All Harpo Marx's Movie Harp Solos 1929-1949

Silent comedian Harpo Marx (1888-1964) began his career in show business with "absolutely no talent at all," by his own account. After being shanghaied in New York at 14 by his mother, Minnie, into what was at the time a mediocre family singing act, the young man spent years honing his horn-honking, silent harp-playing character while touring the early 20th Century Vaudeville circuit with his brothers Julius, Leonard and Milton, later replaced by Herbert. Eventually the act, now all-comedy, rose to headlining status as the Four Marx Brothers we know today - Groucho, Chico, Harpo and (sometimes) Zeppo.
The team went on to star on Broadway in the 1920s, scoring three huge hits in a row before graduating to movies and cementing their legacy as one of the finest comedy teams of the 20th century. (Zeppo quit in 1933.)
bio by Josh Max
This is the first compilation available anywhere of all of Harpo's harp solos from the Marx Brothers' movies on KZbin. For this project, I used the best quality prints I could find, and some of the music has been boosted volume-wise so the whole video is more or less the same volume and you won't have to adjust your phone or computer. But bear in mind there is only so much you can do with the recording technology of the time, and I am not an audio engineer.
Here are the movies, in order. PS I used the phony harp solo from "Duck Soup" because it was funny.
HONK!
1. The Cocoanuts 00:00 When My Dreams Come True
2. Animal Crackers 02:23 Why Am I So Romantic?
3. Monkey Business 6:05 I'm Daffy Over You
4. Horsefeathers 8:00 Everyone Says I Love You
5 Duck Soup 11:02 "Harpo Plucks The Piano Strings"
5. A Night At The Opera 11:17 Alone
6. A Day At The Races 14:19
7. At The Circus 16:49
8. Go West 19:42
9. The Big Store 24:12
10. A Night In Casablanca 28:11
11. Love Happy Swanee River 31:04

[@JoshMaxPower]

Loves, if you'd care to help support this channel, feel free at ko-fi.com/joshmax HONK!

[@user-wb5wj7yg1n]

The fool disappears and the genius emerges. Absolutely beautiful

[@JoshMaxPower]

haha, I don't think he's a fool (In the Paramount movies.) I think he makes fools of everyone else! Thanks for watching.

[@geoffroy1970]

Never has a man rolled up his sleeves with more purpose.

[@ajessm]

When I was little, I'd watch the Marx Brothers films and wait impatiently for Harpo to perform his harp solo. These were always the highlight for me. Also seeing his real personality emerge as he became absorbed in his music. Im sure he was a beautiful person.

[@tracyyork1428]

By all accounts, he WAS a beautiful person. From everything I've read, everybody who knew Harpo loved him. Groucho's son would later say that the only time he saw his father cry was when Harpo died in 1964.

[@patriciamarino1026]

I think I read once that he and his wife wanted a child for every window in their home. They adopted four children.

[@aritina8379]

I hope the world never forgets this wonderful, wonderful man, comedian, pianist, harpist!!❤

[@bold810]

This World has always needed more men like this, like this all through history. Now I am sincerely weeping.

[@joefrisbey5252]

Him and Chico took their music and talents very seriously

[@MW-bv3wu]

Also a superb whistler.

[@Nancy-pb6ie]

👼👼👼

[@zenarcher_awats]

Who needs to talk with this kind of talent

[@HappyForeverSpirits]

Chico was a technical genius. Harpo was a music genius.

[@HenryvKeiper]

I remember seeing "Night at the Opera" as a kid. You miss something not seeing him goof off on the piano before he gets to the harp, because at first he's being silly with the kids, then when he gets to the harp, there's a special gleam in his eye that, even as a young kid, I noticed. You realize there's a transition from Harpo the clown to a man with true musical talent. I've heard that Harpo said in interviews he's being himself at the harp, and you definitely see it in that scene.

[@AceripXF]

unlike chico who never breaks character but harpo does when he plays but still so beauitful

[@papagreenemusic]

@HenryvKeiper He did that shtick for the scene with the kids, also because Chico was the 'real' piano player; however, Harpo did know how to play the piano, & the clarinet as well. His harp playing was completely self-taught from childhood, down to creating his own tuning method for the dozens of strings because he never had formal training. His harp playing was in place of his schooling, which ended in the middle of his 2nd attempt to get through 2nd grade without being beaten up by neighborhood bullies. His harp was his schooling, & he did it all himself; nobody could take that away from him. He remained semi-illiterate for life, & his iconic mute character developed because he was unable to read well enough to memorize lines of dialogue from scripts. A one-of-a-kind performer & human being, the most beloved of the Marx Brothers. Harpo's funeral was one of the only occasions at which Groucho was seen crying.

