Posted on 05/24/2008 9:02:59 PM PDT by lunarbicep
Dick Martin, the zany half of the comedy team whose "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" took television by storm in the 1960s, making stars of Goldie Hawn and Lily Tomlin and creating such national catch-phrases as "Sock it to me!" has died. He was 86.
Martin, who went on to become one of television's busiest directors after splitting with Rowan in the late 1970s, died Saturday night of respiratory complications at a hospital in Santa Monica, family spokesman Barry Greenberg said.
"He had had some pretty severe respiratory problems for many years, and he had pretty much stopped breathing a week ago," Greenberg said.
Martin was surrounded by family and friends when he died just after 6 p.m., Greenberg said.
"Laugh-in," which debuted in January 1968, was unlike any comedy-variety show before it. Rather than relying on a series of tightly scripted song-and-dance segments, it offered up a steady, almost stream-of-consciousness run of non-sequitur jokes, political satire and madhouse antics from a cast of talented young actors and comedians that also included Ruth Buzzi, Arte Johnson, Henry Gibson, Jo Anne Worley and announcer Gary Owens.
Presiding over it all were Rowan and Martin, the veteran nightclub comics whose standup banter put their own distinct spin on the show.
Like all straight men, Rowan provided the voice of reason, striving to correct his partner's absurdities. Martin, meanwhile, was full of bogus, often risque theories about life, which he appeared to hold with unwavering certainty.
R.I.P. Dick.. thanks for many laughs over the years...
I have fond memories of Laugh-in, particularly Goldie Hawn's segments. You remember when President Richard Nixon did a cameo and went "sock it to me" ?
There was a film series waiting to happen. For years we argued who would make the best Mcgee (and Meyer). The Rod Taylor - Theodore Bickel effort was pretty good but there should have been a franchise.
Some anecdotes reveal just how far outside the law some C.I.A. agents strayed. One technician was arrested in 1960 after trying to bug a Las Vegas hotel room. The operation had been requested by Sam Giancana, the Chicago mobster, who was then helping the C.I.A. in a plot to assassinate Mr. Castro. Mr. Giancana had been concerned that his girlfriend, the singer Phyllis McGuire, was having an affair with the comedian Dan Rowan, and surveillance was ordered to determine the extent of his intimacy with her.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/27/washington/27cia.html?pagewanted=print
There is no mention as to whether or not Rowan did have an affair with Phylllis, but Rowan did outlive Giancana. :-)
Good night, Dick.
“Laugh-In” was arguably Vaudeville’s last hurrah.
I watched it as a kid, and when I see an episode nowadays, it brings back fond memories.
Bickel played Meyer, McGee’s brainiac buddy. Nick Nolte at 35 would have been ideal as the skipper of the Busted Flush.
If you have about three uninterrupted minutes to kill, here is pure bliss.
Turn up your speakers a little and sit back. It doesn’t get any better than this.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=nt4HZ7AKp1s
When you get there, would you please tell my electrician that I am still waiting for him? Thanks
We watched the Andy Williams Show every week as a kid, I don't remember that clip. Goosebumps.
This is one of the best threads I've read here in a long time. Very good memories of being able to stay up past 8:00pm when I was 5. Thanks Travis.
RIP, and goodnight, Dick.
RIP, Dick.
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