Guy Marks: Probably the funnest comedian you have NEVER heard of...

Mini Biography

Guy Marks was arguably not a career actor but rather a topnotch entertainer who dabbled in acting. In this case it is the quality, not the quantity, of his work that merits him a place among the great character actors. He was better known as a stand-up comic and world-class impressionist. No one could steal a scene or a show like the fabulous Mr. Marks! He was born Mario Scarpa in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1923, the youngest of 11 children of concert clarinetist Ermedlindo Scarpa, a member of the RCA Recording Orchestra. He grew up on Phillie's South Side and frequently ran away from home working at odd jobs. As a young man he found his niche in comedy, especially impersonations, and he was a Master! He could do animals, birds, inanimate objects, just about anything and not just the sounds but the actions, the walks and the faces. When he did an impression of a famous person, he "looked like" that person. He toured the nightclub circuit opening for big stars like Eddie Fisher and Sammy Davis Jr. He worked in Las Vegas quite often. He guested on many TV variety shows such as "Ed Sullivan", "Hollywood Palace", "The Milton Berle Show" and "The Dean Martin Show." This eventually led to a role on a brief but hilarious comedy series with Tim Conway "Rango" as a very sarcastic Indian sidekick which was his greatest success. He appeared in the films: "Peeper" (1975) uncredited as Man in Alley (Bogart Imitation) and "Train Ride to Hollywood" (1978) as Bogie, a Humphrey Bogart look-alike, doing his impeccable Bogart voice impression. On TV he was a regular on the series: "The Joey Bishop Show" (1961-62) as Freddie; "The John Forsythe Show" (1965) as Ed Robbins; "Rango" (1967) as Pink Cloud and "You Again" (1986) as Harry.

Sadly, not many producers picked up on his talents or maybe it was that he preferred the nightclub circuit, but audiences were at a loss for it never the less. He also composed a "one-hit wonder" novelty song called "Loving You Has Made Me Bananas" that was quite popular in the 1970s. At the time of his death he had completed a TV series pilot with Sid Caesar which never panned out. His talents can be seen on the current video release of the "Dean Martin Roasts." He was married and divorced several times and was survived by two brothers and five sisters. He died on November 28, 1987 in Brigantine, New Jersey at age 64