Finding Harpo's Voice

The internationally acclaimed cellist Steven Isserlis first encountered the Marx Brothers as a teenager when he saw their film "The Cocoanuts".

It was the character of Harpo Marx, the silent clown of the brothers, who spoke to him the most directly.

The young Steven became a huge fan, to the extent that, instead of practising, he would go to the library to read everything he could find about his screen hero.

The sound of the car horn became substitute for Harpo's voice, and on many occasions he played the instrument that gave him his stage name.

Steven explores how, despite being able to talk perfectly well, Harpo came to be the silent Marx brother following a bad review. What was it about Harpo’s screen persona that created such a lasting legacy?

Steven travels to the home of Bill Marx, Harpo's eldest son, gets a chance to don Harpo's signature raincoat and wig, and the sounds of the famous horns.

With contributions from:

* Actor Simon Callow
* Film critic Jonathan Romney
* Harpists Charlotte Seale & Imogen Barford

Producer: Emma Kingsley

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2016.