Re: My Earliest TV Memory (nbc)

On May 28, 5:50 pm, Karen Burns <pa...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Bevch...@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
On May 25, 1:31 am, Dan <D...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Legendary Comedian and Director *** Martin Dies in Santa Monica

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--*** Martin, who co-created and
co-hosted Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In - a show which forever changed the
face of television - and who championed free speech and satire as staples in
American media, died today of respiratory complications, while surrounded by
his wife, family, and friends. He was 86 years young.

In addition to a 25-year career in nightclubs and the success of Rowan and
Martin's Laugh-In, *** Martin began a second career as a television
director in 1976, starting with The Bob Newhart Show. He was the chief
director of the 1980s sitcom Newhart as well as the host of the short-lived
Mindreaders game show in the late 1970s. By the time he retired from his
second career, he had directed over 200 hours of television.

He married Britain's first Playboy Playmate Dolly Read (Dolly Martin) in
1971. Dolly Read had starred in the cult classic feature film Beyond the
Valley of the Dolls. Martin was formerly married to Peggy Connelly. He has
two sons, Richard Martin and Cary Martin.

*** Martin was born on January 30, 1922, in Battle Creek, Michigan. He took
an early interest in comedy and in his twenties worked briefly as a staff
writer for the radio show Duffy's Tavern, working with the author and
Broadway director Abe Burrows.

In 1951 he had a bit part in the Vincente Minnelli film Father's Little
Dividend, alongside Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor, but it took him
several more years to begin carving out a career for himself in television
comedy. This began with an appearance on The Bob Hope Show, in an episode
which also featured Diana Dors and Betty Grable. He then appeared in two
episodes of The Dinah Shore Chevy Show, the first of which featured Shirley
MacLaine and the second of which involved his first appearance with Dan
Rowan, who was to become the other half of his famous double-act.

It was 1952 when Dan Rowan and *** Martin met. *** Martin, who had just
seen Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis perform at Slapsie Maxie's nightclub,
decided "that looked like a lot of fun." Nine days later, Rowan and Martin
broke in their act at Charlie Foy's Supper Club in the San Fernando Valley
north of Los Angeles. They didn't do all that well but while sitting at the
bar after the show, comedian Joe Frisco came up to them and said "Don't give
up kids - you've got class."

Rowan and Martin began playing nightclubs throughout America. The first time
they played Las Vegas was early 1953 at the Golden Nugget; they played three
times downtown at the El Cortez before moving "up" to the Strip. They
received their first big break in Lake Tahoe at the Calvada Lodge, owned by
Joby Lewis of the Detroit "family."

At the Calvada, they opened for a young singer named Nat King Cole. After a
3-week stint in Tahoe, Nat took the boys to Australia where they played
Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, then flew on to play Auckland, New Zealand.
Cole then took Rowan and Martin to the Chez Paree in Chicago, and on to the
Copacabana in New York City. It was in 1955 that Rowan and Martin first
played the Sands Hotel for a four-week engagement on the Las Vegas strip -
they had arrived!

Between 1962 and 1964, Martin - without Rowan - was a regular on The Lucy
Show.

Nat King Cole had opened the doors for Rowan and Martin, and they were now
booked continuously as an opening act in Las Vegas and New York. At the same
time, they began making appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show (a total of 18
times), the Perry Como Show (8 times), and The Hollywood Palace (10 times).
They also appeared on the Dean Martin Variety Show on NBC.

In 1966, Dean's producer, Greg Garrison, sold NBC on the idea of a Dean
Martin summer show. NBC wanted to have rotating hosts in the manner of The
Hollywood Palace, but Dean Martin insisted on Rowan and Martin as sole hosts
of the shows.

The 12 shows they hosted were so successful that NBC approached Rowan and
Martin to host their own variety show. Dan and *** said they "had something
a little different" in mind. NBC said, "let's give it a try" and Rowan and
Martin's Laugh-In was born. They shot a special in September, 1967. NBC was
not thrilled with the show, but critics around the country were so
enthusiastic that NBC relented to a 13-week run beginning mid-season.

Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In began their 13-show run in January, 1968. NBC
put the show on opposite The Lucy Show and Gunsmoke, two mega-hits and
nobody gave the show much of a chance - but by the eighth show, Rowan and
Martin's Laugh-In was the number one show in the country. Rowan and Martin's
Laugh-In taped 144 shows and went off the air in 1973.

Though he never neglected his television work, Martin became eagerly
involved with Hollywood, appearing in comedies such as The Glass Bottom
Boat; Zero to Sixty, with Darren McGavin and Joan Collins; and Carbon Copy,
with George Segal and Denzel Washington. Martin also had acting roles in
popular series including Coach, with Craig T Nelson and Jerry Van Dyke; 3rd
Rock from the Sun, with John Lithgow and Kristen Johnston; Blossom, with
Mayim Bialik and Joey Lawrence; Baywatch, with David Hasselhoff and Pamela
Anderson; and Diagnosis Murder, with *** Van Dyke and Scott Baio.

Dan Rowan retired to France until his death from lymphatic cancer in 1987.

Rowan and Martin also appeared together in comedy western film Once Upon a
Horse and in the 1969 horror spoof film The Maltese Bippy, with Julie
Newmar.

Dan Rowan and *** Martin received the 2,194th star on the Hollywood Walk of
Fame in 2002.

As requested by Martin, there will be no funeral.
--
Dan

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not
sure about the universe."

-Albert Einstein

I realize this is a tribute to *** Martin, who was phenomenal when I
was a young teenager.  But, give the title of the thread, I just
wanted to say that my earlier TV memory is, I think, either Captain
Kangaroo or Romper Room and Miss  (I forget her name ... does anyone
else remember ... way back from the late 1950s?).

Bev :-)

Miss Sally was the Queen of Romper Room when I watched it, in the
early-to-mid 1970's... And damn it, she *NEVER* said my name when she
looked through her Romper Stomper Bomper Boo thingamajig!

Romper Stomper Bomper Boo
Tell me, Tell me, Tell me true
<can't remember this line... >
Did all my friends have fun today?

Magic mirror tell me today

I remember because she SAW ME!!
It still gets me excited.

.

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