STROTHER MARTIN

March 26, 1919

Strother Douglas Martin Jr.

was born in Kokomo, Indiana. His mother’s name was Ethel! 

For a short time, the Martins moved to San Antonio, but soon returned to Indiana.

At 17 he won the National Junior Springboard Diving Championship. He served as a swimming instructor in the Navy during World War II. 

After the war, Martin moved to Los Angeles and worked as a swimming instructor and as a swimming extra in water scenes in films. 

He made his screen debut as a springboard diver in the 1950 film The Damned Don’t Cry!  His television debut came in 1951 with an episode of “Stars Over Hollywood” titled “Prison Doctor.” 

His only appearance opposite Lucille Ball was as the roadside café waiter in “Off to Florida” (ILL S6;E6) filmed on September 13, 1956, and first aired on November 12,1956. The episode starred Elsa Lanchester. 

Coincidentally, in 1953, Martin played a soldier in George Bernard Shaw’s Androcles and the Lion which starred — Elsa Lanchester! 

In April 1965, Martin played a Southern playwright named Harper Worthington Yates on an episode of “The Dick Van Dyke Show” (filmed at Desilu Studios) titled “Baby Fat.” 

Martin perhaps is best known as the prison captain in the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke, in which he uttered the line, “What we’ve got here is failure to communicate." 

His final screen appearance was in the feature film Hotwire (1980), released posthumously. 

“No man can achieve immortality. We don’t live for what comes after we are dead, but for what we can achieve in this life – the only chance we have.” ~ Strother Martin, three days before his death

Strother Martin died on August 1, 1980. He was married to Helen Beatrice Meisels from 1966 until his death.