Gummo Marx
Gummo at a reunion of his brothers on theTonight Show
Born	Milton Marx (1892-10-23)October 23, 1892 New York City, U.S.
Died	April 21, 1977(1977-04-21) (aged 84) Palm Springs, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Glendale, California, U.S.
Occupations	Vaudevillian actor comedian theatrical agent
Years active	1899−1918
Spouse	Helen von Tilzer ​ ​ (m. 1929; died 1976)​
Children	2
Parent(s)	Sam "Frenchie" Marx Minnie Schönberg
Relatives	Chico Marx (older brother) Harpo Marx (older brother) Groucho Marx (older brother) Zeppo Marx (younger brother) Al Shean (maternal uncle) Gregg Marx (grandson)

Milton "Gummo"Marx (October 23, 1892 – April 21, 1977) was an Americanvaudevillian performer, actor, comedian, and theatrical agent.^[1] He was the second youngest of the fiveMarx Brothers. Born inManhattan, he worked with his brothers on the vaudeville circuit, leaving the act when he was drafted into theUS Army in 1918 duringWorld War I and replaced by his brotherZeppo. He had no taste for the theatre, never appeared in any of his brothers' films, and became a successful businessman.

Marx was born inManhattan, New York City, on October 23, 1892.^{[note 1]} His parents wereSam Marx (called "Frenchie" throughout his life), andMinnie Schoenberg Marx. Marx's family was Jewish. His mother was fromDornum inEast Frisia, and his father was a native ofAlsace and worked as a tailor.^[2][3][4]

Gummo was the first of his brothers to make his debut on stage, pretending to be a dummy in an act with his uncle Henry Shean (né Heinemann Schoenberg), the brother ofAl Shean, in 1899.^{[citation needed]} Milton was put into a costume with apapier-mâché head and pretended to be a dummy while Henry pretended to work him.^{[citation needed]} The act may have only been performed once and was not helped by Shean's deafness or Milton's stammer.^[5]

Gummo, who in an interview said he never liked being on stage,^{[citation needed]} left the group and joined the military during World War I. He was not sent overseas because the armistice was signed shortly afterward.^{[citation needed]} Gummo's younger brother Zeppo took his place in the group. After his Army career, Gummo went into theraincoat business.^[6] He later joined with Zeppo and operated atheatrical agency.^[7] After that collaboration ended, Gummo represented his brother Groucho and worked on the television showThe Life of Riley, which he helped develop.^{[citation needed]}

Gummo represented other on-screen talent and a number of writers, and was well-respected as a businessman. He rarely required contracts, believing that if the people he represented liked his work, they would stay with him.^[8] Around the time he left his brothers' Vaudeville act, Marx applied for a patent for a clothes-packing rack. On October 28, 1919, Marx was granted patent US1320335A.^[9]

Gummo may have received hisnickname because he had a tendency to sneak around backstage, creeping up on others like a "gumshoe" privatedetective. Another explanation cited by biographers and family members is that Milton, the sickliest of the brothers, often worerubber overshoes, also called "gumshoes", to protect himself in inclement weather.^[10] According to Zeppo in a much later BBC TV interview, Gummo may have received hisnickname because he was usually chewing gum.^[11]

Marx married Helen von Tilzer née Theaman (who had a two-year-old daughter, Karlyn "Kay" von Tilzer, from her previous marriage), on May 3, 1929.;^[12] they remained married until her death in January 1976.^{[citation needed]} Their son, Robert Stuart, was born on August 19, 1930.^[13] Gummo's grandsonGregg Marx is an actor.

Gummo died on April 21, 1977, at his home inPalm Springs, California, aged 84, from acerebral hemorrhage.^[1] His death was never reported to Groucho, who by that time had become so ill and weak that it was thought the news would be a further detriment to his health. Groucho died four months later on August 19, at age 86.

Gummo and his wife Helen are interred next to each other in the Freedom Mausoleum at theForest Lawn Memorial Park inGlendale, California.^[14] Gummo's brother Chico is in a crypt across the hall from them.^{[citation needed]} Gummo's only biological child, Robert, served in theUnited States Coast Guard for two years and later worked as anarchitect. He died on May 21, 2023, aged 92.^[15]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toGummo Marx.

• Gummo Marx atIMDb

• 1890s births
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• Marx Brothers
• American people of German-Jewish descent
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