Tony Martin (American singer)
Alvin Morris (December 25, 1913 – July 27, 2012), known professionally as Tony Martin, was an American actor and popular singer.
His career spanned over seven decades, and he scored dozens of hits between the late-1930s and mid-1950s with songs such as "Walk Hand in Hand", "I Love Paris", "Stranger in Paradise" and "I Get Ideas". He was married to actress and dancer Cyd Charisse for 60 years, from 1948 until her death in 2008.
Life and career
Alvin Morris was born on December 25, 1913, in San Francisco,[1][2] the son of Hattie (née Smith) and Edward Clarence Morris.[3][4] His family was Jewish, and all of his grandparents had emigrated from Eastern Europe.[3] He was raised in Oakland, California.[5] At the age of ten, he received a saxophone as a gift from his grandmother.[6] He went to Oakland High School and St Mary's College.[7]
In his grammar school glee club, he became an instrumentalist and singer, playing both saxophone and clarinet. He formed his first band, named "The Red Peppers," when he was at Oakland Technical High School, eventually joining the band of a local orchestra leader, Tom Gerun, as a saxophone player sitting alongside the future bandleader Woody Herman. He attended Saint Mary's College of California during the mid-1930s. After college, he left Gerun's band to go to Hollywood to try films. It was at that time that he adopted the stage name of Tony Martin.
On radio, Martin sang and was master of ceremonies on Tune-Up Time, with Andre Kostelanetz, on CBS in the early 1940s.[8] NBC broadcast The Tony Martin Show, a 15-minute variety program, from 1954 to 1956 prior to the evening newscast. One of his guests was Dinah Shore, soon starring in her own hour-long NBC variety program.[citation needed]
He was a featured vocalist on the George Burns and Gracie Allen radio program. On the show Allen playfully flirted with Tony, often threatening to fire him. Allen would say things like, "Oh, Tony, you look so tired, why don't you rest your lips on mine?"
In films, Martin was first cast in a number of bit parts, including a role as a sailor in Follow the Fleet (1936), starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. He eventually signed with 20th Century-Fox and then Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in which he starred in a number of musicals. Between 1938 and 1942, he made a number of hit records for Decca. In 1941, Martin received equal billing with the Marx Brothers in their final film for MGM, The Big Store, in an effort to lure pop music fans and as an indication of MGM's lack of interest in the comedy team.[9] In the film he played a rising singer and performed "Tenement Symphony," which was written by Hal Borne, who became his long-time musical director. Martin was the last surviving actor to co-star with the Marx Brothers.[10]
Martin joined the United States Navy in 1942 as a chief specialist, the equivalent of a chief petty officer.[11] He was dismissed from the service that year for "unfitness" after he testified at the court martial of a Naval procurement officer. He enlisted as a specialist after the officer twice failed to obtain a commission for him. Martin said that he had given the officer an auto worth $950 to "facilitate" his enlistment. At the time of his dismissal, the Navy said that removal for unfitness was not equivalent to a dishonorable discharge and "does not carry degradation."[12]
After leaving the Navy, Martin asked his local draft board for immediate induction into the service. He was drafted into the Army and assigned to the United States Army Air Forces. He was assigned to Capt. Glenn Miller's band at the request of Miller, who considered him the best singer in the armed services. Martin later said he felt as though he had "stumbled into heaven through the side door."[11] Martin was later promoted to technical sergeant in the Air Transport Command and stationed in India, where Brig. Gen. William H. Tunner, commanding the Hump Airlift, put him to work as an entertainer, forming a troupe of amateur talent from the command and taking it around the various bases to perform.
After the war, Martin signed with Mercury Records, then a small independent label run out of Chicago, Illinois. He cut 25 records in 1946 and 1947 for Mercury, including a 1946 recording of "To Each His Own," which became a million-seller. It was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA.[13] This prompted RCA Victor to offer him a record contract, which he signed in 1947 after satisfying his contract obligations to Mercury.[citation needed]
He continued to appear in film musicals during the 1940s and 1950s. His rendition of "Lover Come Back to Me" with Joan Weldon in Deep in My Heart – based on the music of Sigmund Romberg and starring José Ferrer - was one of the highlights of that film. He also starred as Gaylord Ravenal in the Show Boat segment from the 1946 film Till the Clouds Roll By.
In 1958, he became the highest paid performer in Las Vegas, signing a five-year deal at the Desert Inn, earning $25,000 a week.[14]
In an unlikely pairing, Martin recorded for the Motown Records label in the mid-1960s, scoring a minor hit with the record "Talkin' To Your Picture".
