Groucho Marx may soon be the subject of a Hollywood film. Universal and Jersey Films are poised to sign a deal which would bring the comic's life to the big screen. Producer David Michaels told Playbill On-Line that interest in the project arose within 24 hours of his securing the rights to Marx's life story. Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewsky (Ed Wood, The Man on the Moon) will write the screenplay. Michaels could not say whether the film would cover Groucho and his brothers' early days in vaudeville or their Broadway shows The Cocoanuts and Animal Crackers.

With his brothers Chico, Harpo and Zeppo, Groucho made such classic film comedies as A Night at the Opera, A Day at the Races, and Monkey Business. Jersey Films is headed by Danny DeVito, Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher. Michaels is the senior vice-president of Lancit Media Entertainment.

-- By Robert Simonson