Silent Harpo lost for words
QUESTION
Could Harpo Marx actually speak? IN HIS autobiography Harpo Speaks (ghost-written by Rowland Barber), the Marx brother tells of an incident where his father Sam ‘Frenchy’ Marx won a bet with a stranger that the silent curly-headed kid performing on stage could actually speak.
The reaction of the man who lost the bet when Marx identified himself and introduced him to his son is not recorded.
Angus Gafraidh, London. THE Marx Brothers were a US comedy act that was successful in vaudeville, on Broadway and in film from 1905 to 1949.
The core of the act were the three elder brothers, each of whom developed a highly distinctive stage persona: charming con artist Chico, the silent clown Harpo and wise-cracking Groucho. They were sometimes joined by their brothers Gummo and Zeppo.
Adolph Arthur Marx (1910-1963), better known as Harpo, was born on November 23, 1888. The second oldest child, he was known for his easy-going disposition, much like his father.
He changed his name to Arthur during World War I because he felt Adolph was too German.
Harpo was the clown of the group, with his curly red hair, top hat and horn. Though chasing women Benny Hill style was his favourite comedy routine, he was a devoted husband and father to his four adopted children.
He could speak – but chose not to during the act.
The brothers were introduced to vaudeville by their uncle Albert Schonberg, who performed as Al Shean of Gallagher & Shean. They appeared in various singing groups, including the Three Nightingales, the Four Nightingales and the Six Mascots, until their fortunes changed in 1912.
After one singing performance, the brothers broke out into the spontaneous madcap comedy for which they would become famous.
That year, Harpo, Chico and Groucho appeared as the Marx Brothers in the classic sketch Fun In Hi Skule, which set the path of their comedy career.
It was not long before Harpo’s ego received a serious blow. The brothers starred in a show called Home Again, written with the help of Uncle Al, who removed all of Harpo’s lines because he didn’t think he could compete with the ad-lib verbal sparring of Chico and Groucho. Harpo didn’t agree and ad-libbed his own material.
A critic in the local newspaper described the show: ‘Adolph Marx performed beautiful pantomime, which was ruined whenever he spoke.’
Harpo realised he could steal the scene by not speaking and remained mute for the rest of his career. Hillary Prosser, Edinburgh.
QUESTION
Where are Ireland’s Christmas trees exported to? Are we self-sufficient in the firs or do we import some too? WE are almost entirely selfsufficient in Christmas trees and we also export them, to various European markets, such as the UK, France and Germany.
Putting up Christmas trees is a comparatively new custom in Ireland that didn’t develop until the 1940s.
In those days, rough top offcuts of Norway spruce thinnings were used. Farmers started growing trees for this new trade and the land underneath power lines became the favoured location for planting.
But as Norway spruce is prone to shedding its leaves, production turned increasingly towards fir and pine trees, since these shed leaves much less easily, making Christmas trees much cleaner for households.
Around 20 years ago, the export market for Irish-grown Christmas trees started to gain momentum. The European market for Christmas trees was then said to number around 60million trees, of which the two main markets were the UK and Germany.
Both those markets were about 60% self-sufficient, meaning huge opportunities for exporters. But Irish exporters have always had to compete against Denmark, which is a huge exporter of Christmas trees, producing close on 20million a year.
Going back 20 years, when Irish Christmas trees first gained export momentum, about 100,000 trees a year were exported. In the intervening years, those export figures have been doubled.
Bord Bia says around 600,000 Christmas trees were harvested last year, with up to 400,000 being sold throughout Ireland.
The home market is almost entirely self-sufficient in Christmas trees, more than 95% supplied by home producers.
A further 200,000 were exported to European markets, such as Britain, France and Germany. Irish growers also export smaller numbers of trees to other European markets, such as the Netherlands and Belgium.
Bord Bia says that similar numbers are forecast for the 2018 Christmas tree market. For Christmas tree growers, numbering about 80, the 2018 market for trees at home and abroad will be the culmination of years of hard work as Christmas trees are generally grown on a ten-year rotation.
Rob O’Reilly, Wicklow.
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