One shown at left, the other located in the collection of the University of Louisville The two other songs mentioned did not portray the brothers. Groucho has been joined by his older brothers Chico (Leonard) and Arthur (Harpo) and the younger Gummo (Milton). The earliest sheets to depict the brothers. Only a few copies known.Ī 1911 sheet of a song written by Chico (by the way pronounced “chick-o” after his well known success with and fondness for females as a “chicken-chaser”) and a back cover from aġ915 issue of Variety documenting the participation of mother Minnie and Uncle Al. Farewell Killarney ($100) is not uncommon, both Cobb & Edwards titles are rare ($500).Īnother exquisitely rare and early sheet, worth on the order of $1500. Three early sheets from Groucho’s solo vaudeville career. The first copy to be sold on eBay went for an astronomical $5700, surely a record for a single piece of sheet music. This sheet is the earliest known to contain an image of Julius (Groucho) Marx, and the only one in this work not personally owned. Here is an early newsboy photo ($200), the oldest piece in the collection, and a piece of sheet music from the Broadway production of Minnie’s Boy’s ($10), the newest. She had a brief entertainment career of her own and was the sister of Al Shean, of the comedic duo Gallagher and Shean (who were allegedly the model for Neil Simon’s The Sunshine Boys). Mother Minnie Palmer was the driving force in the theatrical career of her sons. It is a sincere pleasure to be the first to put in one place virtually every piece of music published in conjunction with the career of one of the most celebrated musical comedy teams in the history of entertainment. Much of the cornucopia of musical and lyrical creativity, as is the case for the celluloid of the silent film era and even the kinescopes of early television, would otherwise be lost. Published sheet music provides the best documentation of a bygone era in the days prior to the widespread use of phonographs and talking pictures.
With today’s ability to digitally carry thousands of songs around in a pocket, Vaudeville,Tin Pan Alley, and the hey-day of printed sheet music seem quite remote. I do not profess it to be complete or without inaccuracy but can state with little doubt that it is, up to now, by far the most comprehensive and graphic depiction of its type. This work is a significant addition to the literature. All values listed are guesstimates based on 2010 value. For over thirty years I have been collecting Marx memorabilia, in particular sheet music, little of which has been documented from the standpoint of completeness and collectability. There are dozens of websites and books devoted to their legacy as icons of American humor. Little can be added to the filmography of the Marx Brothers.