Chico Marx
Leonard "Chico" Marx ( CHIK-oh; March 22, 1887 – October 11, 1961) was an American comedian, actor, and pianist. He was the oldest brother in the Marx Brothers comedy troupe, alongside his brothers Arthur ("Harpo"), Julius ("Groucho"), Milton ("Gummo"), and Herbert ("Zeppo"). His persona in the act was that of a charming, uneducated but crafty con artist, seemingly of rural Italian origin, who wore shabby clothes and sported a curly-haired wig and Tyrolean hat. On screen, Chico is often in alliance with Harpo, usually as partners in crime, and is also frequently seen trying to con or outfox Groucho. Leonard was the oldest of the Marx Brothers to live past early childhood, the first-born being Manfred Marx who died in infancy. In addition to his work as a performer, he played an important role in the management and development of the act in its early years. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Manhattan (borough of New York City, New York, United States), Died October 11, 1961 (Hollywood (neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1933
Roles Represented in DAHR: speaker
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | MS-76129 | 16-in. | 5/15/1933 | Flywheel, Shyster, and Flywheel. Episode XXV | The Marx brothers | Radio broadcast : Comedy | speaker | |
| Victor | MS-76130 | 16-in. | 5/15/1933 | Flywheel, Shyster, and Flywheel. Episode XXV | The Marx brothers | Radio broadcast : Comedy | speaker | |
| Victor | MS-76316 | 16-in. | 5/22/1933 | Flywheel, Shyster, and Flywheel. Episode XXVI | The Marx brothers | Radio broadcast : Comedy | speaker | |
| Victor | MS-76317 | 16-in. | 5/22/1933 | Flywheel, Shyster, and Flywheel. Episode XXVI | The Marx brothers | Radio broadcast : Comedy | speaker |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Marx, Chico," accessed December 25, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102824.
Marx, Chico. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 25, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102824.
"Marx, Chico." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 25 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Marx, Chico, 1887-1961 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n80073739
Wikidata: Chico Marx - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q380054
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/98038638
MusicBrainz: Chico Marx - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/fbc1e872-135f-4dd0-bc63-949b87b26e4d
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/56335 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/56335
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