Miene Schönberg Marx (November 9, 1864, Dornum, East Frisia, (then) Kingdom of Hanover – September 13, 1929) was the mother and manager of the Marx Brothers, wife of Sam Marx, and the sister of vaudeville star Al Shean. While managing the Marx Brothers, she also went under the name of Minnie Palmer, so that booking agents would not know that the agent representing the Marx Brothers was actually their mother. She played the harp as did her son, Ha...
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Miene Schönberg Marx (November 9, 1864, Dornum, East Frisia, (then) Kingdom of Hanover – September 13, 1929) was the mother and manager of the Marx Brothers, wife of Sam Marx, and the sister of vaudeville star Al Shean. While managing the Marx Brothers, she also went under the name of Minnie Palmer, so that booking agents would not know that the agent representing the Marx Brothers was actually their mother. She played the harp as did her son, Harpo Marx.
Minnie Marx and some of her sons appear briefly as characters in Glen David Gold's novel Carter Beats the Devil; the narrative identifies her as Minnie Palmer, and only gradually offers clues that the struggling vaudeville act traveling with her are the later-famous Marx Brothers. Minnie Marx (played by Shelley Winters) was also the main character in the Broadway musical Minnie's Boys.
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