er ▁under ▁his ▁own ▁name , ▁Julius ▁Henry ▁Marx , ▁meant ▁more ▁than ▁all ▁the ▁plays ▁he ▁appeared ▁in . ▁As ▁a ▁man ▁who ▁never ▁had ▁formal ▁school ing , ▁to ▁have ▁his ▁writ ings ▁declared ▁cult ur ally ▁important ▁was ▁a ▁point ▁of ▁great ▁satisfaction . ▁As ▁he ▁passed ▁his ▁ 8 1 st ▁birth day ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 , ▁however , ▁Marx ▁became ▁increasing ly ▁fra il , ▁phys ically ▁and ▁ment ally , ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁a ▁succession ▁of ▁minor ▁stro kes ▁and ▁other ▁health ▁issues . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁largely ▁at ▁the ▁beh est ▁of ▁his ▁companion ▁Er in ▁F lem ing , ▁Marx ▁st aged ▁a ▁live ▁one - man ▁show ▁at ▁Car neg ie ▁Hall ▁that ▁was ▁later ▁released ▁as ▁a ▁double ▁album , ▁An ▁Even ing ▁with ▁Gr ou cho , ▁on ▁A & M ▁Records . ▁He ▁also ▁made ▁an ▁appearance ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁on ▁a ▁short - l ived ▁variety ▁show ▁hosted ▁by ▁Bill ▁Cos by . ▁F lem ing ' s ▁influence ▁on ▁Marx ▁was ▁controvers ial . ▁Some ▁close ▁to ▁Marx ▁believed ▁that ▁she ▁did ▁much ▁to ▁rev ive ▁his ▁popular ity , ▁and ▁the ▁relationship ▁with ▁a ▁younger ▁woman ▁boost ed ▁his ▁e go ▁and ▁vital ity . ▁O thers ▁described ▁her ▁as ▁a ▁S ven g ali , ▁explo iting ▁an ▁increasing ly ▁sen ile ▁Marx ▁in ▁purs uit ▁of ▁her ▁own ▁st ard om . ▁ ▁Marx