For those of a similar name, see Martin Green (disambiguation).
Martyn Green in 1960
William Martin Green (22 April 1899 – 8 February 1975), known by his stage name, Martyn Green, was an English actor and singer. He is remembered for his performances and recordings as principal comedian of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, in the leading patter roles of the Gilbert & Sullivan comic operas in the 1930s and 1940s, and for his career in America from the 1950s to the 1970s.
After army service in World War I, Green studied singing and began to perform in musical theatre. In 1922 he joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, playing in the chorus and in an increasing number of small-to-medium sized roles, while understudying, and often substituting for, the company's principal comedian. Beginning in 1931, he was regularly given the roles of Major-General Stanley in The Pirates of Penzance and Robin Oakapple in Ruddigore. In 1934, Green became the principal comedian, playing all the famous Gilbert and Sullivan patter roles, including Sir Joseph in H.M.S. Pinafore, the Major-General in Pirates, Bunthorne in Patience, the Lord Chancellor in Iolanthe, Ko-Ko in The Mikado, Jack Point in The Yeomen of the Guard and the Duke of Plaza Toro in The Gondoliers, among others.
At the beginning of World War II, Green left the D'Oyly Carte organisation and acted in other companies. In 1941, he joined the Royal Air Force, serving until 1945. He soon rejoined D'Oyly Carte and continued as the principal comedian until 1951. He then left the company again and moved to New York City, where he continued his career in Broadway musicals, plays, television, recordings and films. In 1959, his left leg was crushed in a garage elevator and had to be amputated below the knee.[1] Greatly determined, Green was soon acting and directing again using a prosthetic limb. He continued to act and direct for the rest of his life and had a variety of film roles, notably in A Lovely Way to Die (1968) and The Iceman Cometh (1973).
^"Indian Surgeon Saves a Life". Jet magazine, 26 November 1959, pp. 12–13
William Martin Green (22 April 1899 – 8 February 1975), known by his stage name, MartynGreen, was an English actor and singer. He is remembered for his...
Louis Thomas Hardin (May 26, 1916 – September 8, 1999), known professionally as Moondog, was an American composer, musician, performer, music theoretician...
performances and gained good notices. A brief 1952 Broadway staging starring MartynGreen, earned Lehman Engel a Tony Award as conductor. Repertory companies that...
Opera Company in 1945, moving up to small roles and then understudying MartynGreen, the principal comedian. From 1951 to 1959, he was the company's principal...
(ed.). The Mikado. Dover. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-486-27268-9. Green, Martyn, ed. (1961). MartynGreen's Treasury of Gilbert and Sullivan. Michael Joseph. Hughes...
Pioggi, Bradford Dillman as Willie Oban, Sorrell Booke as Hugo Kalmar, MartynGreen as Cecil Lewis, Moses Gunn as Joe Mott, George Voskovec as The General...
clear her of murder. The film is notable for two supporting players: MartynGreen, longtime Gilbert and Sullivan specialist and actor/singer/director with...
glass eye), Major Johnnie Cradock, actors Ralph Lynn, George Arliss and MartynGreen, and Karl Marx. In another vein, G. E. M. Anscombe was one of only a...
the story on Caedmon Records (TC 1251)/Fontana Records (SFL 14108). MartynGreen narrated the story on Arabian Nights' Entertainment (Riverside Records...
A Christmas Carol MartynGreen in the 1956 television film The Stingiest Man in Town Daws Butler in the 1958 parody record "Green Chri$tma$" Jack Cassidy...
Sir Martyn Poliakoff, CBE, FRS, FREng, FRSC, FIChemE (born 16 December 1947) is a British chemist, working on fundamental chemistry, and on developing...
Volume I, 1865–1914. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Green, Martyn, ed. (1961). MartynGreen's Treasury of Gilbert & Sullivan. New York: Simon and Schuster...
Walden, Education Minister Lily Cole, actress and model Hugh Grant, actor MartynGreen (1899–1975), actor-singer, comedian Christopher Guard, actor Natalie...
Walter Slezak (as Geppetto), Fran Allison (as the Blue Fairy), and MartynGreen (as the Fox). This version featured songs by Alec Wilder and was shown...
lineup Nick Harry — "The Mikado" (episode of The Bell Telephone Hour) Norman Campbell, MartynGreen 1960 Ko-Ko — — — Skidoo Otto Preminger 1968 God — — —...
brigadier general in the American Civil War MartynGreen (1899–1975), English actor and singer Marty Green (River City), fictional character in Scottish...
called The Stingiest Man in Town) which had starred Basil Rathbone, MartynGreen, and Vic Damone. The live-action version had been telecast on December...
Conried, Lee Venora June 29 – July 5: Oh, Captain! MP – Denise Darcel, MartynGreen, Doretta Morrow, Wilbur Evans July 6–12: Rio Rita – Stephen Douglass...
Discography Opening night review in The Times, published 29 March 1875 Video of Trial by Jury (23 minutes) on YouTube, with MartynGreen, Omnibus (1953)...
Robin Oakapple George Grossmith George Thorne Henry Lytton Henry Lytton MartynGreen Richard Dauntless Durward Lely Courtice Pounds Derek Oldham Charles Goulding...
Carol E. "Sullivan: Iolanthe", Opera News, Vol. 78, No. 12, June 2014 Green, Edward. "Ballads, songs, and speeches". BBC, 20 September 2004. Retrieved...
Leslie (1972). The Gilbert & Sullivan Companion. London: W.H. Allen & Co Ltd. Introduction by MartynGreen. Photos of Eyre in Iolanthe Photos of Eyre...
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