[@nancydeforest1533]

He couldn’t have been too illiterate; he belonged o the Algonquin Round Table, a club of famous writers. He was also a close friend of Alexander Woollcott.

[@RobertHersh-zc1ff]

A true master,. One of the greatest human beings in the universe that ever lived.

[@ExMachina70]

The beauty in all of Harpo is his comedy ends when his music playing begins. It's pure magic.

[@joefrisbey5252]

Yes him and Chico took their music and talents very seriously

[@ExMachina70]

@joefrisbey5252 Yes, I love them both. The first time I saw chico play, I was blown away at his creativity in playing the piano.

[@darcybrummett7004]

Out of the four Marx brothers, Harpo is my favorite!

[@jimtownsend7899]

My three most favorite Harpo moments - "Alone" from "A Night at the Opera", "Hungarian Rhapsody #2" from "A Night in Casablanca", and when he was on The Lucy Show and played "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". All 3 times, he has you laughing, and the next thing you know, you're crying at the beauty of the music.

[@papagreenemusic]

@Jim Townsend You are spot-on with those... Although I hate the singing in "A Night At The Opera", I love his playing of "Alone"... Similarly his arrangement of "Everyone Says I Love You" in "Horse Feathers". And that "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" from "I Love Lucy", I posted the segment to FB & commented as you did that only Harpo could make you cry playing that song. After filming the show, Harpo stayed on to entertain the audience awhile on his harp as Vivian Vance sang familiar songs. Harpo was essentially illiterate, having quit school in 2nd grade to save his own life from the beatings he received daily at school from bullies. Harpo's famous mute character developed because he couldn't read well enough to rehearse & memorize lines from scripts. There's that scene in "Duck Soup", where the telegram intended for the Sylvanian ambassador is intercepted by Harpo, who looks at it, reacts with an angry scowl, crumples the telegram & throws it viciously to the floor. Chico then explains to the befuddled ambassador, "He gets mad because he can't read..." This was based on reality. Yet, being a 'naïve genius' as he was, Harpo was admitted by exception as a charter member of the ultra-literate group of intellectual writers & critics assembled at the legendary Algonquin Round Table. He described his own participation there as "the audience". He taught himself to play the harp as a youngster, his childhood education in place of school, even to the extent of creating his own tuning system because he didn't know the correct tuning for the dozens of strings. He rested the harp against the wrong shoulder because he was never taught correct technique, completely self-taught in every regard. Later in life, when he was already famous for his harp playing, he tried to bring in teachers to show him proper technique, but one after another, the teachers failed to teach him anything, because they were mesmerized by his playing & kept making him play so they could watch him! Finally he got a teacher to show him some techniques, but by that time he had already done extraordinarily well by his own methods. He also played piano & clarinet. Groucho was the verbal genius of the Marx Brothers; Harpo was the visual & musical genius, & of all the brothers was most unanimously beloved as a human being.

[@jimtownsend7899]

@@papagreenemusic Good words, Papa. I'm sure Arthur would be gratified. It's funny, but I actually liked the singing in "Opera", particularly the finale. But as my brother always says, "That's why they make chocolate AND vanilla. Strawberry, too." My line is, "There's a bolt for every nut."

[@JamesDazey]

IM CRYING TOO HIS TALENT IS BEAUTIFUL AND SO IS HIS WHISTING

[@user-xy2gp6gd6k]

​@@papagreenemusic❤😂 fri

[@danielweinstein5252]

The song he plays in "Go West" is "From the Land of the Sky Blue Water." Mildred Bailey, partially Native American, recorded it in 1938.

[@stevesewall]

2:39 and the man can WHISTLE!

[@RussLake]

If I’m ever really down and need something beautiful and totally from the heart…this is who does it for me. Thanks for putting all of Harpo’s film work together for when I need a big dose of it!

[@STORMY0O]

My first introduction to the harp when I was about 6 yrs old and this exact scene. He touched my heart with his talent. Hands of an angel. Thank you Harpo!💕

[@davep1103]

28:11 is My ABSOLUTE FAVORITE ! ❤ Then 16:50. And last .. but CERTAINLY not least.... 19:44 ! And I LOVE when He lifts His hands in TRIUMPH !

[@addyso1996]

Harpo is not the clasicaĺ trained harpest, but he sure makes his selections sound wonderful.

