Dick Martin Movies
Though he has done many other things since the late '60s and early '70s, comedian/actor Dick Martin will best be remembered as the co-host of the innovative sketch comedy series Laugh-In (1968-1973) with his longtime partner and straightman Dan Rowan. Rowan and Martin started out on television appearing briefly on the summer edition of the comedy variety show The Chevy Show in 1958. He and Rowan made their feature-film debut that year in the Western Once Upon a Horse. Between 1962 and 1964, Martin, sans Rowan, was a regular on The Lucy Show. The two reunited to appear regularly on The Dean Martin Summer Show (1966-1967). That year, Martin also made another solo appearance in the Doris Day feature The Glass Bottom Boat. Laugh-In was the comic duo's biggest success and at the peak of their popularity, the two attempted to further cash in by appearing in the Abbott and Costello-like horror spoof, The Maltese Bippy (1969). The film bombed and it would be years before Martin again appeared in a film. Since then, his acting appearances on television and in film have been sporadic. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 1962
Chris (Candy Moore) demands that her mom Lucy (Lucille Ball) not interfere with her planned New Year's Eve Party. Reluctantly but obligingly, Lucy vacates her living room and goes out on a double date with Viv (Vivian Vance), Harry (Dick Martin) and Eddie (Don Briggs). Before long, however, Lucy receives an urgent call from home--Chris's party is dying, and some instant entertainment is sorely required. The highlight of this episode is an elaborate silent-movie spoof featuring Lucille Ball's astonishingly accurate impersonation of Charlie Chaplin (whom teenager Chris describes as "The Soupy Sales of the Stone Age"). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dick Martin, Donald Briggs, (more)
- 1962
Charles Lane makes his first series appearance as Mr. Barnsdahl, the banker in charge of Lucy's account. After an argument between the two in which Barnsdahl huffily insists that the bank never makes a mistake, Lucy (Lucille Ball) closes out her Christmas account by writing a 20 dollar check--only to receive two thousand dollars! Naturally, she intends to return the money, but first she decides to teach Barnsdahl a lesson, and hides the excess cash in a candy box. The fun really begins when Lucy's kids, unaware of their mom's scheme, take the box to a local carnival and disappear into the crowd! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dick Martin, Charles Lane, (more)
- 1962
While attending a WAVE reunion, Lucy (Lucille Ball) and Viv (Vivian Vance) inadvertently volunteer to spend 24 hours in a simulated space flight. Their experience in the tiny capsule is far from a pleasant one, but the ladies manage to survive the ordeal--and Lucy becomes a local heroine in the process. When it appears that Lucy's ego has ballooned way out of proportion to her actual accomplishments, Viv figures out a delightfully wicked scheme to burst her friend's bubble. Nancy Kulp, then costarring as Miss Jane Hathaway on The Beverly Hillbillies, appears as the girls' commanding officer Jane Corey. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dick Martin, Nancy Kulp, (more)
- 1962
Lucy (Lucille Ball) and Viv (Vivian Vance) would like to go out on a date with a couple of eligible bachelors, but no one seems to be eligible at the moment. Impressed by the handsomeness of her son Jerry's math teacher Mr. Taylor (William Windom), Lucy's "borrows" the man's drivers license to find out if he's married. The trick now is to return the license without Taylor ever knowing that it was missing--and this requires Lucy to deck herself out in full fencing regalia! Comedian Dick Martin makes his first series appearance as Lucy's next-door neighbor, airline pilot Harry Conners. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dick Martin, William Windom, (more)
- 1958
Having gained a measure of TV fame by 1958, the nightclub comedy duo of Dan Rowan and Dick Martin decided to give movies a try with Once Upon a Horse. Dan and Dick play Dan Casey and Doc Logan, a pair of nitwitted cowboys who turn to outlawry because they can't make a go at any honest profession. Stealing a valuable herd of cattle, the boys' dreams of financial security are dashed when they're forced to raise money to feed their stolen bovines. Martha Hyer costars as Miss Amity Babb, a resourceful saloon hall owner who applies 20th century business methods to her 19th century operation. For nostalgia buffs, several western-movie favorites (billed as "Our Old Pals") make cameo appearances, including Tom Keene, Bob Livingston, Kermit Maynard and Bob Steele. Hal Kanter's screenplay is full of clever, satirical touches, most of which proved to be too smart for the room in 1958. A financial disappointment, Once Upon a Horse (aka Hot Horse) would be Rowan and Martin's last joint film effort until 1969's The Maltese Bippy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dan Rowan, Dick Martin, (more)
