Matinee Classics - Mary Martin Biography & Filmography

Mary Martin ACTOR

PHOTOS

MARY MARTIN BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Mary Martin was born on December 1st, 1913 in Weatherford, Texas with the middle name Virginia. Her father, Preston Martin, was employed as a lawyer and her mother, Juanita Presley, worked as a violinist instructor.

She began high school in Texas but later moved to Nashville, Tennessee to attend Ward-Belmont finishing school, however she got married young while still in school and had a child, therefore she dropped out early.

Mary returned home and with the help of her sister she took up dancing soon opening up her own dance school. She later relocated to California in hopes to learn more about the art of dancing. She studied at the Franchon and Marco School of the Theatre and then returned to Texas opening another dance school.

By chance her career as an entertainment began when she walked in to a room at work where auditions for a theatrical production were being held. She was asked to sing the song, "So Red Rose" and was soon hired to perform at Fox Theater in San Francisco.

While living in California, she was notified that her dance studio in Texas had burnt down and her father soon suggested she start her life over in California in a career in entertainment. She left behind her husband and her baby son and began to try and break into the industry.

Mary Martin first found work on a radio show and continued to attend any audition she herd about. Finally she began finding work as a stage actress while singing on the radio and in night clubs. One night, a producer saw her perform live and cast her in her first real stage production back in New York.

Martin took the job, relocated and made the move all to find out the production never even opened, however, she remained in New York and in time was adding to her resume roles in, "Leave It to Me! (1938), "One Touch of Venus" (1943), "Pacific 1960" (1946), "Lute Song" (1946) and "Annie Get Your Gun" (1947).

Other stage roles she added later on in her career were in, "Kind Sir" (1953), and the film that made her career starring as 'Tinkerbell' in the Walt Disney hit "Peter Pan" (1954), "Hello, Dolly!" (1965), "I Do! I Do!" (1966), "Do You Turn Somersaults?" (1978) and her final stage role was on a national tour in 1986 in a production of, "Legends".

It was her first stage role that finally got the attention of Hollywood and soon Paramount Pictures signed her to a film contract. So, now along with performing as a singer and stage actress she began working in the film industry as well appearing on such features as, "The Great Victor Herbert" (1939), "Rhythm on the River" (1940), "Love Thy Neighbor" (1940), "New York Town" (1941), "Birth of the Blues" (1041) and "Star Spangled Rhythm" (1942).

In addition to stage and film work, Martin appeared on television in, "Salute to Rodgers and Hammerstein" (1953), "Peter Pan" in 1955 and 1956, "Magic with Mary Martin" (1959), "Mary Martin at Eastertime" (1966), "The Love Boat" (1983) and she hosted, "Over Easy" between 1981 and 1983. She also performed on the television film, "Valentine" in 1979 for which she won a Peabody Award.

For all her theatrical work Martin earned such awards as a New York Film Critics Circle Award and a number of Tony Awards. She was also later honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contribution to Radio and Recording. In 1989, Martin was also named a Kennedy Center Honoree.

Mary Martin married twice throughout her lifetime, first to Benjamin Jack Hagman in 1929 and they had one child, Larry, before this marriage came to an end in 1936. She then married Richard Halliday in 1940 and they also had one child together, Heller, and remained together until he passed away in 1973. She did not re-marry and on November 3rd, 1990, Marin passed away in Rancho Mirage, California after suffering from cancer. Her remains are buried at East Greenwood Cemetery in Weatherford, Texas.