Al Martin (January 1, 1897 – October 10, 1971) was an American screenwriter and TV writer known for his work on B-movies across a wide range of genres.

Biography

Martin, a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, got his start writing scenarios and titles for silent films, first at Mascot and then at Republic. In the 1940s, he started working for

Hal Roach Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr. Skretvedt, Randy (2016), ''Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies'', Bonaventure Press. p.608. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director and screenwriter, ...

, Monogram, Columbia, and Paramount. By the 1950s, he was working on various television shows, in addition to writing sci-fi films for Roger Corman. His final feature was 1958's ''

In the Money ''In the Money'' is a 1958 American comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on February 16, 1958, by Monogram Pictures, Allied Artists Pictures and is the 48th and final film in the series. It ...

'', a Bowery Boys film. He had a son, Harvey Martin, with his first wife, Mildred Seib. After Mildred's death, he married Helen Abrams, who he co-wrote '' Invisible Ghost'' with. He once held a party for his dog at the Knickerbocker Hotel, and invited notable A-listers like

Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, 190? was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway theatre, Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion-picture cont ...

and their dogs.

Selected TV credits

* ''

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, a feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer. Creat ...

'' (TV series) (1967) * ''

My Favorite Martian ''My Favorite Martian'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from September 29, 1963, to May 1, 1966, for 107 episodes. The show stars Ray Walston as "Uncle Martin" (the Martian) and Bill Bixby as Tim O'Hara. ''My Favorite Martian'' was th ...

'' (TV series) (1964–1965) * '' My Living Doll'' (TV series) (1964) * '' Laramie'' (TV series) (1960) * '' Troubleshooters'' (TV series) (1959–1960) * ''

77 Sunset Strip ''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American private detective crime drama television series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith, Richard Long (from 1960 to 1961) and Edd Byrnes (billed as Edward Byrnes). Each epis ...

'' (TV series) (1959) * ''

The Restless Gun ''The Restless Gun'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series that appeared on NBC between 1957 and 1959, with John Payne (actor), John Payne in the role of Vint Bonner, a wandering cowboy in the era after the American Ci ...

'' (TV series) (1958) * ''

Cavalcade of America ''Cavalcade of America'' is an anthology drama series that was sponsored by the DuPont Company, although it occasionally presented musicals, such as an adaptation of ''Show Boat'', and condensed biographies of popular Composer, composers. It was ...

'' (TV show) (1957) * '' The Roy Rogers Show'' (TV series) (1956–1957) * '' Damon Runyon Theater'' (TV series) (1955) * ''

Ford Theatre ''Ford Theatre'', spelled ''Ford Theater'' for the original radio version and known, in full, as ''The Ford Television Theatre'' for the TV version, is a radio and television anthology series broadcast in the United States in the 1940s and 195 ...

'' (TV series) (1955) * '' Mayor of the Town'' (TV series) (1954) * '' Ramar of the Jungle'' (TV series) (1954) * ''

The Stu Erwin Show ''The Stu Erwin Show'' (also known as ''Trouble with Father'') is an American sitcom which aired on ABC from 1950 to 1955. Only four of the series’ five seasons on the network included new episodes; the 1953–54 season consisted entirely of ...

'' (TV series) (1951–1953)

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (1958) * '' Invasion of the Saucer Men'' (1957) * '' Army Bound'' (1952) * '' Amazon Quest'' (1949) * '' Racing Luck'' (1948) * '' The Strange Mrs. Crane'' (1948) * ''

Rusty Leads the Way ''Rusty Leads the Way'' is a 1948 American drama film directed by Will Jason Will Jason (June 23, 1910 – February 10, 1970) was an American film director, film and television director. He shot a number of short films for MGM during the early 1 ...

'' (1948) * ''

My Dog Rusty ''My Dog Rusty'' is a 1948 American drama film directed by Lew Landers and starring Ted Donaldson, John Litel and Ann Doran. It was part of the eight-film Rusty series of films produced by Columbia Pictures, about a boy and his valiant German ...

'' (1948) * '' The Son of Rusty'' (1947) * '' Blondie Knows Best'' (1946) * '' A Guy Could Change'' (1946) * '' Carolina Blues'' (1944) * '' Nine Girls'' (1944) * '' A Gentle Gangster'' (1943) * '' The Devil with Hitler'' (1942) * '' Mississippi Gambler'' (1942) * '' Gang Buster'' (1942) * '' The Mad Doctor of Market Street'' (1942) * '' Stagecoach Buckaroo'' (1942) * '' Invisible Ghost'' (1941) * '' Flying Wild'' (1941) * '' Caught in the Act'' (1941) * '' The Last Alarm'' (1940) * '' Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus'' (1938) * '' The Shadow Strikes'' (1937) * '' Island Captives'' (1937) * '' Trail Dust'' (1936) * '' Kelly of the Secret Service'' (1936) * '' Prison Shadows'' (1936) * '' The Law Rides'' (1936) * ''Framed'' (1936) * '' The Rogues' Tavern'' (1936) * '' Taming the Wild'' (1936) * '' A Face in the Fog'' (1936) * '' The Fighting Coward'' (1935) * '' Bars of Hate'' (1935) * '' Danger Ahead'' (1935) * '' What Price Crime'' (1935) * '' The Devil on Wheels'' (1934) * '' The Lost Jungle'' (1934) * '' The Wolf Dog'' (1933) * '' The Bachelor's Club'' (1929) * '' Riley of the Rainbow Division'' (1928) *'' The Speed Classic'' (1928) * '' Dugan of the Dugouts'' (1928) * '' The Albany Night Boat'' (1928)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Al 1897 births 1971 deaths American television writers Mass media people from Milwaukee 20th-century American screenwriters