Working... 8 Series : Working... 10 Series : Working Box 4... 12 Series : Working Box 5... 13 Series : Working Box 6... 14
Collection Overview Repository: Title: Identifier: Archives Center, National Museum of American History Date: circa 1900-1964 Extent: Creator: Language: 7 Cubic Feet Marx, Harpo English Administrative Information Acquisition Information Collection donated by William Woolcott Marx of Rancho Mirage, California in 2012. Processing Information Collection is unprocessed. Preferred Citation, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution Restrictions Collection is open for research. Conditions Governing Use Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions. Page 1 of 14
Sound Recordings: Original Audio Discs Container Listing Sound Recordings: Original Audio Discs, 1947, 1949, 1956 West View Hospital (Parts 1 & 3), 1947 June 2 West View Hospital (Parts 2 & 4), 1947 June 2 West View Hospital (Parts 5 & 7), 1947 June 2 West View Hospital (Parts 6 & 8), 1947 June 2 West View Hospital (Parts 9 & 11), 1947 June 2 West View Hospital (Parts 10 & 12), 1947 June 2 West View Hospital (Parts 13 & 15), 1947 June 2 West View Hospital (Parts 14 & 16), 1947 June 2 West View Hospital (Parts 17 & 19), 1947 June 2 West View Hospital (Parts 18 & 20), 1947 June 2 West View Hospital (Parts 21 & 23), 1947 June 2 West View Hospital (Parts 22 & 24), 1947 June 2 West View Hospital (Parts 25 & 27), 1947 June 2 West View Hsopital (Parts 26 & 28), 1947 June 2 West View Hospital (Parts 29 & 31), 1947 June 2 West View Hospital (Parts 30 & 32), 1947 June 2 West View Hospital (Parts 33 & 35), 1947 June 2 West View Hospital (Parts 34 & 36), 1947 June 2 West View Hospital (Parts 37 & 39), 1947 June 2 West View Hospital (Parts 38 & 40), 1947 June 2 The Jack Benny Program (Parts 1 & 4), 1949 January 16 The Jack Benny Program (Parts 3 & 6), 1949 January 16 The Eternal Light (Parts 2 & 4), 1956 December 27 Page 2 of 14
Sound Recordings: Original Audio Discs The Eternal Light (Parts 1 & 3), 1956 December 27 (dub), 1953 December 6 [Artists Alliance, Production 20,000] (TBI-3), date unknown Probably from Love Happy [Artists Alliance: Hearts and?], date unknown Probably from Love Happy [Artists Alliance: Production 2,000] (PB20-2], date unknown Probably from Love Happy [Marx Bros. #20,000] (Harp), date unkown Probably from Love Happy [Marx Bros. #20,000] (Harp), date unknown Probably from Love Happy [#2 1st Show], 1945 August 30 [#3 1st Show], 1945 August 30 [#4 2nd Show], 1945 August 30 [#4A Film Sound Track Love HappyDance Prod.], date unknown [Prod. 1187/Scene 2409-Cued/ Harpo's Bazaar], 1941 April 19 [Prod. 1120/Scene 2407/ Harpo's Solo] ["Mamie" New Demonstration] (Picture Mamie Stover), date unknown [Winston Churchill Imitation from Hollywood Calling], 1950 January 8 [Harpo Marx] (Mercury Records), date unknown Song Titles: "All the Things You Are" "Harpo Boogie Woogie" "I Got Rhythm" "Solitude" "Swanee River" by Harpo Marx, date unknown [Harpo Marx Sound Effects], date unknown [Harpo], date unknown [Carnival: King and Country Call; Carnival: Romantic Love Dream], date unknown [Tea for Two: Harp by Harpo], dtae unknown "Autumn Leaves" "My Funny Valentine", date unknown [Harpo Harp Solo], date unknown Page 3 of 14
Sound Recordings: Original Audio Discs "Thinking of You" "That's All", date unknown "Tenderly" "Can't Help Lovin' dat man", date unknown "Lullaby Doll" "They Say It's Wonderful", date unknown "Honeysuckle Rose" "Ash Grove", date unknown "Yesterdays" "Guardian Angels", date unknown Harpo Marx and Harp with the Riverside Symphony, date unknown Harpo in Hi-Fi, 1957 [Unidentified] [Unidentified] [Unidentified] [3A; 3B] [A Portrait of Groucho Marx; A Portrait of Harpo Marx]? [Unidentified] [957], 1937 February 11 [Undientified] [Unidentified] [Unidentified] "Anything You Can Do I can Do Better", date unknown Melinda and Groucho [Harpo Harp Solo], date unkown [Unidentified] Harpo at Work "Sweet Sue" /"My Blue Heaven" Harpo at Work "Sweet Sue" /"My Blue Heaven" Harpo at Work "Sweet Sue" /"My Blue Heaven" Harpo at Work "Sweet Sue" /"My Blue Heaven" Harpo at Work " Imagination" / "Taking a Chance on Love" Harpo at Work " I Got Rythm [sic]" / "In my Solitude" Page 4 of 14
Sound Recordings: Original Audio Discs Harpo at Work "Harpo Boogie"/"All the Things" Harpo at Work "Laura" Return to Table of Contents Page 5 of 14
