Arthur Marx, son of the comedic icon, dies

LOS ANGELES -- Arthur Marx, a veteran television writer, playwright, celebrity biographer and memoirist who wrote extensively about an often fractious life with his father, comedic legend Groucho Marx, died Thursday of natural causes at his Los Angeles home, said his son, Andy. He was 89.

Marx was the only son of Groucho, who, with his exaggerated eyebrows, mustache and mastery of the lightning-quick, ad-libbed put-down, was the most prominent member of the Marx Brothers.

"His father was never far from him," said Frank Ferrante, who portrayed the comedian in the 1986-87 Off-Broadway production of "Groucho: A Life in Revue," written by Marx and Robert Fisher. "Groucho had a long shadow. But Arthur had a career on his own, which was quite impressive."

Following his father's advice, Marx became a writer, producing a novel and several screenplays before concentrating on scripts for such popular TV shows as "McHale's Navy" and "My Three Sons" and writing biographies of such classic Hollywood figures as Samuel Goldwyn, Red Skelton, Bob Hope and Mickey Rooney.

Although he carved out his own career, "his favorite topic always seemed to remain his dad," said Robert S. Bader, a Marx Brothers historian.

Marx's books included "Life With Groucho" (1954) and "Son of Groucho (1972). His father and uncles inspired a 1970 Broadway play, "Minnie's Boys," co-written with Fisher.

Marx's books portrayed his father as a man who was stingy with his emotions and who once threatened to sue him. His father hated "Life With Groucho." Father and son stopped talking and communicated through lawyers.

When the book was accepted for serialization by the Saturday Evening Post, Marx gave his father a set of galleys. Groucho filled it with corrections and handed it back to his son. "I said, 'Thanks, I'll take care of this' and on the way out of the house, I dropped them in the trash can," Marx recalled. He said his father never knew the difference and ended up promoting the book on his popular TV quiz show, "You Bet Your Life."