In the 1970s, Martin was a television spokesperson for the Lady Brevoni brand of pantyhose sold in supermarkets.[15]
Martin was a stockholder in the Parvin-Dohrmann Corporation, a hotel and casino company that owned the Flamingo Las Vegas.[16]
Personal life
In 1937, he married actress and singer Alice Faye, with whom he had appeared in several films.[citation needed] They divorced in 1940.[17]
In 1948, Martin married actress and dancer Cyd Charisse. They remained married for 60 years until her death on June 17, 2008.[18] Martin adopted Charisse's son Nicky from her first marriage.[citation needed] They had one son together, Tony Martin, Jr. (August 28, 1950 – April 10, 2011), who predeceased his father.
Martin and Charisse were both Republicans who campaigned for Richard Nixon.[19]
Martin died on the evening of July 27, 2012, of natural causes.[20][21] He was 98 years old. Martin was buried at the Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California.
Records
Year | Single | Chart positions | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US | CB | US AC |
UK[22] | ||
1936 | "When Did You Leave Heaven?" (with Victor Young) | ||||
1938 | "The Moon of Manakoora" (with Ray Noble) | 15 | |||
"I Hadn't Anyone Till You" (with Ray Noble) | 4 | ||||
"You Couldn't Be Cuter" (with Ray Noble) | 16 | ||||
"My Walking Stick" (with Ray Noble) | 17 | ||||
"Now It Can Be Told" (with Ray Noble) | 13 | ||||
1939 | "South of the Border" | 16 | |||
1940 | "It's a Blue World" | 2 | |||
"Fools Rush In" | 14 | ||||
1941 | "Tonight We Love" | 5 | |||
1946 | "To Each His Own" | 4 | |||
"Rumors Are Flying" | 9 | ||||
"I'll Dance at Your Wedding" | 23 | ||||
1948 | "Hooray for Love" | 21 | |||
"Confess" | 25 | ||||
"For Every Man There's a Woman" | 30 | ||||
"It's Magic" | 11 | ||||
1949 | "If You Stub Your Toe on the Moon" | 17 | |||
"Circus" | 24 | ||||
"There's No Tomorrow" | 2 | ||||
"Marta" | 15 | ||||
1950 | "I Said My Pajamas (and Put on My Pray'rs)" (with Fran Warren) | 3 | |||
"Valencia" | 18 | ||||
"La Vie en rose" | 9 | ||||
1951 | "A Penny a Kiss" (with Dinah Shore) | 8 | |||
"In Your Arms" (with Dinah Shore) | 20 | ||||
"Would I Love You" | 19 | ||||
"I Get Ideas" | 3 | ||||
"I Apologize" | 20 | ||||
"The Musicians" (with Dinah Shore, Betty Hutton & Phil Harris) | 24 | ||||
"Vanity" | 18 | ||||
"Over a Bottle of Wine" | 17 | ||||
"Domino" | 9 | ||||
1952 | "Kiss of Fire" | 6 | |||
"Some Day" | 24 | ||||
"Luna Rossa" | 27 | ||||
"Dance of Destiny" | 27 | 24 | |||
"Sleepy Time Gal" | 28 | ||||
"Don't Tempt Me" | 35 | ||||
1953 | "April in Portugal" | 17 | |||
"Sorta on the Border" | 26 | ||||
"Caribbean" | 19 | ||||
"Relax" | 27 | ||||
1954 | "Stranger in Paradise" | 10 | 1 | 6 | |
"That's What a Rainy Day Is For" | 37 | ||||
"Here (In This Enchanted Place)" | 5 | 5 | |||
"Angels In the Sky" | 19 | ||||
"Boulevard of Nightingales" | 37 | ||||
"Uno" | 37 | ||||
"My Bambino" | 36 | ||||
1955 | "All of You" | 25 | |||
"Do, Do, Do" | 35 | ||||
"Just a Man" | 48 | ||||
1956 | "Walk Hand in Hand" | 10 | 16 | 2 | |
"It's Better in the Dark" | 60 | ||||
1957 | "Do I Love You (Because You're Beautiful)" | 82 | |||
1965 | "Talkin' to Your Picture" | 133 | |||
1967 | "Theme from The Sand Pebbles (And We Were Lovers)" | 22 |
Filmography
- Foolish Hearts (1936)
- Follow the Fleet (1936)
- The Farmer in the Dell (1936)
- Murder on a Bridle Path (1936)
- The Witness Chair (1936) (scenes deleted)
- Poor Little Rich Girl (1936)
- Back to Nature (1936)
- Sing, Baby, Sing (1936)
- Pigskin Parade (1936)
- Banjo on My Knee (1936)
- The Holy Terror (1937)
- Sing and Be Happy (1937)
- You Can't Have Everything (1937)
- Life Begins in College (1937)
- Ali Baba Goes to Town (1937)
- Sally, Irene and Mary (1938)
- Kentucky Moonshine (1938)
- Up the River (1938)
- Thanks for Everything (1938)
- Winner Take All (1939)
- Music in My Heart (1940)
- Ziegfeld Girl (1941)
- The Big Store (1941) as Tommy Rogers
- Till the Clouds Roll By (1946)
- Casbah (1948)
- Hollywood Goes to Bat (1950) (short subject)
- Two Tickets to Broadway (1951)
- Clash by Night (1952) (Cameo)
- Here Come the Girls (1953)
- Easy to Love (1953)
- Deep in My Heart (1954)
- Hit the Deck (1955)
- Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956) (Cameo)
- Quincannon, Frontier Scout (1956)
- Let's Be Happy (1957)
- Dear Mr. Wonderful (1982)
- What’s My Line? Tony Martin mystery guest/panelist (Oct 28, 1962) (May 21, 1961)
References
- ^ "California births". Family Tree Legends. Retrieved October 31, 2009.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (July 30, 2012). "Singer-Actor Tony Martin Dies at 98". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
- ^ a b Martin, Tony; Charisse, Cyd; Kleiner, Dick (1976). The Two Of Us. Mason/Charter. ISBN 978-0884053637. Retrieved 2012-12-16.
