Martin Alan Feldman, a renowned comedian, was born on July 8, 1934, in London, England, to Ukrainian Jewish parents, Cecilia and Myer Feldman, a gown manufacturer. Growing up in the poverty-stricken London East End, Marty left school at the age of 15, hoping to pursue a career as a jazz trumpeter, earning the title "the worst trumpeter in the world" after an appearance in a Variety show.
He began his comedy career as a writer for BBC radio programs and TV shows in the late 1950s and married Lauretta Sullivan in January 1959, a union that would last until his death in 1982. As the saying goes, "Your face is your fortune," and Marty received a double-whammy. His nose was mangled in a youthful boxing match, and his walleyed orbs resulted from a hyperactive thyroid and a botched operation after a car accident before his 30th birthday in 1963.
Marty made his American debut in Dean Martin Presents the Golddiggers (1968),performing comedy skits with Susie Ewing and the Golddiggers. He appeared in numerous movies, with his most-remembered role being Igor in Young Frankenstein (1974). Additionally, he made his directorial debut in The Last Remake of Beau Geste (1977).
Beloved and popular, it seemed Marty was destined to enjoy a long career in the entertainment field. However, his life was tragically cut short when he died of a massive heart attack, caused by shellfish food poisoning, while filming Yellowbeard (1983) in Mexico City on December 2, 1982, at the age of 48.
