Dick Martin

In his nearly three-and-a-half-hour interview, Dick Martin (1922-2008) speaks about his lifelong ambition to work in the entertainment industry and talks of his early career steps in Hollywood. He describes his first encounter with Dan Rowan and their subsequent comedy partnership, details their years on the road working in nightclubs around the country, and recalls their early forays into television. He discusses working with Lucille Ball as an occasional performer on her CBS series, The Lucy Show, and recounts Rowan and Martin's summer replacement series for The Dean Martin Show, which led to their renowned comedy series Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. He comments on working with his well-known co-stars, speaks of the hectic production schedule, and outlines the extensive, creative editing needed to make the show work. Martin then chronicles his second career as a director for television on programs including The Bob Newhart Show, Flo, Family Ties, Mama's Family, The Bradys, and Newhart. He gives a detailed description of directing the historic final episode of Newhart and talks about his relationship with Bob Newhart. He decries the then-current state of television, and fondly remembers comedy partner Dan Rowan. Karen Herman conducted the interview on September 25, 2002 in Malibu, CA.