Raymond Isaacs (6 October 1928 – 19 June 2002), who performed as Ray Martine, was a British comedian, especially on television in the 1960s and early 1970s.

Life and career

He was born to

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

parents in London, and underwent

national service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The ...

in the

RAF The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

before spending time in the United States, where he heard the

patter Patter is a prepared and practiced speech that is designed to produce a desired response from its audience. Examples of occupations with a patter might include the auctioneer, salesperson, dance caller, magician, or comedian. The term may h ...

and one-liners of American comedians. On returning to England, he worked in the clothing trade, and performed as an amateur comedian in London pubs in the late 1950s and early 1960s. His style was "waspish... nd uncompromising about problems he had faced arising from his sexuality and Jewishness". Gavin Gaughan, "Ray Martine: Early British master of the risqué comedy routine", ''The Guardian'', 11 October 2002
Retrieved 2 March 2021 He was spotted by television journalist

Daniel Farson Daniel James Negley Farson (8 January 1927 – 27 November 1997) was a British writer and broadcaster, strongly identified with the early days of commercial television in the UK, when his sharp, investigative style contrasted with the BBC's mor ...

, who booked him to appear in the East End pub he owned, the Waterman's Arms, alongside performers Rex Jameson (Mrs Shufflewick) and

Queenie Watts Queenie Watts (born Mary Spenton; 21 July 1923 – 25 January 1980) was an English actress of film and television, as well as an occasional singer.

. As a result, Martine was recruited to host the ATV

variety show Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a comp ...

, ''

Stars and Garters ''Stars and Garters'' was a British television variety show produced by Associated Television, ATV from 1963 until 1965, set in a fictional public house. Hosted by comedian Ray Martine, regulars included singers Kathy Kirby, Vince Hill, Tommy Bruc ...

'', initially set in Farson's pub but soon moved to a studio set. The show started in 1963, and featured singers such as

Vince Hill Vincent Hill (born 16 April 1934) is an English traditional pop music singer and songwriter who is best known for his recording of the Rodgers and Hammerstein show tune "Edelweiss" (1967), which reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart (staying ...

Kathy Kirby Kathy Kirby (born Catherine Ethel O'Rourke; 20 October 1938 – 19 May 2011) was an English singer, reportedly the highest-paid female singer of her generation. She is best known for her cover version of Doris Day's " Secret Love" and for re ...

, and Clinton Ford. Helped by jokes written by

Dick Vosburgh Richard Kennedy Vosburgh (27 August 1929 – 18 April 2007) was a Grammy-nominated, Tony-nominated American-born comedy writer and lyricist working chiefly in Britain. Early life Vosburgh was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He persuaded his ...

and

Marty Feldman Martin Alan Feldman (8 July 1934 – 2 December 1982) was a British actor, comedian and comedy writer. He was known for his prominent, misaligned eyes. He initially gained prominence as a writer with Barry Took on the ITV sitcom ''Boot ...

, Martine became popular, and recorded a comedy LP, ''East End, West End'', recorded at a pub in Hackney and at the

Establishment Club The Establishment was a London nightclub that opened in October 1961, at 18 Greek Street, Soho, and which became known in retrospect for satire although at the time was a venue more commonly booking jazz acts and used for other events. It was fo ...

Soho Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was develo ...

, in 1964. He was dropped before the third series of ''Stars and Garters'' in late 1965, and appeared as a

taxi driver ''Taxi Driver'' is a 1976 American film directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Paul Schrader, and starring Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, Peter Boyle, Leonard Harris, and Albert Brooks. Set in a decaying ...

in '' The Avengers'' in 1966. His television success led to bookings in workingmens clubs in the north of England, where he started to base himself. He reappeared on British television in 1969, as a panel member in the comedy panel show '' Jokers Wild'', hosted by

Barry Cryer Barry Charles Cryer (23 March 1935 – 25 January 2022) was an English writer, comedian, and actor. As well as performing on stage, radio and television, Cryer wrote for many performers including Dave Allen, Stanley Baxter, Jack Benny, Rory ...

and also featuring

Les Dawson Leslie Dawson Jr. (2 February 1931 – 10 June 1993) was an English comedian, actor, writer, and presenter, who is best remembered for his deadpan style, curmudgeonly persona and jokes about his mother-in-law and wife. Early life Les Dawson w ...

Arthur Askey Arthur Bowden Askey, (6 June 1900 – 16 November 1982) was an English comedian and actor. Askey was known for his short stature (5' 2", 1.58 m) and distinctive horn-rimmed glasses, and his playful humour incorporating improvisation ...

and Ted Ray. His appearances on the show were described as "lively and unpredictable... nd sometimesoverpoweringly disruptive." Martine appeared in most episodes of the show up to 1972, when he left. ''Jokers Wild'', IMDb
Retrieved 2 March 2021 Martine continued for some years to perform in clubs in the north of England, and also undertook after dinner speaking. By the 1990s, he was reportedly involved in the

antiques An antique ( la, antiquus; 'old', 'ancient') is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely ...

business in

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...

. He died in a nursing home in Newcastle in 2002, aged 73.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martine, Ray 1928 births 2002 deaths 20th-century English comedians English male comedians Gay entertainers 20th-century LGBT people