Marty Feldman

(1934-1982)

Marty Feldman was a British comedian and scriptwriter.

Martin Alan "Marty" Feldman was born in London on July 8, 1934, to Orthodox Jewish parents. Feldman left school at 15 and, in 1957, joined the BBC as a staff writer, continuing for ten years as a television and radio comedy scriptwriter for such shows as BBC radio's Round the Horne. From 1967 he was chiefly an actor, his trade-mark bulging eyes and gangling frame being instantly recognizable. He became internationally famous in the five years after he moved to Hollywood in 1974, co-starring with Gene Wilder in such cult comedies as Young Frankenstein (1974), in which he played "Igor," and Silent Movie (1976). Like many clowns, in private life Feldman was a sad, unhappy man. His bulging eyes were caused by a chronic thyroid deficiency, and his manic-depressive personality led to dependence on drugs and alcohol.

Feldman married Lauretta Sullivan in January 1959 and they remained married until his death. Feldman died of a heart attack at the age of 48 in 1982.

Sources: Encyclopaedia Judaica. © 2007 The Gale Group. All Rights Reserved.