(I am assuming Harpo put on his clothes before going to the commissary.)
A good sport, Thalberg told the boys to get some butter from the studio commissary, which Harpo did, and they all ate the potatoes together. The boys had started a bonfire in the middle of Thalberg's office and they sat roasting potatoes over the fire. One day, when Thalberg returned to his office, he discovered all three Marx Brothers (Harpo, Groucho, and Chico) sitting naked on the floor of his office. Although they had scheduled meetings, Thalberg kept them waiting outside several times and the boys got fed up. When the Marx Brothers went to MGM studios to make movies in 1935, they had a hard time getting in to see producer Irving Thalberg. “I’ll wake them up", said Harpo, who proceeded to take off all his clothes and run laps around the stadium completely naked. After several takes, the huge stadium crowd of extras was growing restless and disinterested.
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When the Marx Brothers were filming their movie Horsefeathers in 1932, they were shooting a scene featuring the movie's big, climactic football game. “From the first moment I met George Bernard Shaw, I had nothing to hide," recalled Harpo. Harpo put out his hand to shake the great author's, when Shaw got a mischievious smile on his face and snatched away Harpo's towel, leaving Harpo standing au naturel. He threw a towel around himself, climbed the hill above and realized it was Shaw's voice he'd heard. Relaxing before the meal, Harpo was swimming in the nude down on a beach, when he heard voices up above him. Thinking this was the greatest thing he had ever seen, Harpo, without hesitation, stripped off his clothes and leaped out the window into the pool.ĭuring this same period, Harpo was scheduled to have dinner with the famed writer George Bernard Shaw. As Maugham was giving Harpo a tour of his house, Harpo saw that Maugham had a swimming pool right below his bedroom window. In the late 1920's, Harpo met the classic writer Somerset Maugham. In their excitement, they pushed the wrong floor number and walked in, completely naked, to an all-female bridal shower. In the elevator, they pushed the button to stop it, undressed and put all their clothes in suitcases they were carrying. That night, they entered the hotel elevator, each carrying an empty suitcase.Īs a gag, they thought it would be hilarious to walk out of the elevator nude and surprise the guys. Harpo and Groucho were going to attend an all-male "stag party" in a hotel one night. The first Harpo naked story involves Harpo and his brother, Groucho. This is probably why there are more Harpo Marx naked stories than any other comedian. He was a grown man, completely comfortable without clothing on (much like a very young child). In real life, Harpo was a childlike character too. And while nakedness or the act of taking off one's clothes can often symbolize lasciviousness or sexuality, with Harpo, it would seem more of a childlike thing. Harpo never spoke in the Marx Brothers films, existing as a happy-go-lucky mute in a world of voices and sound. And of course, he loved to play the harp.
He wore a curly blond wig, a big raincoat, a plug hat, and he went around honking a big taxi horn. In the Marx Brothers movies Harpo played a childlike character, a kind of ethereal spirit who lived in his own world. Any fan of the Marx Brothers and the wonderful movies (as I am) (or is it, as am I?) knows this. Visit Eddie at his website or at Facebook.Īdolph Arthur “Harpo" Marx was a brilliant, delightful, completely original comedian. Neatorama presents a guest post from actor, comedian, and voiceover artist Eddie Deezen.