Marty Feldman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marty Feldman
Feldman in 1969
Born	Martin Alan Feldman (1934-07-08)8 July 1934 London, England
Died	2 December 1982(1982-12-02) (aged 48) Mexico City, Mexico
Occupation	Actor comedian comedy writer
Years active	1948–1982
Spouse(s)	Lauretta Sullivan ​ (m. 1959)​
Awards	BAFTAs: Best Light Entertainment Performance 1968 Marty Best Writer 1968 Marty

Martin Alan Feldman (born 8 July 1934 – died 2 December 1982) was a British actor, comedian, and writer. He was famous for his unique, wide-set eyes.

Marty Feldman first became known as a writer. He worked with Barry Took on the TV show Bootsie and Snudge and the radio show Round the Horne. Later, he became a performer on shows like At Last the 1948 Show. He even helped write the funny "Four Yorkshiremen sketch" that Monty Python later performed.

His own TV show, Marty, won him two British Academy Television Awards. He also appeared in movies like The Bed Sitting Room and Every Home Should Have One. In 1974, he played the character Igor in Mel Brooks' famous movie Young Frankenstein. This role earned him an award for Best Supporting Actor. Marty Feldman passed away in 1982 from a heart attack while filming Yellowbeard in Mexico City.

Early Life and Unique Look

Marty Feldman was born in East London on 8 July 1934. His father was a Jewish immigrant from Kyiv, Ukraine. Marty remembered his childhood as being quite "lonely," especially when he was sent away to the countryside during World War II.

Feldman had a condition called Graves' ophthalmopathy, which made his eyes stick out and look a bit misaligned. This was due to a thyroid problem. Other things, like a childhood injury and a car crash, might have also affected his eyes. He once joked that his unusual look actually helped his career. He said if he looked like everyone else, he might not have stood out.

Comedy Career

Starting Out in Comedy

Marty Feldman left school when he was 15. He first worked at a funfair and dreamed of being a jazz trumpet player. He even played in a band for a while, but he joked that he was "the world's worst trumpet player." By the time he was 20, he decided to become a comedian instead.

His early performances weren't very famous. However, he joined a comedy group called Morris, Marty and Mitch. They appeared on TV for the first time in 1955. Later, Feldman started writing scripts for radio and TV shows.

In 1954, Feldman met Barry Took, and they became a strong writing team. They wrote episodes for TV shows like The Army Game and Bootsie and Snudge. For BBC Radio, they wrote the very popular comedy series Round the Horne. Their writing made them some of the best comedy writers around.

Feldman then became the main writer for The Frost Report (1966–67). He helped write the famous "Class sketch" with John Law. In this sketch, actors John Cleese, Ronnie Barker, and Ronnie Corbett stood in a line, showing different social classes.

Becoming a Star

Marty Feldman became more famous as a performer on the TV show At Last the 1948 Show. The other actors on the show, including future Monty Python members Graham Chapman and John Cleese, wanted Feldman to join them. In one funny sketch, Feldman's character kept asking a shop assistant about made-up books, like Ethel the Aardvark Goes Quantity Surveying. He also helped write the "Four Yorkshiremen sketch" for this show.

In 1968, the BBC gave Feldman his own show called Marty. This show was very popular and won him two BAFTA awards. The show was so well-liked that it helped him start a career in movies. His first big movie role was in Every Home Should Have One (1970).

Later Work

After 1970, Marty Feldman continued to work in TV and film. The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine (1971–72) was a TV show he made with an American company.

In 1974, he starred as Igor in Mel Brooks' movie Young Frankenstein. Many of Igor's funny lines in the movie were made up by Feldman on the spot. Gene Wilder, who wrote the movie, said he had Feldman in mind for the role.

Feldman also appeared on American TV shows like The Dean Martin Show. He acted in other movies like The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother and Silent Movie. He also directed and starred in The Last Remake of Beau Geste. He even appeared on The Muppet Show, where he had a funny moment comparing his eyes with Cookie Monster.

Music Albums

Marty Feldman also recorded two music albums during his career. They were called Marty (1968) and I Feel a Song Going Off (1969). The second album was later re-released as The Crazy World of Marty Feldman.

Personal Life

Marty Feldman was married to Lauretta Sullivan from 1959 until he passed away in 1982. Lauretta died in 2010. Even with his unique looks, people who knew Feldman said he was very charming.

He enjoyed spending time in jazz clubs. He felt that making up jokes with other comedians was similar to how jazz musicians improvise music.

Feldman considered himself a socialist, which means he believed in ideas about fairness and equality in society. He once joked that he was a socialist by belief, even if his lifestyle was different because of his work. After his friend John Lennon was murdered, Feldman became a strong supporter of stricter gun laws in the US.

In 1971, Feldman spoke in court to support a magazine called Oz during a trial about its content. He chose to promise to tell the truth instead of swearing on a Bible. He even made some jokes during his testimony.

Marty Feldman was a vegetarian. He said he had been a vegetarian since he was about five or six years old.

Feldman wrote a book about his life called Eye Marty: the newly discovered autobiography of a comic genius. It was published in 2012 after his wife Lauretta passed away.

Feldman's gravestone in Forest Lawn Memorial Park

Passing Away

Marty Feldman was a heavy smoker for most of his life. He passed away from a heart attack in a hotel room in Mexico City on 2 December 1982. He was 48 years old. At the time, he was filming the movie Yellowbeard, which was later dedicated to him. His friend Graham Chapman was with him when he died.

Marty Feldman is buried in the Garden of Heritage at Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery in California. His grave is near his hero, the silent film star Buster Keaton.

Filmography

Film

Television

Radio Series

• Round the Horne (co-writer with Barry Took)

Images for kids

• 

  Promotional photo for The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine, 1972

See also

In Spanish: Marty Feldman para niños