American entertainer and singer popular in the 1940s and 50s
The American entertainer Tony Martin, who has died aged 98, was once described as a singing tuxedo. Although he was rather a stiff actor, he was handsome and charming, with a winning, dimpled smile. What mattered most, however, was his mellifluous baritone voice, which he used softly in ballads such as To Each His Own and I Get Ideas, and powerfully in Begin the Beguine and There's No Tomorrow, all hit records in the 1940s and 50s.
He was one of the top crooners of the period with Vic Damone, Andy Williams and Dick Haymes, all of them just below Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra in esteem and popularity. According to Mel Tormé: "Tony Martin was technically the greatest singer of them all, as well as being the classiest guy around, both as an entertainer and a person."
He was...
The American entertainer Tony Martin, who has died aged 98, was once described as a singing tuxedo. Although he was rather a stiff actor, he was handsome and charming, with a winning, dimpled smile. What mattered most, however, was his mellifluous baritone voice, which he used softly in ballads such as To Each His Own and I Get Ideas, and powerfully in Begin the Beguine and There's No Tomorrow, all hit records in the 1940s and 50s.
He was one of the top crooners of the period with Vic Damone, Andy Williams and Dick Haymes, all of them just below Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra in esteem and popularity. According to Mel Tormé: "Tony Martin was technically the greatest singer of them all, as well as being the classiest guy around, both as an entertainer and a person."
He was...
- 7/31/2012
- by Ronald Bergan
- The Guardian - Film News
Beloved TV pioneer Merv Griffin has died after a battle with prostate cancer. He was 82. Griffin, the brains behind game shows like Jeopardy! and Wheel Of Fortune, spent over 60 years at the forefront of television in America, joking his motto was, "If it's not broke, fix it anyway. Keep changing." The TV mogul started out as one of the first U.S. talk show hosts, fronting The Merv Griffin Show for 21 years - from 1965 to 1986 - and interviewing then unknowns like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks. On his website, Griffin boasted he had hosted 5,500 shows and interviewed more than 25,000 guests. He also enjoyed pop chart success as a band leader - his novelty song "I've Got A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts" took Griffin and partner Freddy Martin to the top of the charts in 1950. After conquering the television landscape, Griffin became a successful hotelier, developing luxury hotels throughout America, including the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. Griffin died at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Sunday morning. He is survived by a son, Tony Griffin, a daughter-in-law Tricia, and two grandchildren, Farah and Donovan Mervyn.
- 8/13/2007
- WENN
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