Legendary Comedian and Director Dick Martin Dies in Santa Monica

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
Dick Martin, who co-created and co-hosted Rowan and Martin's
Laugh-In - a show which forever changed the face of television - and
who championed free speech and satire as staples in American media,
died today of respiratory complications, while surrounded by his wife,
family, and friends. He was 86 years young.

In addition to a 25-year career in nightclubs and the success of
Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, Dick Martin began a second career as a
television director in 1976, starting with The Bob Newhart Show. He
was the chief director of the 1980s sitcom Newhart as well as the host
of the short-lived Mindreaders game show in the late 1970s. By the
time he retired from his second career, he had directed over 200 hours
of television.

He married Britain's first Playboy Playmate Dolly Read (Dolly
Martin) in 1971. Dolly Read had starred in the cult classic feature
film Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. Martin was formerly married to
Peggy Connelly. He has two sons, Richard Martin and Cary Martin.

Dick Martin was born on January 30, 1922, in Battle Creek,
Michigan. He took an early interest in comedy and in his twenties
worked briefly as a staff writer for the radio show Duffy's Tavern,
working with the author and Broadway director Abe Burrows.

In 1951 he had a bit part in the Vincente Minnelli film Father's
Little Dividend, alongside Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor, but it
took him several more years to begin carving out a career for himself
in television comedy. This began with an appearance on The Bob Hope
Show, in an episode which also featured Diana Dors and Betty Grable.
He then appeared in two episodes of The Dinah Shore Chevy Show, the
first of which featured Shirley MacLaine and the second of which
involved his first appearance with Dan Rowan, who was to become the
other half of his famous double-act.

It was 1952 when Dan Rowan and Dick Martin met. Dick Martin, who
had just seen Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis perform at Slapsie Maxie's
nightclub, decided "that looked like a lot of fun." Nine days later,
Rowan and Martin broke in their act at Charlie Foy's Supper Club in
the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles. They didn't do all that
well but while sitting at the bar after the show, comedian Joe Frisco
came up to them and said "Don't give up kids - you've got class."

Rowan and Martin began playing nightclubs throughout America. The
first time they played Las Vegas was early 1953 at the Golden Nugget;
they played three times downtown at the El Cortez before moving "up"
to the Strip. They received their first big break in Lake Tahoe at the
Calvada Lodge, owned by Joby Lewis of the Detroit "family."

At the Calvada, they opened for a young singer named Nat King
Cole. After a 3-week stint in Tahoe, Nat took the boys to Australia
where they played Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, then flew on to play
Auckland, New Zealand. Cole then took Rowan and Martin to the Chez
Paree in Chicago, and on to the Copacabana in New York City. It was in
1955 that Rowan and Martin first played the Sands Hotel for a
four-week engagement on the Las Vegas strip - they had arrived!

Between 1962 and 1964, Martin - without Rowan - was a regular on
The Lucy Show.

Nat King Cole had opened the doors for Rowan and Martin, and they
were now booked continuously as an opening act in Las Vegas and New
York. At the same time, they began making appearances on the Ed
Sullivan Show (a total of 18 times), the Perry Como Show (8 times),
and The Hollywood Palace (10 times). They also appeared on the Dean
Martin Variety Show on NBC.

In 1966, Dean's producer, Greg Garrison, sold NBC on the idea of a
Dean Martin summer show. NBC wanted to have rotating hosts in the
manner of The Hollywood Palace, but Dean Martin insisted on Rowan and
Martin as sole hosts of the shows.

The 12 shows they hosted were so successful that NBC approached
Rowan and Martin to host their own variety show. Dan and Dick said
they "had something a little different" in mind. NBC said, "let's give
it a try" and Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In was born. They shot a
special in September, 1967. NBC was not thrilled with the show, but
critics around the country were so enthusiastic that NBC relented to a
13-week run beginning mid-season.

Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In began their 13-show run in January,
1968. NBC put the show on opposite The Lucy Show and Gunsmoke, two
mega-hits and nobody gave the show much of a chance - but by the
eighth show, Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In was the number one show in
the country. Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In taped 144 shows and went off
the air in 1973.

Though he never neglected his television work, Martin became
eagerly involved with Hollywood, appearing in comedies such as The
Glass Bottom Boat; Zero to Sixty, with Darren McGavin and Joan
Collins; and Carbon Copy, with George Segal and Denzel Washington.
Martin also had acting roles in popular series including Coach, with
Craig T Nelson and Jerry Van Dyke; 3rd Rock from the Sun, with John
Lithgow and Kristen Johnston; Blossom, with Mayim Bialik and Joey
Lawrence; Baywatch, with David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson; and
Diagnosis Murder, with Dick Van Dyke and Scott Baio.

Dan Rowan retired to France until his death from lymphatic cancer
in 1987.

Rowan and Martin also appeared together in comedy western film
Once Upon a Horse and in the 1969 horror spoof film The Maltese Bippy,
with Julie Newmar.

Dan Rowan and Dick Martin received the 2,194th star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002.

As requested by Martin, there will be no funeral.

Celebrity Connection
Barry Greenberg, 323-650-0001
323-855-4217 (cell)

Copyright Business Wire 2008