Working Box 1 Working Box 1 Collection is open for research. Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions. Box 1, Folder 1 Box 1, Folder 2 Box 1, Folder 3 Box 1, Folder 4 "Harpo Marx eulogies", also contains clippings about his death "Great clippings -- Harpo" Untitled, but contains photocopies of articles and of photos Program from Academy of Music, Philadelphia, 105th Anniversary Concert and Ball, 1962 Box 1, Folder 5 Program, International Championship Rodeo, Chicago, October 11-21, 1951, 1951 Box 1, Folder 6 Box 1, Folder 7 Program, Riverside Symphony Orchestra, n.d. Program, London Palladium, Val Parnell Presents Harpo and Chico Marx, n.d. Box 1, Folder 8 The North Shore Players, The Yellow Jacket, 1941 Box 1, Folder 9 Bucks County Playhouse, The Man Who Came to Dinner, 1941 Scrapbook containing original photographs and clippings, Vaudeville era Plastic envelope containing photographs (not originals) and clippings relating to the Marx Brothers Diary of Billy Marx from a European trip, 1949 Harpo telegrams (photocopies) Harpo FBI (contains dossier on Harpo Marx), 1940s "Woollcott copies", photocopies of Alexander Woollcott's letters to Harpo Marx, 1930s-1940s "Truman-Harriman-[John] Tunney-Warren -- copies" (photocopied letters) Alexander Woollcott letters to Harpo Marx, photocopies, 1930s-1940s Original letters to Harpo Marx from Alexander Woollcott, 1930s-1940s, 1930s-1940s Box 1 Clippings; Photocopy of a contract for The Colgate Comedy Hour, 1954; Page 6 of 14
Working Box 1 Box 1 Envelope marked "Max Gordon", containing three letters from Harpo Marx to Max Gordon and one from Bernard Baruch to Gordon; Box 1 Letter from Harpo Marx to family from Owensboro, Kentucky, 1958; Box 1 Letter from Harpo Marx to family from Miami, date unclear; Box 1 Originals of letters from Truman, Harriman, et al, referenced above, 1950s; Box 1 Box 1 Box 1 Copy of book Harpo Speaks Copy of book Son of Harpo Speaks by Bill Marx Audio book, Son of Harpo Speaks by Bill Marx Audio book, Son of Harpo Speaks by Bill Marx Return to Table of Contents Page 7 of 14
Working Working Folder 2 "Mexican Hat Dance" (mss. for parts for various instruments), Chico Marx "Mexican Hat Dance", parts, manuscripts, Chico Marx "Theme" (mss. for parts for various instruments), Chico Marx "Gypsy Love Song", (mss. for parts for various instruments), Chico Marx Mss. for "Bali Bali" and "Woodpecker Song", Chico Marx "Woodpecker", (mss. for parts for various instruments), Chico Marx "Who's Sorry Now?" (mss. for parts for various instruments), Chico Marx "Ain't Necessarily So", (mss. for parts for various instruments), Chico Marx "Captain Spalding", (mss. for parts for various instruments), Chico Marx "I Came to Scotland", (mss. for parts for various instruments), Chico Marx "Bali Bali", (mss. for parts for various instruments), Chico Marx "Beer Barrel Polka", (mss. for parts for various instruments), Chico Marx "Woodpecker Song", (mss. for parts for various instruments), Chico Marx "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles", (mss. for parts for various instruments), Chico Marx "Mexican Hat Dance", (mss. for parts for various instruments), Chico Marx Sheet music, "I'm in Love with Vienna" and "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" "Saints Sequence", (mss. for parts for various instruments), Harpo Marx "Bubbles", (mss. for parts for various instruments) "Tiger Rag", (mss. for parts for various instruments); "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" (mss. for parts for various instruments); "Saints Sequence", (mss. for parts for various instruments) Sheet music for "Tomorrow is Another Day' "Guardian Angels", (mss. for parts for various instruments), Harpo Marx "Tea for Two", (mss. for parts for various instruments), Harpo Marx Page 8 of 14
Working "Swanee River", (mss. for parts for various instruments), Harpo Marx "Stardust", (mss. for parts for various instruments), Harpo Marx "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles", (mss. for parts for various instruments), Harpo Marx "Tales from the Vienna Woods", (mss. for parts for various instruments), Harpo Marx Marked "Turkey in the Straw" but also containing manuscripts for parts for "Bubbles", "Captain Spalding', "12th Street Rag", and some assorted sheet music for Bach and Beethoven compositions (incomplete) manuscript pages from various songs "Purgatory", (mss. for parts for various instruments) "My Tune for Susan", (mss. for parts for various instruments) Unidentified piece of music, (mss. for parts for various