Barney Martin (1923–2005)
Barney Martin, a former New York City detective who went into show business and became best known for playing Jerry Seinfeld's father, Morty, on the comedian's hit television series, died of cancer March 21 at his Studio City home, according to his publicist, Jennifer Glassman. He was 82.
Born March 3, 1923, in the New York City borough of Queens, Martin served as a navigator in the Air Force during World War II before starting a 20-year career as a New York City police detective. He showed a talent for making deputy police commissioners laugh during presentations. In the 1950s, he began writing on the side for comedy shows such as Name That Tune and The Steve Allen Show. He got his start in film when Mel Brooks featured him in The Producers in 1968. That role launched Martin onto Broadway, where he appeared in several musicals—including South Pacific, The Fantasticks, All American, and How Now Dow Jones. He is credited with creating the role of Roxy's unappreciated husband, Amos Hart, in the musical Chicago.
Martin, with Liz Sheridan as Seinfeld's mother, appear in a 2002 Denny's commercial.
Martin also appeared in several television series in the 1990s, including The Tony Randall Show, US, Sydney, and Zorro and Son. In Seinfeld, Martin was the third actor to play the part of Seinfeld's father and became the one most identified with the role of the Florida retiree. He said at the show's wrap party in 1998: "Playing Jerry's dad was like having whipped cream on top of a mountain of ice cream."
—Associated Press
Don Durant (1932–2005)
Don Durant, who in the 1950s starred as gunslinger-turned-sheriff Johnny Ringo and also wrote and sang the television show's theme song, has died. The actor, who had chronic lymphocytic leukemia since 1992, died March 15 at his Orange County home, family members said. He was 72.
The half-hour series Johnny Ringo ran on CBS from 1959 to 1960, and its fast-drawing title character brandished a LeMat handgun that featured an extra barrel that fired a shotgun round. Though it only ran for a season, the show generated about 100 toys and other items, including board games, character puppets, gun sets and canteens. A Johnny Ringo Western Frontier Play Set, featuring miniature figures, horses and wagons, sold on the Internet auction site eBay in 2001 for $8,998.
Durant who was born in Long Beach in 1932, spent most of his youth at his stepfather's ranch in Elko, Nev., where he learned to ride, rope and shoot. After stints in the Army and Navy, he pursued an acting and singing career and toured with a theater group. He signed as a bit player with CBS in 1954 and appeared on The Jack Benny Show, The Red Skelton Show, and General Electric Theater. He also toured with the Tommy Dorsey, Frankie Carle and Ray Anthony orchestras. He had a leading role in Roger Corman's 1958 low-budget adventure film She Gods of Shark Reef. After guest spots on television, Durant was cast as Johnny Ringo and married actor Trudy Wroe the same year he began on the show. He left acting in 1964 and worked in real estate and financial management.