
Alvin Morris, known professionally as Tony Martin, was an American actor and popular singer. His career spanned over seven decades, and he scored dozens of hits between the late-1930s and mid-1950s with songs such as "Walk Hand in Hand", "Stranger in Paradise" and "I Get Ideas". He was married to actress and dancer Cyd Charisse for 60 years, from 1948 until her death in 2008.
Alvin Morris, known professionally as Tony Martin, was an American actor and popular singer. His career spanned over seven decades, and he scored dozens of hits between the late-1930s and mid-1950s with songs such as "Walk Hand in Hand", "Stranger in Paradise" and "I Get Ideas". He was married to actress and dancer Cyd Charisse for 60 years, from 1948 until her death in 2008.
In his grammar school glee club, he became an instrumentalist and singer. He formed his first band, named "The Red Peppers," when he was in high school. After college, he went to Hollywood to try films. It was at that time that he adopted the stage name of Tony Martin.
On radio, Martin sang and was master of ceremonies on Tune-Up Time, with Andre Kostelanetz, on CBS in the early 1940s. NBC broadcast The Tony Martin Show, a 15-minute variety program. One of his guests was Dinah Shore. He was also a featured vocalist on the George Burns and Gracie Allen radio program.
In films, Martin was first cast in a number of bit parts, including a role as a sailor in Follow the Fleet. He eventually signed with 20th Century-Fox and then Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in which he starred in a number of musicals. Between 1938 and 1942, he made a number of hit records for Decca. In 1941, Martin received equal billing with the Marx Brothers in their final film for MGM, The Big Store.
Martin joined the United States Navy in 1942 as a chief specialist, the equivalent of a chief petty officer. He was dismissed from the service that year for "unfitness" after he testified at the court martial of a Naval procurement officer. He enlisted as a specialist after the officer twice failed to obtain a commission for him. Martin said that he had given the officer an auto worth $950 to "facilitate" his enlistment. At the time of his dismissal, the Navy said that removal for unfitness was not equivalent to a dishonorable discharge and "does not carry degradation."
After the war, Martin signed with Mercury Records, then a small independent label run out of Chicago, Illinois. He cut 25 records in 1946 and 1947 for Mercury, including a 1946 recording of "To Each His Own," which became a million-seller. It was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA. This prompted RCA Victor to offer him a record contract, which he signed in 1947 after satisfying his contract obligations to Mercury. He continued to appear in film musicals during the 1940s and 1950s. His rendition of "Lover Come Back to Me" with Joan Weldon in Deep in My Heart – based on the music of Sigmund Romberg and starring José Ferrer - was one of the highlights of that film. He also starred as Gaylord Ravenal in the Show Boat segment from the 1946 film Till the Clouds Roll By. In 1958, he became the highest paid performer in Las Vegas, signing a five-year deal at the Desert Inn, earning $25,000 a week. In an unlikely pairing, Martin recorded for the Motown Records label in the mid-1960s, scoring a minor hit with the record "Talkin' To Your Picture."
Martin was a stockholder in the Parvin-Dohrmann Corporation, a hotel and casino company that owned the Flamingo Las Vegas.
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0553149
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q725874
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That's Entertainment! III
Character:(archive footage)
Release Date:01/07/1994

You're the Top: The Cole Porter Story
Character:Self
Release Date:23/07/1990

Dear Mr. Wonderful
Character:Himself
Release Date:24/08/1982

That's Entertainment!
Character:(archive footage)
Release Date:21/06/1974

Some of Manie's Friends
Character:
Release Date:10/03/1959

The All-Star Christmas Show
Character:Self
Release Date:01/12/1958

Let's Be Happy
Character:Stanley Smith
Release Date:07/05/1957

Quincannon, Frontier Scout
Character:Linus Quincannon
Release Date:01/05/1956

Meet Me in Las Vegas
Character:Tony Martin (uncredited)
Release Date:09/03/1956

Hit the Deck
Character:Chief Boatswain's Mate Wm. F. Clark
Release Date:24/02/1955

Deep in My Heart
Character:Performer in New Moon
Release Date:09/12/1954

Easy to Love
Character:Barry Gordon
Release Date:26/11/1953

Here Come the Girls
Character:Allen Trent
Release Date:22/10/1953

Clash by Night
Character:Singer of 'I Hear a Rhapsody' (voice) (uncredited)
Release Date:30/05/1952

Two Tickets to Broadway
Character:Dan Carter
Release Date:20/11/1951

Casbah
Character:Pepe Le Moko
Release Date:01/04/1948

Till the Clouds Roll By
Character:Gaylord Ravenal / Tony Martin
Release Date:05/12/1946

The Big Store
Character:Tommy Rogers
Release Date:20/06/1941

Ziegfeld Girl
Character:Frank Merton
Release Date:25/04/1941

Music in My Heart
Character:Robert Gregory
Release Date:04/01/1940

Winner Take All
Character:Steve Bishop
Release Date:29/03/1939

Thanks for Everything
Character:Tommy Davis
Release Date:23/12/1938

Up the River
Character:Tommy Grant
Release Date:09/12/1938

Kentucky Moonshine
Character:Jerry Wade
Release Date:20/05/1938

Sally, Irene and Mary
Character:Tommy Reynolds
Release Date:04/03/1938

Ali Baba Goes to Town
Character:Yusuf/Tony Martin
Release Date:29/10/1937

Life Begins in College
Character:Band Leader
Release Date:01/10/1937

You Can't Have Everything
Character:Bobby Walker
Release Date:02/08/1937

Sing and Be Happy
Character:Buzz Mason
Release Date:25/06/1937

The Holy Terror
Character:Danny Walker
Release Date:05/02/1937

Banjo on My Knee
Character:Chick Bean
Release Date:11/12/1936

Pigskin Parade
Character:Tommy Barker
Release Date:23/10/1936

Sing, Baby, Sing
Character:Tony Renaldo
Release Date:21/08/1936

Back to Nature
Character:Tom Williams
Release Date:14/08/1936

Poor Little Rich Girl
Character:Radio Baritone Soloist (uncredited)
Release Date:18/07/1936

Murder on a Bridle Path
Character:Man with Violet (uncredited)
Release Date:17/04/1936

Follow the Fleet
Character:Sailor (uncredited)
Release Date:20/02/1936

Foolish Hearts
Character:Singer
Release Date:27/12/1935

Jessica
Character:

Donny & Marie
Character:Self

The Barbara McNair Show
Character:Self

The Hollywood Palace
Character:Self - Singer

The Merv Griffin Show
Character:Self

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Character:Self

Startime
Character:

The Donna Reed Show
Character:

The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Character:Self

The Steve Allen Show
Character:Self - Singer

MGM Parade
Character:

The Tony Martin Show
Character:Himself

The Oscars
Character:Self

The Colgate Comedy Hour
Character:Self

What's My Line?
Character:Self - Mystery Guest

The Ed Sullivan Show
Character:Self