[@russellthompson9271]

He did have formal lessons, although he was largely self taught.

[@adammwalch]

Many talented artists in various fields were passingly talented in others; Harpo was a brilliant harpist (and pretty damn funny)

[@nedraleggett6837]

My mom introduced me to the Marx brothers when I was growing up. Loved them.

[@Jon-im6dz]

Saw him for the first time when I was or 7 in duck soup at the Stillwell theater in Bedford,Oh was amazed as a child and never forgot him .I'm 60 now

[@sabbathhead]

This collection is the Holy Grail of Harpo magic! I saw him play the solo "Everyone Says i Love You" in "Horse Feathers" when i was 5 and it changed my life. He was so special!

[@oldsoul4762]

I was in pain due to a bad knee injury. This has me relaxed and the pain has eased. Thank you! 💜 And Thank You Harpo for sharing your wonderful talent with all of us! 💜💜💜

[@markbelmares7138]

Such a variety of talent in one person. A great man. Actor, composer, author, comedian. He should never be forgotten

[@wrongfullyaccused7139]

The pure passion on his face when he plays.

[@mikesoule1352]

Marx Bros. were a litle before my time, but i watched them as oldies, and always got excited to see and hear Harpo play. Amazing how his face changes from clownish to sensitive whenever he played! Bravo, Maestro Harpo Marx!!! 🎶🥰🎵🎶

[@ladanehaten4283]

As a child I loved the Marx Brothers and Harpo beautiful music. Thanks for all the wonderful memories.

[@russellthompson9271]

My favourite top three: 1: Alone from A Night At The Opera 2: Everyone Says I Love You from Horsefeathers 3: Mozart/Beethoven from The Big Store

[@merc5333]

14:23 Day at the Races. That's the one, I had looked up Night at the Opera, it's great, but this one has my heart. I wish there were actual cds of his music. I have a feverish hunger for music, it's always given way to let my emotions, expand and live, so to speak. I love Harpo, was gifted his biography as a teenager by my acupuncturist who introduced me to them by also gifting me a dvd of Night at the Opera. Harpo is so shy and kind, I can see easily how his wife adored him and his son's and daughter were so lucky to have him as a dad. Thank you for this compilation. Harpo's music is beyond a treat. Dec 8, 2023

[@epf1961]

Thanks for creating this! When I was a kid (1970's) my big brother introduced me to the MB, and took me to see several of their films, and later even bought me the book "Why A Duck?" which I treasured and still have.. As a budding musician myself, I was always mesmerized by the musical interludes of Harpo and Chico, noticing how they morphed from zany comedians to serious musicians of the highest caliber, then back again.. Perhaps another worthy project may be compiling all of Chico's piano solos? (I don't mean to give you work to do, but "just sayin'", as they say!)... "Honk" if you approve!

[@JoshMaxPower]

Thanks, epf1961! I actually got the idea to compile Harpo's solos after seeing that this compilation of Chico's solos had over 1,000,000 views. Enjoy...! kzbin.info/www/bejne/l560Z2Z7j8uIg6M

[@dianehghzn7670]

God how does anybody get to be so gifted multy talented and a beautifull person on top of that ( angels come from heaven the 3 of them ) over those years when the Jewish people suffered such depravity and persecution god keep you and your earthly people your living reletives safe and healthy and long life what amazing fathers / grandparents/ and uncles and family you guys have 😍🌈🌈🌈🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🦘🦘🦘☔️☔️☔️🦋💟☮️☸️🕉️🌎🌏🌍💝🌹💐🍀🙏🙏🙏💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

[@JoshMaxPower]

🙏❤️

[@rodrigoraulsuarez]

Love this. I always admire Harpo as a magical musician. This musical scenes gave something unique to his character, showing another dimension of it.

[@frankthorne11]

The stunned look upon the actors faces is priceless.

[@VictorHUGO-mq3dl]

Just marvellous !!! Harpo is really a good musician.

[@vanmann8347]

Harpo’s rendition of “Alone” from A Night at the Opera was absolutely beautiful as well as mezmorizing .

[@titanking8755]

28:11 Saw this scene years ago, always wondered what it was from and who played that. What amazing performance easily one of my top 3 favorite instruments and now I know who Harpo Marx is an amazing and absolutely talented legend. 😊

[@rogerwright1902]

What an underappreciated genius... He was always my favorite Marx brother.

[@RobertHersh-zc1ff]

Absolutely priceless, wonderful. Can't. Thank Google enough for bringing this here . Truly remarkable.

