Book review: Zeppo: The Reluctant Marx Brother

For Marx Brothers fans, younger brother Zeppo is often dismissed as the dispensable “normal” brother who played the straight part and had a pleasing baritone voice. Still, there was something intriguing about this presence; only coasting through a few films then disappearing, being replaced by lesser romantic leads to fill the gap. 

Over several Marx books, we have learned little more about Zeppo.  It is claimed that he was actually very funny offscreen but relegated as the baby of the family to the dull parts in the movies.  This was borne out in books where interviews and encounters reveal that this claim is indeed accurate. But there was only superficial information about the man himself.

There have been books about each individual Marx Brother, and now we have a thorough biography of Zeppo by author Robert Bader. What we discover is that Zeppo is perhaps the most complex and interesting of all the brothers.

Fans who have pretty much “read everything” regarding the Marxes might assume that much of Bader’s book will be rewrites of info we already know. Perhaps this is marginally correct regarding some of the most basic information.  However this book shows us the complexity of Zeppo through anecdotes and incidents that really allow us to know him as an individual.

Zeppo was funny, he was creative, he had a business sense, he was an inventor, and he was a gambling womanizer. Each of these aspects of his talents and personality are explored, and it is something of a delicate balance to review this book without offering too many “spoilers.”  Suffice it to say that the entire tome is filled with fascinating and enlightening incidents that allow a deeper understanding of this rather extraordinary individual.

Despite his second-rate status in the act, there are period reviews of the movies that happily notice when Zeppo’s character gets more footage, allowing his talents to receive at least some attention.  His frustration with his role in the act led to him leaving his brothers and starting up a successful talent agency, due to his formidable showbiz connections.  One amusing story has him wanting to sign frequent Marx foil Margaret Dumont to his agency, but she was too devoted to her longtime agent.  Zeppo solved this by hiring her agent, and she went along with him.

 The agency stories reveal a lot. Zeppo got Fred MacMurray some important work early in his career, causing a conflict with MacMurray’s initial agent Arthur Lyons. The book reveals some tumultuous back-and-forth between Zeppo and Lyons, including lawsuits and the hiring away of talents.  Further conflict with MacMurray (revealed in the book) almost resulted in Zeppo leaving the agency business in anger and frustration, despite his success.  Zeppo also set up his brother Gummo (a member of the act on stage but in no films) with an agency of his own, which resulted in even greater success. And, also quite interesting, is that Zeppo was the agent for Allan Jones, the singer-actor who took his place as romantic in two high-profile MGM Marx films produced just after Zeppo retired from the act.

There are negatives – the gambling, the womanizing, the lack of parenting toward his sons – which seem to permeate any Hollywood bio.  But the author presents Zeppo Marx as a remarkable individual who was filled with talent, intelligence, and strength.   

I can’t recommend this book more.  It is a truly absorbing study of an exceptional individual.  The book can be ordered at this link: ZEPPO