Owen Martin

Owen J. Martin (December 15, 1887 – May 4, 1960) was an American stage and screen character actor and vaudeville entertainer, best known for his more than decade-long participation in the original Broadway production—and subsequent national tour—of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma, being the sole member of that show's original cast to appear in the entire five-year, two-month Broadway run. Martin made his stage debut in September 1905 alongside a young Leora Spellman at the Lyceum Theatre in Elizabeth, New Jersey, portraying "Billy" in a production of William Gillette's oft-revived adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories. (In January 1932, Martin told the Boston Globe that he had made his stage debut two decades earlier alongside William Gillette, taking the role of Billy in the actor-playwright's famous Sherlock Holmes stage adaptation.)

On June 26, 1948, UPI reported that Martin's recently achieved milestone of 2,275 consecutive performances of Oklahoma was "said to be the longest run without a break any actor has ever had in an American play." Throughout this much-cited run, Martin harbored no illusions about his good fortune. Speaking with Oklahoma's director, Rouben Mamoulian, he confided, "The steady work has kept me young. In show business, it's those four-week rehearsals and two-week runs that age you." Responding to reporter inquiries along similar lines, Martin remained adamant. "People ask me if I'm tired of 'Oklahoma'. That's a laugh. Things were pretty bad in the thirties and early forties. I thank God every night for 'Oklahoma'.

For his part, Oklahoma composer Richard Rodgers took it upon himself to thank Martin following the actor's—and the show's—2,001st performance (which Rodgers himself conducted ), with a specially engraved gold watch, which, more than ten years later, remained a highly prized and fully utilized possession. In March 1958, Martin appeared yet again—this time as "Andrew 'Pop' Carnes"—in Oklahoma, in a limited, two-week revival at New York City Center.

Personal life and death In 1926, Martin married fellow performer Edna Terry, née Gorbly.

Survived by his wife, Martin died at age 72 on May 4, 1960, at Will Rogers Memorial Hospital in Saranac Lake, New York. A Requiem Mass in his honor was held five days later at St. Malachy Roman Catholic Church in Manhattan.

Works Stage Sherlock Holmes – Lyceum Theatre (Elizabeth, New Jersey) (Sep 28, 1905 – ?); Academy of Music (Jersey City, New Jersey (December 1905) – Billy Just Married – Wilmington Playhouse (Wilmington, Delaware) (Oct 17 – 18, 1924) – Robert Adams As Good as New – Times Square Theatre (Nov 3, 1930 – Dec 1930) – Detective Franklin Cloudy With Showers – Morosco Theatre (Sep 1, 1931 – Nov 1931) – Short Man Man Bites Dog – Lyceum Theatre (Apr 25, 1933 – May 1933) – Snake Barlum The Pure in Heart – Longacre Theatre (Mar 20, 1934 – Mar 1934) – Iceman, 2nd Detective Small Miracle – John Golden Theatre (Sep 26, 1934 – Nov 10, 1934); 48th Street Theatre (Nov 11, 1934 - Jan 1935) – Anderson Brother Rat – Geary Theater (San Francisco) (Jul 1937) – Chauffeur A Mail Bride (1932) Sherlock's Home (1932) You're Killing Me (1932) At the Races (1934) Daredevil O'Dare (1934) – Pa The Choke's on You (1936) – Strangler's Manager The Pajama Game (1958) – Max