Tony Martin, Hollywood singer-actor of the 1940s and 50s has died:
Tony Martin, the last of the big-name singer-actors from the golden age of Hollywood musicals, has died. He was 98.
Martin, who toured for years with his wife, dancer-actress Cyd Charisse, died of natural causes Friday at his home in Los Angeles, his longtime business manager, Stan Schneider, told The Times.
He appeared in more than 30 films, most memorably as a thief at odds with Peter Lorre’s inspector in 1948’s stylish “Casbah,” one of the many movie musicals that helped turn Martin into a star.
He apparently took it quite hard when Cyd Charisse, his wife of sixty years and night club act partner, died a few years back. But that didn’t stop him from performing. I suspect that going on stage was therapy.
Mr. Martin had a charming manner about him and a beautiful voice. His musicals aren’t shown on TV as frequently as the dancing musicals featuring Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly are but they’re worth catching if only for a basis of comparison.
However, the first sentence of that LA Times obit is a trifle misleading. There are a number of singer-actresses from the “golden age of Hollywood musicals” still around (and performing!) notably Jane Powell and Debbie Reynolds. And, of course, Deanna Durbin, retired and maintaining her privacy for more than 60 years, is still alive. But they’re actresses.
And Marc Platt, who was featured in or starred in a number of Hollywood musicals of the 40s and 50s, turns 99 in December. He was the original “Dream Curley” on Broadway and played Daniel in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Despite being over 40 when the picture was made, he kept up handily with men who were decades his junior. He’s probably still dancing.
