Nearly 200 letters written by the legendary Marx to his daughter Miriam provide a rare glimpse of the complex man behind the mustache

Amply displaying Groucho's famous wit, but also providing a rare glimpse of the very human and complex man behind the mustache, here are nearly 200 letters written by the legendary Groucho Marx to his daughter Miriam over a period of 30 years. Includes notes and photographs from Miriam's collection and a foreword by Dick Cavett.

Groucho Marx's elder daughter saved virtually every letter her father wrote to her between 1938, when she was eleven years old, and 1967. The letters amply display Groucho's famous wit and word play but also provide a rare glimpse of the very human and complex man many know only through his film roles. His discussions with his daughter on numerous subjects, ranging from growing up and career choices to books, film and current events, show a candour that will surprise even his most knowledgeable fans. Groucho is revealed as a man deeply concerned with holding his family together and as a sometimes firm, always loving father who never hesitated to say exactly what he thought. The book, essential for any Marx Brothers fan, includes notes and photographs from the editor's own collection.

Donated to the Library of Congress in the mid-1960s, Groucho Marx's correspondence was first crafted into this celebration of wit and wisdom in 1967. Reissued today with his original letters and humor intact, The Groucho Letters exposes one of the twentieth century's most beloved comedian's private insights into show biz, politics, business, and, of course, his illustrious personal life. Included are Marx's conversations with such noted personalities as E. B. White, Fred Allen, Goodman Ace, Nunnally Johnson, James Thurber, Booth Tarkington, Alistair Cooke, Harry Truman, Irving Berlin, and S. J. Perelman. To Confidential Magazine Gentlemen: If you continue to publish slanderous pieces about me, I shall feel compelled to cancel my subscription. Sincerely, Groucho Marx

In this inventive mystery set in Hollywood's golden era, Ron Goulart revives America's favorite cigar-wielding comic--Groucho Marx. Needing a project to occupy him between movie stints, Groucho agrees to act in a radio serial. But when a beautiful starlet is found dead before production even begins, Groucho is determined to find out who killed her.

Born Julius Marx in 1890, the brilliant comic actor who would later be known as Groucho was the most verbal of the famed comedy team, the Marx Brothers, his broad slapstick portrayals elevated by ingenious wordplay and double entendre. In his spirited biography of this beloved American iconoclast, Lee Siegel views the life of Groucho through the lens of his work on stage, screen, and television. The author uncovers the roots of the performer’s outrageous intellectual acuity and hilarious insolence toward convention and authority in Groucho’s early upbringing and Marx family dynamics. The first critical biography of Groucho Marx to approach his work analytically, this fascinating study draws unique connections between Groucho’s comedy and his life, concentrating primarily on the brothers’ classic films as a means of understanding and appreciating Julius the man. Unlike previous uncritical and mostly reverential biographies, Siegel’s “bio-commentary” makes a distinctive contribution to the field of Groucho studies by attempting to tell the story of his life in terms of his work, and vice versa.

From the Peter Neil Issacs collection.