Sunday, May 25, 2008

Dick Martin: The Laugh-In Has Ended

Dick Martin, the zany half of the comedy team whose "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" took television by storm in the 1960s, making stars of Goldie Hawn and Lily Tomlin and creating such national catch-phrases as "Sock it to me!" has died. He was 86.


Martin, who went on to become one of television's busiest directors after splitting with Dan Rowan in the late 1970s, died Saturday night of respiratory complications at a hospital in Santa Monica, family spokesman Barry Greenberg said.

"Laugh-in," which debuted in January 1968, was unlike any comedy-variety show before it. Rather than relying on a series of tightly scripted song-and-dance segments, it offered up a steady, almost stream-of-consciousness run of non-sequitur jokes, political satire and madhouse antics from a cast of talented young actors and comedians that also included Ruth Buzzi, Arte Johnson, Henry Gibson, Jo Anne Worley and announcer Gary Owens.

Full Story

Our condolences go out to his family and friends.

Here are few quickies to remember the laughter:


2 comments:

WomanHonorThyself said...

aw yes the good ole days!..Blessed Memorial day to u and yours !

Maggie Thornton said...

Laugh-In was a new and daring comedic venture back then. It moved us forward from the great Milton Berle and his peers - into another time.

I really love Laugh-In. Rowan and Martin were classic.

Maggie
Maggie's Notebook