Ross Martin's 90th Birthday!

Ross Martin {March 22, 1920 - July 3, 1981}

It's crazy! I had no idea that it was Ross' birthday today, when I wrote the post about Experiment in Terror on Saturday; or when I chose him to be the next voice in my favorite voices series. In fact, I planned on posting that voice post today! Now, I think I'll wait a couple of days...to keep the mini-Ross Martin blogathon going! ;-D

Ross was literally and simply-- just brilliant.

Every role he played, whether on television or film was amazing. He couldn't NOT be amazing and original.

Ross was:

A concert-trained violinist.

Multilingual (he spoke Polish, Russian, and Yiddish, before learning English, Spanish, Italian, and French).

Nominated for both an Emmy (The Wild Wild West) and a Golden Globe (Experiment in Terror).

THE coolest Columbo villain ever. Yes. I am stating a definite answer.

The best ever Hollywood Squares guest. (Paul Lynde?! Who CARES ABOUT PAUL LYNDE?)

Peter Falk's acting teacher. Oh, yes!

So amazing in The Great Race that he stole the scenes he was in, away from Peter Falk AND a gloriously over-the-top Jack Lemmon (a difficult task)!

The Phantom Asthmatic.

THE coolest Secret Service agent. EVER. Do not try to debate me on this fact.

--Which magically brings me to what Ross was just the coolest ever as:

Secret Agent Artemus Gordon.

As Artemus Gordon in The Wild Wild West, Ross got to use all of his skills. Because Artemus is both a genius AND the greatest person for disguises...ever!

Almost every episode sees him in some disguise or another. And with Ross, he didn't just put on a costume, wig, and beard (ahem, which he also designed himself from his own sketches). He put on an entire new voice, and an entire new way of walking, and an entire new set of facial expressions. Even though, you are waiting for him, sometimes, it can be difficult just to pick out exactly WHO is Ross!

That's brilliance.

In fact, once Ross had a little trouble, because he forgot to take off one of his costumes:

I went home one afternoon to pick up a script without bothering to change, and a half an hour later the Beverly Hills Police were at my door because a neighbor had reported a suspicious stranger lurking around Ross Martin's house. I had to peel off my beard to prove who I was.

Did I also mention that Ross was simply hilarious?

Unfortunately, Ross had a heart trouble. He suffered a heart attack during the fourth season of WWW and had to leave the show. It struggled out it last few episodes, and never came back for a fifth season. (CBS was pressured into canceling it, because it was "too violent". SERIOUSLY!?!?)

After recovering, he worked often, mainly character parts (that he did so well) in many different TV series. He also managed to come back for two WWW made-for-TV movies that were very popular.

Ross elevated anything he was in. There never was and never will be anyone like him. He was so completely original.....and brilliant.

So, Happy 90th Birthday to Mr. Martin! The world would have been A LOT less cool without him!

Watch a video someone compiled of many Ross "disguises":