Melinda Marx

Melinda Marie Marx (born August 14, 1946) is an American actress, singer, and musician who had a brief movie career. She is the daughter of Groucho Marx and his second wife, Kay Marvis Gorcey.

Melinda Marx
Marx as Peep-Bo in The Mikado, 1960.
Born
Melinda Marie Marx

(1946-08-14) August 14, 1946
United States
Other namesMelinda Marx Leung
OccupationActress, singer,[1] musician
Spouse(s)Sanh Berti
Jack Leung
Mack J. Gilbert
Children2
Parent(s)Groucho Marx
Kay Marvis Gorcey
RelativesMiriam Marx (paternal half-sister)
Arthur Marx (paternal half-brother)
Chico Marx (uncle)
Harpo Marx (uncle)

Life and work

Marx[2] appeared frequently on television with her father. She was a contestant on his quiz show You Bet Your Life at least three times: She first appeared at age 8 (a surprise contestant who did not play the game) with boxer Mickey Walker.[3] On this same episode Melinda and Groucho sang "There Is Beauty in the Bellow of the Blast" from "The Mikado" by Gilbert and Sullivan.[4] On a later episode she and Groucho teamed up with Edgar Bergen and his then 11-year-old daughter Candice Bergen to win $1,000 for the Girl Scouts of the USA.;[5] She appeared a third time in 1961 episode with singer/actor Bobby Van as a contestant and did a number with him on stage. They won $2000. Six years later, father and daughter shared a "Father's Day" installment of The Dating Game.[6]

She acted alongside her father in a television production of The Mikado (1960) on The Bell Telephone Hour[7] and the film The Story of Mankind (1957) in which her father and uncles Chico and Harpo also appeared.

After a few more roles in films, including an uncredited appearance in the movie Bye, Bye Birdie (1963),[8] and The Violent Ones, Melinda retired from acting in 1972. A musician, mostly playing the mandolin, she was in a Gloriana Opera Company (Mendocino County, CA) production of Bye, Bye Birdie, in 1996, alternately playing bass and guitar. She is one of their regular ensemble.

In addition to acting, Melinda had a brief career as a recording artist in 1965, appearing on shows such as Shivaree,[9] Shindig![10] and The Hollywood Palace,[11] to promote her singles "The East Side of Town"[12] and "What".[13][14][15]

She is divorced from Sahn Berti[16] with whom she has two children, including actress Jade Marx-Berti.[17] She married Jack Leung in 1985,[18] and was also briefly married to Mack J. Gilbert,[19] and also uses the name Melinda Marx Leung professionally.[20]

References
  1. Groucho's daughter Melinda Marx and her very brief singing career. Metafilter.com, March 2, 2008
  2. Melinda Marx: Photo by Photographer Robert Shannon – Photo.net
  3. [You Bet Your Life episode originally aired 1954, as seen on compilation Season 1, Episode 4, "The Secret Word is Smile" on Hulu Plus July 11, 2012]
  4. pjay337 (January 4, 2009). "Groucho and Melinda Marx – audio re-sync – There is Beauty in the Bellow of the Blast". Retrieved September 30, 2017 – via YouTube.
  5. You Bet Your Life Season 7 Episode No. 34 May 15, 1958
  6. Melinda and Groucho Marx on The Dating Game on YouTube (June 17, 1967)
  7. Archival Television Audio – #864: BELL TELEPHONE HOUR: THE MIKADO, THE
    1960-04-29, WNBC 52 min. Groucho Marx, Gilbert & Sullivan, Helen Traubel, Dennis King, Stanley Holloway Melinda Marx
    Groucho Marx stars in the TV adaptation of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta "The Mikado." Other performers include Helen Traubel, Dennis King, Stanley Holloway and Groucho's daughter Melinda Marx. No opening or closing credits are recorded on this tape, however, the play is complete.
  8. Melinda Marx .... Teenager The Cast – Bye Bye Birdie: From Stage to Screen
  9. Shivaree episodes 1 – 12 By TomAlger, Published: November 5, 2005, TV.com
  10. Episode Guide > Season 1, Episode 45 – The Byrds / Kingsmen / Micki Lynn / Jody Miller / Dave Berry, TV.com
  11. Episode Guide > Season 2, Episode 28 – Host: Groucho Marx / Margaret Dumont, TV.com
  12. Melinda Marx (Groucho's daughter) – East Side of Town on YouTube
  13. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. Melinda Marx – Is That What I Get for Loving You (1965) on YouTube
  15. Melinda Marx -What? on YouTube
  16. "Sahn Berti". IMDb. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
  17. "Biography for Jade Marx-Berti". Internet Movie Data Base. Retrieved October 16, 2009.
  18. "Mendocino Art Center" (PDF). Mendocinoartcenter.org. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
  19. "Mack J. Gilbert's Obituary on This Week Community Newspapers". This Week Community Newspapers. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
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