Ian Martin (April 29, 1912 - July 25, 1981) was an American actor on Broadway, radio, and television and a writer. He appeared on television more than 700 times and on radio more than 15,000 times.

Early years

Born in Glasgow, Scotland, on April 29, 1912, Martin was the son of composer George Martin and English actress Violet Robertson. He acted in Scotland as a child before moving to the United States in 1928. Fieldston, the private school that he attended, had some classes taught in French and German, which helped him to pick up accents and dialects that he later used as an actor. After graduating from

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

, he became a radio actor, announcer, and writer.

Career

Martin's early experience on stage came in acting with stock theater companies. He first appeared on Broadway in ''All Men Are Alike'' (1941). After serving in the Army and working on radio, he returned to Broadway to become the fourth actor to portray Finian McLonergan in '' Finian's Rainbow''. On July 21, 1947, at age 34, he began playing Finian in his late 50s, a role that required hours in makeup. He also prepared for the role by observing older people in everyday situations, taking note of such things as their infirmities, the way they walked, and their posture. His observations were so intense that at times "he was upbraided for impudently staring". He spent 18 months in that role. Other Broadway productions in which Martin appeared included '' The Devil's Disciple'' (1950), ''

Captain Brassbound's Conversion ''Captain Brassbound's Conversion'' (1900) is a play by G. Bernard Shaw. It was published in Shaw's 1901 collection ''Three Plays for Puritans'' (together with '' Caesar and Cleopatra'' and '' The Devil's Disciple''). The first American producti ...

'' (1950), ''The King of Friday's Men'' (1951), '' Spofford'' (1967), ''

Lost in the Stars ''Lost in the Stars'' is a musical with book and lyrics by Maxwell Anderson and music by Kurt Weill, based on the novel ''Cry, the Beloved Country'' (1948) by Alan Paton. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1949; it was the composer's last work ...

'' (1972), and ''

The Changing Room ''The Changing Room'' is a 1971 play by David Storey, set in a men's changing room before, during and after a rugby league football game. It premiered at the Royal Court Theatre on 9 November 1971, directed by Lindsay Anderson. The 1973 Broadway ...

'' (1973). Later in his career, Martin acted in regional theater, including performances at the Main Street Theatre in

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, and with the Civic Light Opera in

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

. Martin wrote more than 100 scripts for the ''

CBS Radio Mystery Theater ''CBS Radio Mystery Theater'' (a.k.a. ''Radio Mystery Theater'' and ''Mystery Theater'', sometimes abbreviated as ''CBSRMT'') is a radio drama series created by Himan Brown that was broadcast on CBS Radio Network affiliates from 1974 to 1982, a ...

'', and he wrote for ''Adventure Theater''. As an actor on radio, he portrayed Reed Bannister on ''

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'' and Arnold Kirk on ''The Right to Happiness''. Other radio programs on which he was heard included ''The Chase'' and ''Now Hear This''.

Personal life and death

Martin married actress Inge Adams in January 1942. He later married actress Joan Arliss, to whom he was still wed at the time of his death. He had two sons and two daughters. He died of a heart ailment on July 25, 1981, in Doctors Hospital in New York City, aged 69.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Ian 1912 births 1981 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male radio actors American male stage actors American soap opera actors Broadway theatre people Harvard College alumni Ethical Culture Fieldston School alumni