Harpo speaks! - The Jewish Standard

“Why did Groucho become the verbal expert and Harpo the silent clown?” asks Robert Gluck ( “The Marx Brothers and Jewish Identity,” June 28, 2013). Originally, Harpo did speak onstage. He tells the tale of why he went mute professionally in his own glorious autobiography Harpo Speaks! Published in 1962, shortly before his death, the book remains in print, with added introductions by his widow and children. It’s my favorite uplifting book to bring anyone in the hospital or recovering from anything sad. Harpo sums up tenement life concisely: “The less food we had, it seemed the more people we had to feed.” His formal education ended after he was tossed out of a NYC public school window in second grade. Don’t miss it. Happy reading.

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