Melinda Marx

Melinda Marie Marx (born August 14, 1946) is an American former actress, singer, and musician who had a brief movie career. She is the daughter and only living child 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 (age 77) United States
Other names	Melinda Marx Leung
Occupation(s)	Actress, singer,^[1] musician
Spouses	Sahn Berti Jack Leung Mack J. Gilbert
Children	2
Parent(s)	Groucho Marx Kay Marvis Gorcey
Relatives	Miriam Marx (half-sister) Arthur Marx (half-brother) Chico Marx (uncle) Harpo Marx (uncle) Gummo Marx (uncle) Zeppo Marx (uncle) Al Shean (great uncle)

Life and work

Marx^[2] appeared frequently on television with her father. She was a contestant/performer on his quiz show You Bet Your Life at least five 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] Melinda and an off key Candice also sang a duet. Melinda Marx appeared on You Bet Your Life again on June 12–not as a contestant, but as a surprise guest to sing "Witch Doctor".^[6] She appeared a fourth time March 17, 1960, solidly acquitting herself in a tap dance routine with hoofer Gene Nelson. She appeared a fifth time in a 1961 episode with singer/actor Bobby Van as a contestant and sang and danced "Put On A Happy Face" from Bye, Bye Birdie^[7] with him on stage. They won $2000. Six years later, father and daughter shared a Father's Day installment of The Dating Game.^[8]

She acted alongside her father in a television production of The Mikado (1960) on The Bell Telephone Hour^[9] 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),^[10] 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,^[11] Shindig!^[12] and The Hollywood Palace,^[13] to promote her singles "The East Side of Town"^[14] and "What".^[15][16][17]

She is divorced from Sahn Berti^[18] with whom she has two children, including actress Jade Marx-Berti.^[19] She married Jack Leung in 1985,^[20] and was also briefly married to Mack J. Gilbert,^[21] and also used the name Melinda Marx Leung professionally.^[22]

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". Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2017 – via YouTube.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
5. You Bet Your Life Season 7 Episode No. 34 May 15, 1958
6. "You Bet Your Life #57-38 Melinda Marx sings "Witch Doctor" (Secret word 'Walk', Jun 12, 1958)". YouTube.
7. "You Bet Your Life #60-33 Melinda Marx & Bobby van ('Paper', May 25, 1961)". YouTube.
8. Melinda and Groucho Marx on The Dating Game on YouTube (June 17, 1967)
9. 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.
10. The Cast – Bye Bye Birdie: From Stage to Screen
11. Shivaree episodes 1 – 12 By TomAlger, Published: November 5, 2005, TV.com
12. Episode Guide > Season 1, Episode 45 – The Byrds / Kingsmen / Micki Lynn / Jody Miller / Dave Berry, TV.com
13. Episode Guide > Season 2, Episode 28 – Host: Groucho Marx / Margaret Dumont, TV.com
14. Melinda Marx (Groucho's daughter) – East Side of Town on YouTube
15. . Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2009.
16. Melinda Marx – Is That What I Get for Loving You (1965) on YouTube
17. Melinda Marx -What? on YouTube
18. "Sahn Berti". IMDb. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
19. "Biography for Jade Marx-Berti". Internet Movie Data Base. Retrieved October 16, 2009.
20. (PDF). Mendocinoartcenter.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 4, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
21. "Mack J. Gilbert's Obituary on This Week Community Newspapers". This Week Community Newspapers. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
22. "THE DVD SHELF: The French Theatrical Epic "Children of Paradise," "Ma…". Archived from the original on January 6, 2015.

External links

• Melinda Marx at IMDb