Julius Henry “Groucho” Marx was born on this date in 1890.
“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.”
“I never forget a face, but in your case I’ll be glad to make an exception.”
“I don’t care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members.”
“Military justice is to justice what military music is to music.”
“Room service? Send up a larger room.”
“I intend to live forever, or die trying.”
“Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them — well, I have others.”
At least some of those Groucho lines aren’t Groucho at all. They were written by George S. Kaufman, who wrote, among others, Night at the Opera and Animal Crackers.
Groucho was, of course, plenty clever on his own. The club line, above, is pure Groucho, but the last three are pure Kaufman.
Kaufman, by the way, was not only a brilliant and prolific writer, but was also popular among the starlets of his era for his sexual powers. According to Mary Astor’s scandalous diary, Kaufman was “insatiable” and left his sexual partners exhausted, but wanting more.
Sorry. I just thought I’d get a plug in for the writers. The actors shouldn’t get all the credit.
A good point and salacious trivia Tom — the perfect comment.
I was aware some of the lines are from the films, but I can picture Groucho delivering them better than Kaufman writing them, so what the hell.
But I’ll remember Kaufman on his birthday next month. 🙂