On October 14, 1961, the UPI account of Chico Marx's funeral appeared in the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times. The short article mentioned a number of celebrities who attended: Jimmy Durante, George Burns, Buster Keaton, and brothers Groucho, Harpo, Gummo, and Zeppo Marx. Nearly a hundred people jammed the tiny Wee Kirk O' the Heather Chapel at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Somehow it seems fittingly absurd that the funeral for the Marx Brother who affected an Italian accent was officiated by a rabbi in a replica of a Scottish chapel.
A bizarre and macabre Hollywood touch was given the service when a publicity-seeking man showed up with three little boys wearing Harpo hair-dos. They carried a bouquet of flowers for Chico and sat with a man and a little girl through the ceremonies.Arrivederci, Chico.
Another bizarre funereal Marx find!
ReplyDeleteA "publicity-seeking man" with three little Harpos! One for Ripley ... or possibly Rod Serling.