Martin Ingerman (March 9, 1936 – October 21, 2015), known professionally as Marty Ingels, was an American actor, comedian, comedy sketch writer, and theatrical agent, who is best known as the co-star of the 1960s television series I'm Dickens, He's Fenster.

Marty Ingels
Ingels in I'm Dickens, He's Fenster (1962)
Born
Martin Ingerman

(1936-03-09)March 9, 1936
DiedOctober 21, 2015(2015-10-21) (aged 79)
NationalityAmerican
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
  • comedy sketch writer
  • theatrical agent
Years active1958–2015
Spouses
Jean Marie Frassinelli
(m. 1960; div. 1969)
(m. 1977)
RelativesAbraham Beame (uncle-in-law)

Early life edit

Ingels was born as Martin Ingerman to a Jewish family in 1936 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City,[1] the son of Jacob and Minnie (née Crown) Ingerman.[2] His uncle was Abraham Beame, the mayor of New York City from 1974 to 1977.[3]

Career edit

Ingels' acting career dates back to the early 1960s. He had his own short-lived ABC television series, I'm Dickens, He's Fenster (1962–63) with John Astin, which lasted one season of thirty-two episodes.[4]

He guest-starred on the CBS sitcoms Pete and Gladys, The Ann Sothern Show, and Hennesey. He also appeared in one episode of ABC's Bewitched as "Diaper Dan", who plants a microphone bug in Tabitha's rattle so a competing advertising agency can scoop and steal Darrin's ideas. He appeared twice as Sol Pomeroy, an army buddy of the character Rob Petrie, on CBS's The Dick Van Dyke Show. In 1978, Ingels guest starred in Season Two, episode One of The Love Boat.[4]

His voice-overs and commercials include those for Paul Masson wines, with his uniquely raspy voice. He played Autocat in the Motormouse and Autocat cartoons featured first on The Cattanooga Cats and then in a series of their own, and was Beegle Beagle in The Great Grape Ape Show. He was also the voice of the title character in the animated series adaptation of the 1980 video game Pac-Man. As late as 2010, Ingels was cast in an episode of CBS's CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.[4]

He also acted in films, including Armored Command (1961), The Horizontal Lieutenant (1962), Wild and Wonderful (1964), The Busy Body (1967), A Guide for the Married Man (1967), For Singles Only (1968), The Picasso Summer (1969), If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969), Linda Lovelace for President (1975), and Instant Karma (1990).

Beginning in the 1970s, Ingels worked primarily as an agent, specializing in representing actors in celebrity endorsement ads.[5]

Personal life edit

Ingels was married twice: first to Jean Marie Frassinelli in 1960 (they divorced in 1969 after nine years of marriage); later to singer and actress Shirley Jones on November 13, 1977.[2] Despite some drastically different personalities and several separations (Shirley filed, then withdrew, a divorce petition in 2002), the couple remained married until his death in 2015.[5]

Lawsuits edit

Ingels was also known for frequent legal actions, so much that in his obituary in The New York Times Margalit Fox wrote: "[Ingels] always seemed to be suing someone, and someone always seemed to be suing him".[5]

In 1993, Ingels sued actress June Allyson for his agency commission. Allyson had appeared in commercials for Depend, and Ingels alleged he was not paid his proper commission as her agent. Allyson denied wrongdoing and countersued. Ingels pleaded no contest to making harassing phone calls to Allyson.[5]

In 2003, he sued radio personality Tom Leykis and Westwood One, saying that comments made about him constituted age discrimination. Ingels had called into Leykis's radio program objecting to the content, and Leykis declared on the air that Ingels was "not just older than my demographic, you’re the grandfather of my demographic."[6] In June 2005, Ingels's lawsuit was dismissed and Ingels was ordered to pay Leykis's $25,000 in legal fees.[7]

Death edit

Ingels died from a massive stroke at Tarzana Medical Center in Tarzana, California, on October 21, 2015, at the age of 79.[8] After Ingels' death, Jones stated "He often drove me crazy, but there's not a day I won't miss him and love him to my core."[9]