[@Unitopia117]

My father raised me on the Marx Bros. It influenced my humour, my musical taste, my philosophy and more than I probably realise. Harpo's solos were always special to me. Like the movies it was like a quiet aside. It filled the spiritual reserves. Thank you for this.

[@stevesewall]

My folks raised me likewise. Influenced me as it did you plus politics. And "spiritual reserves" says what needs to be said about Harpo's solos. Thanks.

[@arlenebrahm2719]

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. There’s been a Chico compilation on YT and now finally his well deserving, kid brother gets to have the honor!

[@JoshMaxPower]

Yes, and that one has over a million views! Hopefully The Professor gets equal time! 🍌🍌🍌🍌

[@Pffffo]

Un MAESTRO en toda la expresión de la palabra.Una música preciosa ❤️❤️

[@JoshMaxPower]

Estoy de acuerdo, ¡es un MAESTRO!

[@vanmann8347]

Heaven will now resonate with the beautiful music that Harpo plays.🙏🙏🙏

[@m.f.m.67]

Mesmerizing

[@lucrecianoireharp3669]

Genio indiscusso 🙏

[@AmericanHorse-sg9oc]

I turned 46 today. My Dad reminded me today of how much Harp Marx made me happy and enthralled by his talent. I always dreamed of a life like his. Maybe not this beautiful talent. But the charm and fun, not just as a character, but a human. Bless his soul

[@meredithdevoe2266]

TIL that Harpo taught himself to play the harp. When he finally got a teacher to help him, the teacher just sat in awe marveling at Harpo's technique. He didn't even have the harp tuned "correctly". I am more than impressed.

[@miaasmr2042]

Thank you for compiling all of these together. I love Harpo. ❤️

[@JoshMaxPower]

You're welcome, Mia! :)

[@JoshMaxPower]

Labor of love! You're welcome.

[@gwendyddemrys4206]

When I was a kid, we used to watch the Marx Bros. when the films ere on TV. I was entranced by Harpo and his incredible harp! Especially because I am legally blind, and music has been a part of me since probably before my premature birthing. Years later I got his book, Harpo Speaks, and he was indeed a fascinating man on many accounts---I suggest you all read it, it is interesting, his son co-authored the book. so I grew up wanting to play the harp; I already had piano lessons and started learning the guitar. But pedal concert harps are way out of my income bracket, so I got into Celtic music and now I have a herd of harps in my house. I'm never going to be as good as Harpo, but at least I have the love of folk harps and can play and sing that type of Celtic/folk harping. Thank you Harpo for your beautiful music!

[@JoshMaxPower]

I've read "Harpo Speaks" dozens of times! I also wanted to play the harp and I can play it a little bit but the full-sized concert pedal harps Harpo plays are out of me budget! Thanks for watching. 💛

[@Braglemaster123]

Masterfull ‘

[@arthurmore427]

Harpo ♥

[@ericx777]

An awesome compilation of the musical genius that was Arthur "Harpo" Marx! Thank you so much @JMax for this vid so I can show my friends this underappreciated talent at his best. #immortalized

[@ericx777]

BTW, you left out one of the best... Harpo playing "Swanee River" in "Love Happy" (1949).

[@JoshMaxPower]

@@ericx777 Thanks, Eric...it's at 31:04.

[@bobmathie299]

Thanks for putting this on.wonderful talent he was

[@JoshMaxPower]

Thanks for listening

[@darylvogel8991]

I grew up on the Marx Brothers, a great asset for America

[@t.shawnpowell197]

A multi-talented genius!

[@sapodesorte5355]

An excellent composition editing mix of the Harpo harp genius. Beautiful.

[@Neicorr]

Harpo makes me feel and love. Share and care. Do not hate! if you live a life that is angry, you have wasted it.

[@cthncthn7405]

Amazing dynamics in those movies. Going from the peaks of sharp witted, fast paced jabs of comedy that I struggled to keep up with, down to the slow, soul stirring music like this... le sigh. Harpo is my favorite musician out of them all for sure.

[@tomdegan6924]

Beautiful. Just beautiful!

[@kittygram51]

Thank you so much! I will always love him ❤

[@theproblemmustbeinyourpant5910]

The greatest human being I think.

[@stimpy4200]

Incredible. Pure genius

[@paulevans9858]

Harpo proves here that music is universal.