instruments) "Hungarian Rhapsody", (mss. for parts for various instruments) "Impromptu Caprice", (mss. for parts for various instruments) "All the Things You Are", (mss. for parts for various instruments), Bill Marx "Harpo Woogie", (mss. for parts for various instruments), Bill Marx "Bourree", (mss. for parts for various instruments) Sheet music, "Guardian Angels" "Captain Spalding", (mss. for parts for various instruments), Chico Marx "If I Had You", (mss. for parts for various instruments) Sheet music by Haydn, Beethoven "Valentine", (mss. for parts for various instruments) "Blowing Bubbles", (mss. for parts for various instruments) "Orleans", (mss. for parts for various instruments) Three pieces of sheet music, "Lullaby Doll" Return to Table of Contents Page 9 of 14
Working Working "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles", Harpo Marx, undated Folded up poster for "The Yellow Jacket" Sheet music book, "Kathryn Godfrey's Songbook", inscribed by Harpo Marx to Bill Marx Clippings, recent, about the Marx Brothers Script, unidentified Inv. Pac. Uran. (Papers relating to stocks) Investment Gum. Marx Assoc. Empty folder with tooled lettering, "Chico Marx" Script, unidentified Script for "Pepe the Paesano" London Times article, mimeographed Script for "The Little Matchmaker" Script for "The Best Laid Plans" Script for "Beggars Can Ride" Loose bits of script, incomplete Sheet music, parts for "Tiger Rag" Marked "Oil", relates to Susan Marx' investments Marked "Contracts, 1947" relates to membership in ASCAP. This folder also contains several unrelated letters, including one from James Michener and two from the Prime Minister of Israel. Marked "Harpo, Guest appearances" but letters inside relate to Harpo Marx borrowing prints of Marx Brothers movies, 1950s "Inv. Trusco Oil" Unmarked, relates to appearances on TV, in nightclubs, etc., 1950s-1960s "Investments, Texas Oil (McCarthy)" "Von Philp" contains papers on oil investments Page 10 of 14
Working "Life Insurance" "Investments - Miscellaneous" Untitled, relates to Harpo Marx' income from appearances and investments, 1950s-1960s "LA Models File", posthumous papers relating to investments, royalties, estate, etc. Untitled, relates to Harpo Marx' shares in Desert Savings and Loan Association, 1964 Ad for Smirnoff Vodka featuring Harpo Marx Certificate of appreciation to Harpo Marx from U.S. Treasury Department, for "patriotic services", 1945 Working Box 4 Box 4 Box 4 Box 4 Box 4 Album, "Family Photos" Album, "Susan" Chico" "Misc." "Plays" Album, "Movie & TV Stills" "Photos with Famous People", "Harpo Solo Photos" Return to Table of Contents Page 11 of 14
Working Box 4 Working Box 4 Box 4 Box 4, Folder 1 Box 4, Folder 2 Box 4, Folder 3 Box 4, Folder 4 Contents of album entitled "Family photos" Contents of album entitled "Susan, Chico, Mixed, Plays" Contents of album entitled "Movie and TV Stills" Contents of album entitled "Harpo with Famous People" and "Harpo Solo Shots" Image(s) Return to Table of Contents Page 12 of 14
Working Box 5 Working Box 5 Box 5, Folder 1 Box 5, Folder 2 Box 5, Folder 3 Box 5, Folder 4 Box 5, Folder 5 Box 5, Folder 6 Box 5, Folder 7 Chord charts for numerous songs, also included is a 45 r.p.m. record, "Harpo by Harpo" Sheet music: Guardian Angels" with Harpo Marx on the cover Manuscript with parts for various instruments for "Harpo Woogie", "I Got Rhythm", arranged by Bill Marx "Harpo Marx, 2nd alto sax", contains manuscripts for parts for various instruments for "Saints Sequence", "Turkey in the Straw", "Moonlight Cocktail", "Traviata" "Harpo Marx, 2nd trumpet", contains manuscript for "Saints Sequence" "Harpo marx - drums", contains manuscripts for parts for "Guardian Angels", "Tenement Symphony","Tiger Rag", "Bubbles", "Bali Bali", "Turkey in the Straw" "Harpo Marx - Tenor Sax", contains manuscripts for parts for "Saints Sequence" Return to Table of Contents Page 13 of 14
Working Box 6 Working Box 6 Box 6, Folder 1 Life Magazine, contains an ad for Smirnoff Vodka featuring Harpo Marx, September 15, 1961 Box 6, Folder 2 McCall's Magazine article about Harpo Marx, May, 1961 Box 6, Folder 3 Life Magazine with Harpo Marx on the cover, September 6, 1931 Box 6, Folder 4 Show Magazine, with Harpo Marx on the cover, November 1961 Box 6, Folder 5 Box 6, Item 6 Box 6, Item 7 Three large photographs Large photograph Seven small portfolios with tooled inscription "Chico Marx", empty Return to Table of Contents Page 14 of 14