Minnie Marx | |
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Born | Miene Schönberg November 9, 1864 Dornum, Germany |
Died | September 14, 1929 New York, USA |
(aged 64)
Residence | New York City |
Other names | Minnie Palmer |
Spouse | Sam Marx |
Children | Manfred Marx (b. 1885, d. young)[1] Chico Marx Harpo Marx Groucho Marx Gummo Marx Zeppo Marx |
Relatives | Al Shean (brother) |
Miene Schönberg Marx (November 9, 1864, Dornum, East Frisia, (then) Kingdom of Hanover – September 14, 1929) was the mother and manager of the Marx Brothers, wife of Sam Marx, and the sister of vaudeville star Al Shean. While managing the Marx Brothers, she also went under the name of Minnie Palmer, so that booking agents would not know that the agent representing the Marx Brothers was actually their mother. She played the harp as did her son, Harpo Marx.[2]
All the brothers confirmed that Minnie had been the driving force in getting the troupe launched - the only person who could keep them in order, and a hard bargainer with theatre managements too.
Minnie Marx and some of her sons appear briefly as characters in Glen David Gold's novel Carter Beats the Devil; the narrative identifies her as Minnie Palmer, and only gradually offers clues that the struggling vaudeville act traveling with her are the later-famous Marx Brothers. Minnie Marx (played by Shelley Winters) was also the main character in the Broadway musical Minnie's Boys.
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