OK so Tony Martin wasn't a jazzman. He was a singer though and an actor with an engaging presence. He had a way with a ballad that made it easy to understand why such a Hollywood lovely as Cyd Charisse would stay married to him for 60 years!Favourite Tony Martin record? Tenement Symphony was great but, for me, it was the duet with Fran Warren - Take A Letter Miss Smith. I wonder how many of our readers remember that one?
You made some wonderful musicals Tony - we love you.
Died July 27 aged 98.
Obituary.
Obituary.
Lance.
4 comments :
"Take a letter Miss Smith" was a fave of mine in my younger days, I put it in the same category as "Guess who I saw today?" little stories set to music & beautifully sung, & yes Tony Martin was always easy on the ear
Liz
PS. another one in that genre " PS I Love You" especially Eydie Gormé's version!
Liz
Somewhere I've got a video of a 1950's Nat Cole TV Show with Tony Martin playing some surprisingly "spiky" jazz clarinet. Not exactly Artie Shaw, but perhaps he had been a bit of a jazzer when he was a sax player in his youth?
My favourite record of his is "If it's You" (composed by Artie Shaw!), a great tune with good lyrics which is rarely heard nowadays, which he sang in the Marx Bros. 1941 movie "The Big Store".
just watched it on Utube Steve, what a lovely romantic lyric, beautifully sung and Oh boy what a heartthrob he must have been in those days!
Liz
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