Ross Martin was a Jack of All Trades and mastered them all

Ross Martin was versatile

Ross Martin was one of the most versatile actors of his time. He is best known for portraying government agent Artemus Gordon on the CBS Western series The Wild Wild West, with Robert Conrad as Jim West. Let's take a trip down memory lane as we look at the life of the iconic entertainer.

The show was popular, and young girls loved West and Gordon. Sadly, it only aired for four seasons from 1965 to 1969 because of concerns about television violence. Gordon was a master of disguise, and Martin is said to have created many disguises for his character.

There was a camaraderie between the co-stars that viewers enjoyed. He was an American radio, voice, and stage, film, and television actor. One of his most popular voices was that of Doctor Paul Williams in Sealab 2020 in 1972.

He portrayed additional characters in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids (1973) and additional character voices in Jana of the Jungle (1976). He was a concert-trained violinist and went to college to practice law, although he never did. Martin spoke five languages: English, Russian, Yiddish, Polish, and Spanish. You can see some of his disguises in the following video.

From Rosenblatt to Martin

Martin was born Martin Rosenblatt on March 22, 1920, to Polish Jewish parents in Gródek, Poland (now Horodok, Ukraine). His family emigrated to New York City when he was an infant.

Recorded as Izak and Sara Rosenblat and their infant son, Marcus, they boarded the steamship New Rochelle at Danzig, which was then a Free City under the League of Nations; the ship sailed on August 29, 1920, and arrived at the Port of New York on September 18

There are no details on when and why he changed his name, but it was common in the early days of Hollywood for Jewish actors and writers to change their names to sound more American, which would get them better roles and job offers. Some names were changed because they were easier to pronounce.

Memorable early roles

Ross Martin had many radio roles, including Lights Out, from 1949-1952. He portrayed Wyatt Earp in the January 20, 1952, episode of The Gabby Hayes Show. He made his Broadway debut in 1953 in Hazel Flagg. His first role was in the 1955 film Conquest of Space, followed by The Colossus of New York in 1958.

In 1959, Martin was in an episode of the television series Once Step Beyond titled Echo. The Twilight Zone fans will remember him in season one, episode thirteen, The Four of Us Are Dying, 1962. in 1963. He worked steadily every year, including appearances on The Danny Thomas Show and Bonanza and in the film The Great Race.

Later roles

Martin was sometimes confused with Barney Phillips (see the image below), who also starred in episodes of The Twilight Zone. The two men worked together in an episode of Columbo titled Suitable for Framing. In the 1970s, Martin appeared in Swing Out Sweet Land, hosted by John Wayne.

He portrayed Charlie Chan in the film The Return of Charlie Chan and on many television series, including Barnaby Jones, Night Gallery, Charlie's Angels, Hawai Five-0, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, and two movies based on The Wild Wild West, His final film role was in I Married Wyatt Earp, which was released in 1983 after his death.

Ross Martin's personal life

Martin appeared in ninety-five episodes of The Wild Wild West, but was in season four (93-101) because he broke his leg and had a heart attack. There were guest stars on the CBS series until Martin returned. In 1941, he married Muriel Weiss, and they had one child, a daughter, Phyllis Rosenblatt (a New York artist).

Martin was separated from Weiss, who died from cancer in 1965. Martin married Olavee Lucile Parsons (a successful model and documentary director) in 1967. He adopted her two children, Rebecca (Martin) Schacht and George Martin.

The couple were married until he died of a heart attack on July 3, 1981. The actor had been playing tennis at Vicente Tennis Ranch, San Diego County Club in Ramona, California. He was rushed to the Pomerado Hospital in Poway, CA, but was pronounced dead on arrival. Olavee passed away in 2002.