Marty Feldman

Marty Feldman

Date of birth: 08-07-1934
Date of death: 02-12-1982

Marty Feldman was born in the East End of London in 1934. After starting in showbusiness as a jazz trumpeter, by the age of 20 he decided to pursue a career in comedy and formed a writing partnership with Barry Took.

They wrote a few episodes of The Army Game and the bulk of Bootsie and Snudge, both comedies for ITV, and the BBC radio show Round the Horne, which starred Kenneth Horne and Kenneth Williams.

The sketch comedy series At Last the 1948 Show featured Feldman's first screen performances alongside Graham Chapman, John Cleese, and Tim Brooke-Taylor. Feldman was co-author the famous Four Yorkshiremen sketch, which debuted on the show, and was subsequently script editor on The Frost Report , where he co-wrote the ‘I know my place...’ class sketch.

David Frost claimed Feldman was 'too grotesque', but Marty himself said his bulbous eyes - left protruding after a botched childhood operation for his Graves' disease - helped provide 'the right packaging for my job...the right packaging for a clown.’

In 1968 Feldman was given his own series by the BBC called Marty, it featured Brooke-Taylor, John Junkin and Roland MacLeod with John Cleese as one of the writers. The series was a hit overseas, allowing him to launch a launch a film career. His first feature role was in Every Home Should Have One – but his best-known role was as Igor in Mel Brooks’ 1974 comedy Young Frankenstein.

Feldman was married to Lauretta Sullivan from January 1959 until his death in December 1982, suffering a heart attack in Mexico City while filming Yellowbeard. He was 42. He is buried in the Hollywood Hills Cemetery near his idol, Buster Keaton.

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Portrait of a comedy genius

Picture of Marty Feldman unveiled in his old drinking haunt

This portrait of Marty Feldman is being unveiled today – on what would have been his 90th birthday – in one of his regular haunts.

The canvas is to take pride of place in the Uxbridge Arms pub in Notting Hill, West London, where he used to regularly lunch in his early writing career.

It has been painted by Dave Miles, who donated the work to celebrate Feldman’s achievements as a comedian and writer.

He told Chortle: ‘I paint portraits of people special in their field, who are no longer with us and have an anniversary  or birthday coming up. I then contact places pertaining to the subject  to consider if they would like a donated canvas.

‘It is to remember dear Marty. It's so sad he does't get mentioned any more. He made such a huge contribution to comedy in his writing, acting and directing, and hopefully seeing Marty's portrait will make people smile and remember his comedy genius. I have tried to capture Marty's comedic personality and sense of fun.’

The pub, on Uxbridge Street, has another claim to comedy fame as it is where Dick Clement and Ian Le Frenais first met, before going on to write classic such as The Likely Lads, Porridge and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. 

Feldman – best known for playing Igor in Mel Brooks’ 1974 comedy Young Frankenstein–  suffered from thyroid disease and developed Graves' ophthalmopathy, causing his eyes to bulge, giving him his trademark look.

He initially gained prominence as a writer with Barry Took on the ITV sitcom Bootsie and Snudge and the BBC radio comedy programme Round the Horne. 

He became known as a performer on At Last the 1948 Show – co-writing the Four Yorkshiremen sketch which later became a hit for Monty Python – as well as his own sketch series. He made his directorial debut in The Last Remake of Beau Geste in 1977.

He died in 1982 of a heart attack while filming Yellowbeard in Mexico City, at the age of 48

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Published: 8 Jul 2024

Agent

We do not currently hold contact details for Marty Feldman's agent. If you are a comic or agent wanting your details to appear here, for a one-off fee of £59, email steve@chortle.co.uk.

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