- ^ Armstrong, Alice Catt (1976). Who's who in California. Who's Who Historical Society. Retrieved 2012-12-16.
- ^ Bergan, Ronald (July 31, 2012). "Tony Martin obituary". The Guardian. London. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
- ^ Wilkins, Barbara (October 25, 1976). "With His Pipes and Her Stems, Cyd Charisse & Tony Martin Are the Doyens of Song'n'dance". People. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- ^ "Tony Martin". The Daily Telegraph. London. July 31, 2012. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
- ^ "Monday's Highlights" (PDF). Radio and Television Mirror. 14 (2): 43. June 1940. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
- ^ Kanfer, Stefan (2001). Groucho: The Life and Times of Julius Henry Marx. Vintage Books. p. 261. ISBN 978-0375702075. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
- ^ Adamson, Joe (1983). Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Sometimes Zeppo: A History of the Marx Brothers and a Satire on the Rest of the World. Simon & Schuster. p. 388. ISBN 978-0671470722. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- ^ a b Spragg, Dennis M. (2017). Glenn Miller Declassified. U of Nebraska Press. pp. 48–49, 57, 71. ISBN 978-1612348957. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
- ^ "Tony Martin Discharged By Navy, Ordered to Report to Draft Board". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. Associated Press. 2 December 1942. p. 15. Retrieved 17 November 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 37. ISBN 978-0214204807.
- ^ "Tony Martin's $1,000,000 Deal". Variety. November 19, 1958. p. 1. Retrieved July 8, 2019 – via Archive.org.
- ^ "Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph from Colorado Springs, Colorado on July 11, 1970". Newspapers.com. p. 50. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ^ Heller, Jean (October 30, 1969). "Funds For Parvin Foundation Came From Flamingo Hotel Sale". The Evening Sun. Hanover, Pennsylvania. p. 29. Retrieved August 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
Other stockholders included singer Tony Martin and actor George Raft.
- ^ "Faye, Alice - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
- ^ Berkvist, Robert (2008-06-18). "Cyd Charisse, 86, Silken Dancer of Movies, Dies". nytimes.com. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
- ^ ""1968 Presidential Race" Republicans". The Pop History Dig. 2009-03-11. Retrieved 2015-08-28.
- ^ Thomas, Bob (July 30, 2012). "Tony Martin, Romantic Crooner, Dies at 98". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- ^ "US singer Tony Martin dies aged 98". BBC News. July 31, 2012. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 352. ISBN 978-1904994107.
External links
Media related to Tony Martin at Wikimedia Commons
- Tony Martin at IMDb
- Tony Martin recordings at the Discography of American Historical Recordings.
- Tony Martin bio on the Oldies.com site
- Photographs and literature
- 1954 episode of his television series at the Internet Archive
- 1913 births
- 2012 deaths
- Male actors from California
- American entertainers
- American male pop singers
- Jewish American male actors
- Jewish American musicians
- Jewish singers
- Mercury Records artists
- Male actors from San Francisco
- RCA Victor artists
- Singers from California
- American people of Polish-Jewish descent
- United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II
- Traditional pop music singers
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players
- Vocalion Records artists
- 20th-century American male actors
- Burials at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery
- California Republicans
- American male film actors
- United States Army Air Forces soldiers
- United States Navy personnel of World War II
- United States Navy sailors
- 21st-century American Jews