Copyright 1978 Ian Ellis-Jones. All Rights Reserved.

1. A TRIBUTE TO GROUCHO MARX
It has long been my deeply held conviction that the late Groucho
Marx was the finest humorist of the twentieth century. No other
funny man was as successful. No other comedian had such a
profound and lasting influence on the world of comedy.
How do you analyze humor? E B White, in his famous introduction
to A Subtreasury of American Humor, wrote: ‘Humor can be
dissected like a frog, but the thing dies in the process, and the
results are discouraging to any but the purely scientific mind.’ All
we can safely say about Groucho is that he was unique because his
humor was unique. There is a timeless quality about all great
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2. things, and this is especially true of Groucho and his art. He was
at-one with his art, brilliantly creative and inventive. In addition, he
was funny, very funny.
Why is Groucho so immensely popular today? How do you explain
the Groucho cult? I believe the answer to those questions is simple.
Groucho Marx devoted a lifetime to making people laugh honestly at
themselves. He was the man who said the emperor had no clothes
on, the man who punched holes in inflated balloons, the man who
hated the stuffed shirt. He broke with convention and tradition. He
attacked middle-class respectability. He deflated human pomposity
in all its forms. An anarchist? Yes, and yet in spite of all this---or
because of it---he commanded the respect and admiration of four
generations of audiences. He was not beloved in the way, say, Jack
Benny was, but he was still loved, not in any sentimental way, but
because of his honesty, his outspokenness and his outrageous
disregard for order and propriety.
Groucho Marx was a satirist. He poked fun at people’s weaknesses
(as well as his own), at the absurdity of life and the quirks of
human nature. Yet, his best target was always himself. This is
something too many people have failed to realize. Whether the
character was Rufus T Firefly or Hugo Z Hackenbush or Otis B
Driftwood, Groucho Marx played the phoney with pretensions. The
jokes were so often at his own expense. He played a desperate man,
isolated from gentleness and social acceptance.
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3. In real life Groucho Marx was a serious, reflective and for the most
part kindly human being. It has been written that at times he
seemed to detest the wisecrack as if it were a bad habit that neither
he nor the public could shake. Like any comedian, however,
Groucho collaborated in his own popularity. He often said
outrageous things because he felt they were true to his ‘image,’ and
it was expected of him.
Groucho Marx was more than a comedian, even more than a
comedian’s comedian. He was a humorist, in the great American
tradition of Mark Twain, Will Rogers, James Thurber, H L Mencken,
S J Perelman and Robert Benchley. He was one of the few
humorists to combine two successful career avenues---a comic
performer and a writer of comic literature. His books and writings
remain as fresh and witty today as his screen characterizations.
What a wonderful treasure trove for future generations!
From small-town vaudeville to comic opera, Groucho Marx was
always the professional. His timing and delivery were unmatched.
What makes the Groucho persona so unique is the rare
combination of a witty mind and a distinctive physical appearance.
You can’t analyze his timing and delivery. Is it the nasal snarl? The
smirking grimace? The lecherous lope? The signature cigar? The
boot-polish mustache? The soft, serpentine voice? The slightly off-
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4. balance New York accent? Each contributes in its own way to the
unique Groucho style.
At the time of writing this tribute, Julius Henry Marx has been gone
for exactly a year. Groucho, we all miss you. Having explored the
Amazon and the African jungle, I only hope your present adventures
are as enjoyable. You always said you had to be going, but we never
believed you.
Still, we get nowhere fast sentimentalizing Groucho. The best
tribute we can give to Groucho is to keep the Groucho legend alive
forever. It’s the least we can do for a man who, on making his exit
entrance, left us such an ever-wonderful and everlasting legacy. The
secret word is Groucho, and always will be, although it’s no longer a
secret.
Ian Ellis-Jones
NOTE. This was written in August 1978, when I was aged 23.
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