Marx, Groucho & Fleming, Erin - 1974 Signed Agreement
Description:
Signed two page agreement, granting Fleming 1/2 of Groucho's merchandising and syndication income from, "You Bet Your Life".
Dated April 2, 1974. Signed by Groucho Marx, (d.1977) & Susan Fleming (d. 2003).
After Groucho's death in 1977, his children (Arthur, Miriam, and Melinda) challenged this and other financial arrangements. A 1983 court decision found that Fleming had used "fraud, undue influence, and duress" to obtain various gifts and agreements. She was eventually ordered to repay approximately $472,000 to the estate.
Notes & Background:
I’ve seen another of these listed by “History for Sale”, which was only signed by Groucho.
I’m assuming that Fleming had Groucho sign multiple copies, to help strengthen her claim to his estate.
Groucho’s children, (Arthur, Miriam, and Melinda) challenged this agreement and other financial arrangements.
Groucho’s companion, Erin Fleming, was accused of elder abuse. Not a popular term in the 1970's.
During this time period, His relationships with his son Arthur and daughter Miriam (children from his first marriage) were strained for various reasons. Arthur wrote several books based on life in the Marx family, and his father threatened litigation over his portrayal in one of Arthur’s memoirs.
Erin Fleming was Groucho’s secretary-manager and was partially responsible for his popular comeback in the early 1970s. However, some of Groucho’s friends thought that Fleming was pushing him too hard to perform, given his age and memory loss.
Fleming successfully campaigned for the Marx Brothers to receive a special Academy Award in 1974. In his acceptance speech, Groucho thanked “Erin Fleming, who makes my life worth living and who understands all my jokes.”
In 1974, Fleming was appointed as his guardian and temporary conservator of an estate worth an estimated $2-$4 million. In 1975, he even tried to adopt her, until a psychologist said he was not mentally competent.
Arthur Marx, Groucho’s son, sued Fleming for having a harmful and destructive influence on his father, including threatening his well-being and being abusive. He also claimed that she pushed Groucho to perform, whether he was able or not, for her own financial gain.
In Groucho’s final days, a judge appointed the 72-year-old Nat Perrin, a close pal of Groucho’s and co-writer of the Marx Brothers’ 1933 film, “Duck Soup,” as temporary conservator of Groucho’s well-being and estate. Later, his grandson, Andrew, was named permanent conservator.
Groucho died on August 19, 1977.
The litigation concerning Groucho’s estate went on long after his death, into the 1980s. Groucho had left most of his estate to his children, but gave control of his name, image and movie rights to Fleming—another issue of dispute.
In 1983 a court decision found that Fleming had used "fraud, undue influence, and duress" to obtain various gifts and agreements. She was eventually ordered to repay approximately $472,000 to the estate.
Erin Fleming committed suicide in 2003 at the age of 61.