Groucho & Me the Autobiography

by Groucho Marx

Paperback, 1994

Status

Available

Call number

792.7028092

Collection

Publication

Virgin Hardbacks (1994), Paperback, 256 pages

Description

"An important contribution to the history of show business and to the saga of American comedy and comedians, comics and comicality."--James Thurber With impeccable timing, outrageous humor, irreverent wit, and a superb sense of the ridiculous, Groucho tells the saga of the Marx Brothers: the poverty of their childhood in New York's Upper East Side; the crooked world of small-time vaudeville (where they learned to carry blackjacks); how a pretzel magnate and the graceless dancer of his dreams led to the Marx Brothers' first Broadway hit, I'll Say She Is!; how the stock market crash in 1929 proved a godsend for Groucho (even though he lost nearly a quarter of a million dollars); the adventures of the Marx Brothers in Hollywood, the making of their hilarious films, and Groucho's triumphant television series, You Bet Your Life! Here is the life and lunatic times of the great eccentric genius, Groucho, a.k.a. Julius Henry Marx.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member 391
An entertaining, anecdotal barrage of stories and observations from Groucho Marx. It's not a traditional autobiography - by which I mean linear - and that fits in perfectly with his own brand off off the wall and inimitable humor.
LibraryThing member BooksForDinner
This is the 1989 trade paper that i read n probably 1990 or so... might have been the first Hollywood bio i read, and i can't think of another to be honest.fun stuff, Groucho was great, even though i was scared of his movies when i was little (And pretty much still am).
LibraryThing member ChelseaRebman
I've never liked autobiographies or biographies, for that matter, but I've read this one several times. It's filled to the brim with Groucho's wonderful wit. Wisecracks and abound, and Groucho brings humor to every situation. The books gives some really interesting information about the origins of
Show More
the comedy family and their rise to fame. Groucho tells his story like only Groucho can. This is a must read for any Marx Brothers fan. I wish more autobiographies were written like this.
Show Less
LibraryThing member unclebob53703
His life from childhood through his TV show "You Bet Your Life." There are some musing on life subjects that struck me as very mild, some interesting background material, and lots of very funny stories. What I particularly liked was reading the stories and being able to hear his voice telling them.
Show More
The mischief in the book serves mostly to remind us that this was a far more innocent age.

The copy I bought is a hardcover and appears to be a photographic reprint of the original edition. It lacks the introduction by James Thurber, and has a short selection of black and white photos at the beginning.
Show Less
LibraryThing member unclebob53703
His life from childhood through his TV show "You Bet Your Life." There are some musing on life subjects that struck me as very mild, some interesting background material, and lots of very funny stories. What I particularly liked was reading the stories and being able to hear his voice telling them.
Show More
The mischief in the book serves mostly to remind us that this was a far more innocent age.

The copy I bought is a hardcover and appears to be a photographic reprint of the original edition. It lacks the introduction by James Thurber, and has a short selection of black and white photos at the beginning.
Show Less
LibraryThing member smichaelwilson
I read this decades ago. Still prefer Harpo Speaks, but Groucho's autobiography is just as informative about the Marx Brothers as well as himself, and with that same humor that is the man's trademark.

Original publication date

1959

Physical description

256 p.; 8.46 x 5.28 inches

ISBN

0863697240 / 9780863697241
Page: 0.8569 seconds