Uncle Sid, THE FORGOTTEN MARX BROTHER*

Most people think the forgotten Marx Brother is Zeppo. Nah, it's Uncle Sid. He's the truly forgotten Marx Brother.

This gem of a photo was found at an estate sale. In fact, the same sale where I found the shot of Frank Sinatra. How Uncle Sid slipped through the cracks is a Hollywood story told behind closed doors. He simply looked too much like Groucho and the head of the studio figured the audience would get confused. Uncle Sid did get to do some stand-in work and can be briefly seen in the following video clip, but I dare you to find him.

Sid self-published a book entitled "The Mark of a Marx" which came out in 1973. Occasionally copies can be found at flea markets, so keep your eyes open. It had a bright yellow cover with an "X" on it with "Sid Marx" under it. Simple, to the point. It's, as I recall, 96 pages long. Well, the text is only 81 pages with the rest blank. It's been said, though never verified, that Sid drew pictures of squirrels in several of the copies. Again, that hasn't been verified. But if you're lucky enough to find a copy be careful what you pay. If it's got a squirrel on a back page you've hit the jackpot!

* The above copy is pure nonsense. Well, okay, maybe not 100% pure, but it's most definitely nonsense. It will not float in water.