[@williamhudson943]

Great Music 🎶 no one that really knows and loves music could ever forget these great performances!!!!❤️🎶🎵😎

[@haroldbeck4351]

When I watch the 'Night in Casablanca' segment I can't help but think how great it would have been if Roland KIrk sat down with Harpo and played with him. I bet those two geniuses would have come up with something spectacular.

[@bbqitall1245]

Beautiful. Thanks.

[@DannyD714]

thank you for this compilation. he is mesmerizing.

[@drianej]

Magnificent! Thank you for taking the trouble to put this together.

[@mytocabunny1235]

The Best og the Best Maestro all Years

[@texasmimi5566]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Can't thank you enough for posting this, and especially the names of the songs and the movies he played them in. FairDealDan posted the KZbin video "Chico Marx Playing Piano. 10 films!! Complete!! (good quality)." So this goes along with that.

[@JoshMaxPower]

Thanks, Texas Mimi. Yeah, I got the idea for a Harpo compilation after seeing FairDealDan's Chico compilation has over 1,000,000 views. Couldn't believe there wasn't a compilaton of Harpo, so up it went and here we are. If I can help turn people on to the Harp-man, that's sweet!

[@tedmanley6146]

Wonderful… thank you.

[@tinacastanares8046]

he was so, so great!!!

[@kathyromy2537]

Thank you so much for these!

[@juskuz111]

Thank you for your hard work. This compilation is beautiful

[@morgunstyles7253]

Thank you

[@JoshMaxPower]

You're welcome, it was a labor of love.

[@brianciupka7784]

these had millions of views 50 years before "You tube " was thought of .

[@PrincessSylveon]

LOVED THE MARX BROS.

[@thomasipkiss8793]

Thank you for this

[@dalewiederholt573]

Just beautiful and so talented. I wish I could have met any one of the brothers.

[@27Moet]

Awesome! 🤟

[@JoshMaxPower]

Thanks, Rod!

[@stimpy4200]

Thanks

[@CAPITANROCK2023]

Great video! Thank you JMax. Harpo is a genius.

[@JoshMaxPower]

No doubt!

[@user-ed9ee9el1l]

MERVEILEUX !

[@cellohood]

Harpo's fake cello and violin playing is better than anything I've seen in the movies.

[@RonGallagher]

Talent

[@sunrisestudio9548]

wonderful

[@anastasiajohnson6844]

Ok! Harpo Marx was inspired in the 'gospel' genres during that particular time listed in 18:26. When segregation was singing in black choirs were apparent; Therefore, we have Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane becoming harp 'jazz' genre charting icons...! Sweet renditions!! Y'all new generations, hear and watch this!! ❤

[@muscovyducks]

Awesome

[@antoniosainzsuarez810]

maravilla!

[@coasternut3091]

The only time he's serious

[@deborahswanson3457]

💜💜💜

[@theresahenderson6161]

I just introduce a young girl from Asian to this video. She had never heard of the Marx brothers and wants to play this video for her family. She is a nurse in the hospital in the cancer ward I am in after an huge non cancerous blob was removed from by my spine which maybe causing my nerve damage

[@mytocabunny1235]

All Broders from Max Its Legende pieple

[@DVDBW]

Cada vez que Harpo tocaba el Harpa, se salí de personaje. Eso no le pasaba a Chico al tocar el piano, dentro de su personaje.

[@yawnandjokeoh]

😢

[@cutefairykiller]

What is it that they're playing at 26:37 ? Been decades, never thought to ask.

[@williamhughmurraycissp8405]

There clowning tends to eclipse their incredible musical talent. Any one of them was a talent. Collectively they were a phenomenon.

[@AmandaOlson-bv8ou]

Does anyone else notice during the clip of him playing Alone from A Night at the Opera, the person on the side of the screen who looks like an old woman? Harpo looks at her when he starts to whistle then when he's done playing he touches her face with his finger. Does anyone have any idea who that could be??

[@zapdunga12]

You mentioned all the real first names of the Marx brothers except Adolph ❤

[@dolldoll2914]

👩‍💻Amongst all the nere-do-well, fol-de-rol, and screw-ball antics of the brothers pops up, this classical civilized release from the nether regions of the mortal brain to relax, relieve, and refresh the spirit.

[@nancydeforest1533]

I’d love to know the name of the first song in his series-the 1929 movie

[@JoshMaxPower]

Hi, Nancy! It's "When My Dreams Come True" by Irving Berlin, which is performed throughout "The Cocoanuts." If you click on the description of the video above, you'll see each song, which film and where to click to hear it. HONK!

[@nancydeforest1533]

@@JoshMaxPower THANK YOU!!