Biography
Martyn was born in Shepherd's Bush, West London, the third of four children to a concert tenor. The family spent their summer holidays in Blackpool, which Martyn vividly recounted in his memoirs. In 1910, the family faced tragedy when Martyn's older brother, Alexander, passed away. Martyn left school in 1913 and took a job at a linen draper's. When World War I began in 1914, he lied about his age to enlist. After being caught twice for enlisting underage, he was eventually accepted into the army as a musician. During his service, he was wounded in the left knee and sent home as a stretcher case. Defying doctors' predictions that he would never walk again, Martyn recovered fully.
Determined to pursue a stage career, Martyn took various theatre jobs until his big break came in 1922 when he joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. This company, known for performing Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas, was an ideal fit for Martyn. He quickly became the understudy to principal comedian Henry Lytton and took over the comic baritone roles when Lytton retired in 1934. In 1939, Martyn appeared as Ko-Ko in the film adaptation of "The Mikado." That same year, with the outbreak of World War II, he left the D'Oyly Carte Company and served in an administrative role in the RAF throughout the war. He rejoined the company in 1947 but left permanently in 1951 to start a new life in America, where he remained until his death in 1975.
In the United States, Martyn enjoyed a successful theatre career and appeared in two films: "A Lovely Way to Die" (1969) as the Imposter Finchley and "The Iceman Cometh" as Cecil Lewis. Known for being accident-prone, he lost his leg in 1959 in a New York car elevator accident while trying to park his car. While recovering at Knickerbocker Hospital, his friends raised funds to buy him a prosthetic leg. Martyn told journalists, "I'll dance on my new leg for you," and he did. After the accident, he directed Groucho Marx in "The Mikado" for "The Bell Telephone Hour" and married his third wife, opera singer Yvonne Chauveau. Martyn continued to work as an actor, comedian, singer, writer, director, and musician until his passing in 1975.
