How one of the Marx Brothers found themselves in Sioux Falls: Looking Back

In mid-September 1942, the Sioux Falls State Theatre announced a classic entertainer of stage and screen would be performing there for three nights.

Chico Marx and his traveling comedy and music troupe would entertain the crowds at Sioux Falls’ premier theater. He would, however, not be accompanied by his brothers on this tour.

Leonard Joseph “Chico” Marx (pronounced Chick-oh) was the eldest son of Sam “Frenchie,” and Minnie Marx. Chico was joined by brother Arthur “Harpo,” Julius “Groucho,” Milton “Gummo,” and Herbert “Zeppo,” and was preceded by Manfred who, alas, didn’t live long enough to obtain a publicly-known nickname. Minnie’s brother, Al Shean, was a vaudeville comedian and an inspiration to the brothers. The first Marx brother to take the stage was Groucho, who began a singing career in 1905, though under his given name. By 1907, he was joined by Gummo and Mabel O’Donnell. They took the stage under the name The Three Nightingales. The group became The Four Nightingales in 1908 when Harpo joined. They toured for years as a musical combo.

One night in 1912, there was an incident during a performance that changed the direction of Groucho's, Gummo's and Harpo’s careers, eventually cementing the Marx Brothers in the hearts and minds of audiences everywhere.

Outside the theater, a runaway mule caused a commotion in the street that was noisy enough to disrupt the performance. The audience, apparently not riveted by what was on the stage, took to the street to investigate the disturbance.

When audience members returned to their seats, Groucho, angered by the interruption, began to cleverly berate the audience. They loved it.

From that point on they began to infuse their act with more comedy. Soon the mixture became more comedy than music. The brothers started using their nicknames as comedy became the focus.

In 1918, Gummo was drafted into the service. He was replaced on stage by Zeppo. In 1924, the Marx Brothers produced their first Broadway show called, “I’ll Say She Is.” They followed in 1925 with “The Cocoanuts,” and in 1928 with “Animal Crackers.” The latter of these were made into some of their first films, produced in New York.

Their mother, Minnie, who had managed their career from the beginning, died in 1929. Chico then assumed management duties for the troupe.

Following the success of their New York films, the Marx Brothers went to California to make more films, starting with “Monkey Business” in 1931. It was followed by “Horse Feathers" and “Duck Soup” in 1932 and 1933. “Duck Soup” was Zeppo’s last film. He was as much a comedic actor as his brothers, but they had more of a craving for the spotlight.

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The tour that brought Chico to Sioux Falls was a necessity. While his brothers were able to enjoy the fruits of their decades of labor, Chico needed to keep working to pay off gambling debts.

When Argus Leader reporter Delores Edwards interviewed him, she was not impressed. Her headline on Chico’s second of three days read, “Chico’s no riot off-stage, but wait ’til show starts.” She called him a “tired man whose head ached…a man virtually dead on his feet, yet still a showman who wanted to give everything he had for his audience.”

One can’t blame Chico for being fatigued. He’d just finished a 10-day stretch in Denver and would be off to Saint Paul and St. Louis next with no rest in sight. During the interview, Chico was asked to perform for the Army Technical School. He was willing, despite his weariness.

“Sure, I want to come out and play for the boys, so you send a wire to the Victory committee in Hollywood and get their OK,” he said.

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Life on the road is not for everyone. Trying to stay in character in every interaction would be impossible for even the most committed of performers.

Marx’s orchestra, assembled and trained by legendary bandleader Ben Pollack, was nothing to laugh at. Vocalists Elisse Cooper and Ziggy Lane entertained with their accomplished skills, occasionally heckled or interrupted by Marx. The band, including trumpet players Marty Marsala and Bobby Clark, and drummer George Wettling did not let the audience down.

Throughout, Marx played piano, conducted the orchestra, and goofed around. Many in the band would go on to work with the likes of Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey.

Marx put on a respectable show, which surprised his critics.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: How one of the Marx Brothers found themselves in Sioux Falls: Looking Back