Marx Brothers – Chico & Harpo Marx Signed Contracts and Archive from the Mapes Hotel Engagement
An extraordinary archive relating to the Marx Brothers’ 1952 appearance at the Mapes Hotel in Reno, Nevada, comprising multiple William Morris Agency contracts and correspondence, each signed by Chico Marx and Harpo Marx, together with associated ephemera from the engagement.
Highlights include:
• Joint contract signed by both Chico & Harpo Marx, May 5, 1952, Mapes Hotel, for $8,000 weekly, with additional performance stipulations, boldly signed by both brothers. Condition: 8.5" x 11", faint overall toning, staple holes, folds with small separations, not affecting signatures.
• Contract for Chico Marx, May 19, 1952, between the Mapes Hotel and Chico Marx, signed by Chico's brother Gummo Marx as his agent,” stipulating $2,500 weekly for seven days and fifteen shows. Condition: one page, 8.5" x 11", folds, minor toning, small staple holes at upper margin.
• Contract for Harpo Marx, May 19, 1952, signed “Harpo's brother Gummo Marx as his agent,” stipulating $7,500 weekly, with Harpo agreeing to provide services of Bobby Sargent and two female performers. Condition: one page, 8.5" x 11", light creasing and handling wear, some marginal pencil annotations.
• William Morris Agency correspondence, July 25, 1952, signed by Lou Goldberg, authorizing deductions from Chico Marx’s salary, with financial annotations in pencil and ink. Condition: 8.5" x 11", light folds, scattered handling marks, file holes at top margin.
• Authorization letter signed by Chico Marx, July 3, 1952, assigning $3,400 weekly directly to William Morris Agency, boldly signed “Chico Marx.” Condition: 8.5" x 11", usual folds, faint toning at edges.
• Mapes Hotel ephemera including original casino drink tokens and a cocktail check, showing expected handling wear, edge nicks, and faint stains — evocative remnants of the venue’s golden age.
The Mapes Hotel, famed as Reno’s luxury hub of entertainment in the mid-20th century, was host to the Marx Brothers at the twilight of their vaudeville careers. These contracts and letters vividly document their professional arrangements during a post–Hollywood stage career, illustrating the balance of fees, agency commissions, and club obligations.
With One of a Kind Collectibles LOA.