Books: Groucho Marx, Secret Agent By Ron Goulart (2002)

 

"It’s October 1939 and everyone expects the U.S. to join the war raging in Europe. And everyone is looking under the bed for spies. Attending a Hollywood Halloween Party, Groucho and Frank Denby notice that British director Eric Olmstead is being harassed by someone dressed as the Grim Reaper. But before anyone can intervene, the coustimed ghoul is gone and the very next day, Olmstead he is found dead -presumably by his own hand. Soon the questions surrounding the death of Eric Olmstead takes on an odor of espionage. The police continue calling Olmstead's death a suicide, as he did leave a (typed) note. His widow refuses to believe that her husband shot himself, and persuades Groucho and Frank to look further. Soon the pair is enmeshed in FBI agents and Los Angeles police, while the grieving widow clamors for revenge. Here is where Groucho proves his genius as a detective--he seizes on the clue that reveals the death to be murder. This, however, is only the beginning. There is another murder. Groucho and Frank are attacked; Frank is shot at (but not hit); Groucho is hit (but not shot at; just knocked to the floor by the fleeing assailant). They not only survive, but they pinpoint the Nazi spy and the Hollywood figures working with them." 

While not the as funny as the earlier books in the series, the fifth book does offer a few murders, some Nazi spies, and occasional dire peril for both Groucho and his pal Frank. What works more is Goulart‘s uncanny ability (as I mentioned before) to capture voice of the legendary comedian, making him a very complex character, with an unwavering eye about the world around him. But you can’t get away from the idea that Goulart is also offering a bit of glimpse into Marx’s dark, and sometimes sad,personal life. This sort of explains Groucho’s feelings about his film work, his brother’s personal lives, and why he sort of gets involved in these whodunits. He is seemly an unhappy person and I sense these little escapades are a distraction from his troubled relationships with his wife, with Chico, Harpo, Zeppo, and his own son. These little off ramps don’t distract from the narrative, but does give a little glimpse into the Marx Brothers later life.