As far as I know, it went utterly unmentioned in the press that Erin Fleming, one-time companion of the great Groucho, took her own life on April 15 or 17 (accounts vary) of 2003. At least, I only recently learned of it.
There was a time when this controversial lady was all over the newspapers, especially during a nasty battle over various portions of his wealth which he had either given her or to which she had helped herself. Fleming was an ever-aspiring actress who arrived in Groucho's life after a long string of "secretaries" had fled in horror at the way they felt they were treated.
The referral came from a writer-producer named Jerry Davis, a very nice man whom she pestered for acting jobs (or just any job) when he was producing the Odd Couple TV show. Erin was creating problems for Jerry, suggesting they could become closer friends in a way that Jerry, who was happily wed, did not appreciate. When his pal Groucho asked if Jerry could recommend an assistant, Davis — to his later regret — connected him with Erin.
Unlike the many before her, Erin did not quickly flee Groucho's employ. She went from running errands to running his life, convincing him that she should manage his affairs and business matters. She also arranged to get him more into the public eye, dragging him to parties and hosting half of Hollywood in Groucho's Trousdale mansion. Among those who witnessed this period of Groucho's life, there is still controversy: Most admit that she did him some good, promoting his stardom and making large portions of his life happy and active. But her motives were often questioned by those who felt she was less interested in aiding Groucho than in promoting some sort of career for herself.
Meeting Woody Allen (via Groucho) got her a bit part in his film, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask, and when Groucho did a guest shot on Bill Cosby's variety show in 1973, a condition of his appearance was that Erin would be billed as a guest star. The consensus seems to be that she ultimately did more harm than good and in my own, admittedly brief encounters with her, that's the impression I got. At the same time, I suspect Groucho, in his more lucid moments, did not feel that way…and his vote certainly counted for something. Her worst deeds may have been that she did everything in her power to alienate him from his children, and at some point became convinced that for all the years she invested in his life, she was "owed" everything she could get out of him.
The legal wars started even before Groucho died when his son Arthur finally stepped in and got a court order to separate her from Groucho's business affairs. The battle turned even uglier after Groucho passed away, as various courts heard testimony of Erin abusing Groucho and his servants and squandering his money. She lost big in court, vowed to appeal, then seems to have descended further into some sort of true dementia. A few Marx Brothers fans received letters from her in which she announced, with no basis in fact, that she had been legally adopted by Bob Guccione, the publisher of Penthouse magazine.
In the letters, she implied that she would use her new Daddy's money and connections to punish all who had wronged her and taken away her rightful share of Groucho. Then she more or less disappeared, though there were reports that she was homeless and others that she was routinely arrested on firearms charges. In January of 2003, she reportedly moved into a senior retirement home in Hollywood and it was there, three months later, that she shot herself.
Dick Cavett, writing about her relationship with Groucho, once commented that in a larger sense than the trial, the jury would be out forever; that she brought so many good moments to the comedian's last years that it was wrong to focus on the negatives. Maybe…but there sure were too many of them.