Martin Milner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Martin Milner
Milner in 1960
Born	Martin Sam Milner (1931-12-28)December 28, 1931 Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Died	September 6, 2015(2015-09-06) (aged 83) Carlsbad, California, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Southern California
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1947–1998
Spouse(s)	Judith Bess "Judy" Jones ​ (m. 1957)​
Children	4

Martin Sam Milner (December 28, 1931 – September 6, 2015) was an American actor. He was also a radio host. He is best known for his roles in two popular TV shows. These were Route 66 (1960-1964) and Adam-12 (1968-1975).

Early Life and First Roles

Martin Milner was born on December 28, 1931, in Detroit, Michigan. His mother, Mildred, was a dancer. His father, Sam, worked with films. When Martin was young, his family moved a lot. They settled in Seattle, Washington, when he was nine. There, he started acting in school plays. He also joined a children's theater group.

As a teenager, Martin moved to Los Angeles with his family. His parents helped him get an acting coach and an agent. He got his first movie role in Life with Father (1947). He played John Day, the second oldest son. Soon after, he got sick with polio but recovered within a year. He finished high school in 1949. After that, he quickly got a small part in the movie Sands of Iwo Jima.

Starting His Career

Milner went to the University of Southern California. He studied theater there. But he left after a year to focus on acting. In 1950, he appeared on TV for the first time. He was a guest star on The Lone Ranger. That same year, he started a regular role on The Stu Erwin Show.

In the 1950s, he acted in several war movies. These included Operation Pacific (1951) and Mister Roberts (1955). He met actor Jack Webb on a movie set. They became friends. Milner then worked on Webb's radio show, Dragnet.

In 1952, Milner joined the United States Army for two years. He worked in "Special Services." This meant he helped entertain soldiers. He directed training films and performed in skits. Other future actors like David Janssen and Clint Eastwood were also in the Army with him. While in the Army, he still worked on the Dragnet radio show on weekends. He also appeared in six episodes of the Dragnet TV show.

After the Army, Milner had a regular role on The Life of Riley. He also appeared as a guest on many other TV shows. These included The Twilight Zone and Rawhide. He also acted in movies like Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957) and 13 Ghosts (1960).

Route 66

Milner (left) and George Maharis in Route 66 publicity still, 1962

In 1960, Milner got a main role in the TV show Route 66. The show was about two young men, Tod Stiles (played by Milner) and Buz Murdock. They traveled across the United States in a Chevrolet Corvette. They took different jobs and helped people they met. The show was filmed in many real locations across the U.S. Milner spent almost four years traveling for the show. Sometimes, his wife and children came with him.

Adam-12

Milner had a good working relationship with Jack Webb. In 1968, Milner starred in another TV show produced by Webb. This was Adam-12. Milner played Officer Pete Malloy, a police officer in Los Angeles. Kent McCord played his partner, Officer Jim Reed. The show ran from 1968 to 1975. It showed real police procedures and cases. Milner was chosen for the role partly because he had experience driving on camera from Route 66. He also appeared in three episodes of the show Emergency!.

Later Career and Retirement

Milner in The Swiss Family Robinson in 1975

After Adam-12, Milner starred in a TV series version of The Swiss Family Robinson (1975–1976). Most of his later work was as a guest star on shows like MacGyver and Murder, She Wrote. In 1983, he hosted a morning radio show in San Diego.

In 1990, Milner worked with Kent McCord again in a TV movie called Nashville Beat. Milner played a former police partner. In 1992, he guest-starred on Life Goes On. After he stopped acting, Milner co-hosted a radio show about fishing. In 1998, he was in a documentary film. In it, he drove a 1961 Corvette from Chicago to Santa Monica, just like in Route 66.

Personal Life

Martin Milner married singer and actress Judith Bess Jones in 1957. They had four children together. In 2004, his oldest daughter, Amy, passed away. Martin Milner died on September 6, 2015, at his home in Carlsbad, California. He was 83 years old.

Selected Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Martin Milner para niños