Harpo Marx (1888-1964)

This is one of a blog grouping for the Marx Brothers: see also Chico, Groucho, Gummo and Zeppo.

Birth name: Adolph Marx
Birthdate: Friday, November 23rd, 1888
Location: New York City, USA

Died: Monday, September 28th, 1964
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Cause of death: Heart attack

Best known for: One of the main trio of the Marx Brothers comedy act which had huge success in the movies in the 1930s and 40s, alongside Harpo and Chico. His comedy style was influenced by pantomime, slapstick and mime, and he frequently played a harp in most of his films.

Groucho Marx (1890-1977)

This is one of a blog grouping for the Marx Brothers: see also Chico, Harpo, Zeppo and Gummo.

Birth name: Julius Henry Marx
Birthdate: Thursday, October 2nd, 1890
Location: New York City, USA

Died: Friday, August 19th, 1977
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Cause of death: Pneumonia

Best known for: One of the main trio of the Marx Brothers comedy act which had huge success in the movies in the 1930s and 40s, alongside Harpo and Chico. He also enjoyed a successful solo career, notably as the host of You Bet Your Life on TV and radio. He was given an honorary Oscar in 1974 in recognition of his "unequaled achievements" in motion picture comedy.

Chico Marx (1887-1961)

This is one of a blog grouping for the Marx Brothers: see also Groucho, Harpo, Gummo and Zeppo.

Birth name: Leonard Marx
Birthdate: Tuesday, March 22nd, 1887
Location: New York City, USA

Died: Wednesday, October 11th, 1961
Location: Hollywood, California, USA
Cause of death: Arteriosclerosis

Best known for: One of the main trio of the Marx Brothers comedy act which had huge success in the movies in the 1930s and 40s, alongside Harpo and Groucho. He played an important role in the management and development of the Marx Brothers act, particularly in their early years.

Louise Brooks (1906-1985)

Birth name: Mary Louise Brooks
Birthdate: Wednesday, November 14th, 1906
Location: Kansas, USA

Died: Thursday, August 8th, 1985
Location: Rochester, New York, USA
Cause of death: Heart attack

Best known for: Becoming one of Hollywood's earliest female screen goddesses, notably in the silent films Pandora's Box and Diary of a Lost Girl (both 1929), as well as popularising the bob hairstyle.

Louise is probably better remembered today for her publicity pictures and distinctive hairstyle than for her actual body of work, which itself wasn't extensive. She appeared in just 22 films between 1925 and 1938, after which she retired at the tender age of 32 - and not once did she act on screen again.

Louise's premature downward spiral came after she refused to stay with Paramount Pictures after completing 1928's Beggars of Life. Louise was not keen on the "Hollywood scene" and, after Paramount denied her a promised salary rise, she left for Europe to make films there. Those films were successful in their own right (Pandora's Box and Prix de Beaute (1930), for instance), but when she returned to the US in 1931 and refused to play ball with Paramount - who wanted her to conduct sound retakes of the silent film The Canary Murder Case - she was essentially blacklisted.

James Cagney (1899-1986)

Birth name: James Francis Cagney Jr
Birthdate: Monday, July 17th, 1899
Location: New York City, USA

Died: Sunday, March 30th, 1986
Location: Stanford, New York, USA
Cause of death: Heart attack

Best known for: A string of gangster and tough guy movies in the 1930s and 40s, in particular The Public Enemy (1931), Frisco Kid (1935), Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) and White Heat (1949). He was nominated for an Oscar three times, but only won it once - for 1942's Yankee Doodle Dandy. He missed out on Best Actor awards for Angels with Dirty Faces (losing to Spencer Tracy) and Love Me or Leave Me (1955, losing to Ernest Borgnine).

Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993)

Birth name: Audrey Kathleen Ruston
Birthdate: Saturday, May 4th, 1929
Location: Brussels, Belgium

Died: Wednesday, January 29th, 1993
Location: Vaud, Switzerland
Cause of death: Appendiceal cancer

Best known for: Actress who became an icon of Hollywood chic in the role of Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), and in later life became a hard-working humanitarian for UNICEF. She was nominated for five Oscars, but only ever won Best Actress for Roman Holiday in 1953 (the others were for Sabrina, The Nun's Story, Breakfast at Tiffany's and Wait Until Dark, beaten by Grace Kelly, Simone Signoret, Sophia Loren and Katharine Hepburn respectively). And by the way, she was not related to fellow Hollywood actress Katharine Hepburn. It's just not true.

After years of hit after box office hit - Roman Holiday (1953), Sabrina (1954), The Nun's Story (1959), Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), Charade (1963), My Fair Lady (1964) and How to Steal a Million (1966) - it seemed like her fourth consecutive Best Actress Oscar defeat marked a turning point in her acting career. At the age of just 38, she decided to devote more time to her family, and after 1967's Wait Until Dark, didn't make another film for nine years.