1940-1949

April 28, 1940 – The Marx Brothers begin a short tour in Scenes from Go West at the Rialto Theatre in Joliet, Illinois.

December 6, 1940 – The Marx Brothers’ tenth film, Go West, is released.

March 27, 1941 – Groucho makes the first of his eight appearances on the Rudy Vallee Sealtest Show on the NBC Radio Network.

June 17, 1941 – The Marx Brothers’ eleventh film, The Big Store, is released.

December 29, 1941 – Groucho and Ruth separate. Their divorce will become final on July 15, 1942.

January 1942 – Groucho’s second book, Many Happy Returns is published by Simon & Schuster.

April 30, 1942 – Groucho appears with a galaxy of Hollywood stars at the first performance of the Hollywood Victory Caravan at the Capitol Theatre in Washington, DC. The tour lasts three weeks and also features Laurel & Hardy, Cary Grant, James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Barbara Stanwyck among others.

March 27, 1943 – Groucho debuts as the host of his own radio show with the premiere broadcast of Pabst Blue Ribbon Town on the CBS Radio Network. Groucho’s first guest is Barbara Stanwyck.

July 5, 1944 – Groucho begins a three-week tour of military bases and hospitals for the Hollywood Victory Committee with his friend Harry Ruby.

October 12, 1944 – Groucho makes the first of his 22 appearances on Dinah Shore’s Birdseye Open House program on the NBC Radio Network.

December 1, 1944 – Groucho, along with songwriters Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, embarks on another short tour of military bases and hospitals, this time for USO Camp Shows.

June 1, 1945 – Groucho and Harry Ruby begin their third tour of military bases and hospitals, this time for the Hollywood Victory Committee.

August 12, 1945 – The Marx Brothers reunite to once again test scenes from a forthcoming film. They begin a short tour in Scenes from A Night in Casablanca at Camp Eliot Naval Base in San Diego, California.

August 27, 1945 – Groucho, Harpo and Chico Marx give their final live performance as a team at the T&D Theatre in Oakland California in Scenes from A Night in Casablanca.

July 21, 1945 – Groucho marries his second wife, Kay Gorcey.

May 10, 1946 – The Marx Brothers’ twelfth film, A Night in Casablanca, is released.

August 14, 1946 – Groucho and Kay’s daughter Melinda is born.

May 30, 1947 – the film Copacabana, starring Groucho Marx and Carmen Miranda is released.

September 15, 1947 – Groucho records an audition disc for a new radio quiz program called You Bet Your Life.

October 23, 1947 – Groucho makes the first of his six appearances on Al Jolson’s Kraft Music Hall show on the NBC Radio Network.

October 27, 1947 – Groucho debuts as the host of You Bet Your Life on the ABC Radio Network.

September 27, 1948 – Time for Elizabeth, written by Groucho Marx and Norman Krasna opens on Broadway.

April 21, 1949 – You Bet Your Life is honored with a Peabody Award as radio’s best entertainment in comedy for 1948.

October 5, 1949 – You Bet Your Life moves to the CBS Radio Network for the beginning of its third season.

October 12, 1949 – Love Happy, the thirteenth and final Marx Brothers film is released.