Matinee Classics - Tony Martin Biography & Filmography

Tony Martin ACTOR

PHOTOS

TONY MARTIN BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Tony Martin was born on December 25th, 1913 in San Francisco, California with the birth name Alvin Morris. At the age of ten he began playing the saxophone and was excelling as a soprano singer in his elementary school glee club. Once he went to Oakland Technical High School, he formed a band called, "The Red Peppers" and even joined a local orchestra.

After earning his high school diploma, he first enrolled at St. Mary's College of California and then decided to relocate to Hollywood and break into the entertainment industry.

It did not take long before he began to gin the interest of Hollywood appearing in a number of feature films such as, "Follow the Fleet" (1936) starring Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Randolph Scott, Harriet Hilliard Nelson, Astrid Allwyn, Lucille Ball and Betty Grable, "The Farmer in the Dell" (1936), "The Poor Little Rich Girl" (1936) starring Shirley Temple, Alice Faye, Gloria Stuart and Jack Haley, "Pigskin Parade" (1936) starring Stu Erwin, Dixie Dunbar, Betty Grable, Jack Haley, Arline Judge, Johnny Downs, Patsy Kelly and 14-year-old Judy Garland in her film debut, "The Holy Terror" (1937) also starring Jane Withers, Joe E. Brown and Joan Davis, "Ali Baba Goes to Town" (1937) starring Eddie Cantor, Roland Young, Gypsy Rose Lee, John Carradine and Douglass Dumbrille, "The Big Store" (1941) starring The Marx Brothers, Virginia Grey and Virginia O'Brien, "Till the Clouds Roll By" (1946) starring alongside Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Van Heflin, Cyd Charisse, Kathryn Grayson, June Allyson, Lena Horne, Van Johnson, Angela Lansbury, Robert Walker, Esther Williams and Dinah Shore, "Casbah" (1948) co-starring Yvonne De Carlo and Peter Lorre, "Clash By Night" (1952) starring Barbara Stanwyck, Paul Douglas, Marilyn Monroe, J. Carrol Naish and Robert Ryan, "Here Comes the Girl" (1953) also starring Bob Hope, Arlene Dahl, William Demarest, Millard Mitchell and Rosemary Clooney and "Hit the Deck" (1955) starring with Jane Powell, Debbie Reynolds, Walter Pidgeon, Gene Raymond, Ann Miller, Russ Tamblyn, J. Carrol Naish, Alan King and Vic Damone.

He did take a brief break from acting to serve in the Navy during World War II and after a misunderstanding with the navy he switched over to the army where he finished his service and then returned back to acting.

In addition to his film work he also appeared on a variety of television series such as, "The Jack Benny Program", "Shower of Stars" The George Burns Show", "The Donna Reed Show" and "Death Valley Days".

Martin also had "The Tony Martin Show" which aired on NBC from 1954 through 1956 and also recorded a number of hit records for Decca. Later in his career he signed with Mercury Records and then was offered a contract with RCA Victor Records. His final role was a cameo in 1982 on the film, "Dear Mr. Wonderful" starring Joe Pesci.

He was so successful in the world of entertainment that he was awarded four stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to Recording, Motion Pictures, Radio and Television.

Tony Martin has married twice, first to actress Alice Faye in 1937 however just three years later this marriage came to an end. He then married another actress, Cyd Charisse in 1948 and they had one child together and remained married until she passed away in 2008.

Tony Martin, the debonair baritone whose career spanned some 80 years in films, nightclubs on radio and television, died on Friday July 27th 2012, at his home in West Los Angeles. He was 98.

Filmography

1982 Dear Mr. Wonderful

1962 Death Valley Days

1961 The Donna Reed Show

1958 The George Burns Show

1957 Let's Be Happy

1956 Quincannon, Frontier Scout

1955 Shower of Stars

1955 Hit the Deck

1954 Deep in My Heart

1954 The Jack Benny Program

1954 General Foods 25th Anniversary Show: A Salute to Rodgers and Hammerstein