Filmography edit

Film edit

Year Title Role Notes
1961 The Ladies Man Marty Ingels
Armored Command Pinhead
1962 The Horizontal Lieutenant Yeoman Leo Buckles
1964 Wild and Wonderful Doc Bailey
1967 The Busy Body Willie
A Guide for the Married Man Technical Adviser (Meat Eater)
1968 For Singles Only Archibald Baldwin
1969 If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium Bert Greenfield
The Picasso Summer Man at Party
1974 How to Seduce a Woman Jim
1975 Linda Lovelace for President Ronald Trixie
1990 Instant Karma Jon Clark
1992 The Opposite Sex and How to Live with Them Uncredited
Round Numbers Al Schweitzer
1998 The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story Hathi (voice)
1999 Kartenspieler Max
2003 Down the Barrel Richard Chainey
2007 Chasing Robert Porn Shop Manager
2008 Parasomnia Mr. Boudreau Uncredited
Wednesday Again Xander
2013 A Strange Brand of Happy Mack
2015 Promoted Murray Silver
2021 Bruce the Challenge Gramps Final role
Posthumous release

Television edit

Year Title Role Notes
1958 The Phil Silvers Show Navy Cook Episode: "Bilko Joins the Navy"
1960 Peter Loves Mary Joey Vaughn Episode: "Peter Joins a Committee"
Dan Raven Benny 2 episodes
1960–1962 Hennesey Patient, Waiter 4 episodes
1961 Manhunt Episode: "The Death Trap"
The Ann Sothern Show Erskine Wild Episode: "Always April"
The Aquanauts Waiter Episode: "The Tidal Wave Adventure"
The Law and Mr. Jones Tony Episode: "The Broken Hand"
The Detectives Lazarus Episode: "Tobey's Place
Pete and Gladys Man Episode: "Eyewitness"
Follow the Sun Georgie Episode: "The Girl from the Brandenburg Gate"
1961–1962 The Dick Van Dyke Show Sol Pomeroy 2 episodes
1962 The Joey Bishop Show Freddy Episode: "Once a Bachelor"
1962–1963 I'm Dickens, He's Fenster Arch Fenster 32 episodes
1964 Duncan Be Careful TV movie
Burke's Law Wally Episode: "Who Killed Madison Cooper?"
1966 The Addams Family Dr. Marvin P. Gunderson Episode: "Cat Addams"
Bewitched Dan Episode: "Dangerous Diaper Dan"
1967 The Phyllis Diller Show Norman Krump 7 episodes
Good Morning World Jimmy Episode: "Knits to You, Sir"
1968 Kiss Me Kate Gangster Television film
1969 Motormouse and Autocat Autocat (voice) TV series
1969–1971 Cattanooga Cats
1971 The Partners Eddie Polaski 1 episode
1972 Banacek Marty Ingels Episode: "Let's Hear It for a Living Legend"
1973 The Rookies Master of Ceremonies Episode: "Down Home Boy"
1973–1974 Adam-12 Siphoner, David Harwood 2 episodes
1975 The Great Grape Ape Show Beegle Beagle (voice) TV series
The New Tom & Jerry Show
The Ghost Busters Billy the Kid Episode: "They Went Thataway"
1975–1976 Police Story Howie, Marty Abbott 2 episodes
1977 Chips Sidney Episode: "Hustle"
1978 The Love Boat Joe Nash Episode: "The Man Who Loved Women/A Different Girl/Oh, My Aching Brother"
1979 Family Gip Goddard Episode: "Going Straight"
1982 Christmas Comes to Pac-Land Pac-Man (voice) TV special
1982–1983 Pac-Man 42 episodes including 2 specials
1990 The Munsters Today Ivan Episode: "Never Say Die"
1990–1991 Murder, She Wrote Joe Gelardi, Seymour Densch 2 episodes
1991 The New Adam-12 Mr. Edwards Episode: "Crack House
What a Dummy Leonard Episode: "The Vacation That Never Was"
1991–1992 Darkwing Duck The Devil (voice) 2 episodes
1995 Burke's Law Christoph Kohl Episode: "Who Killed the World's Greatest Chef?"
Deadly Games Hank Episode: "One Mean Mother"
1997 Baywatch Prospector Episode: "Eel Nino"
1998 Walker, Texas Ranger Murray Episode: "Crusader"
2006 Z-Squad Butler (voice) Episode: "Pilot"
ER Mr. Gallagher Episode: "Heart of the Matter"
2010 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Marty Felnick Episode: "Meat Jekyll"
2013 New Girl Pickled Patron Episode: "The Box"
2014 Burt Paxton: Private Detective Grandpa TV series short
2015 The Middle Ages Pop-pop, Richard, Willy 3 episodes
Final television role

Video games edit

Year Title Role
1997 Zork: Grand Inquisitor Griff

References edit

  1. ^ Jones, Shirley; Ingels, Marty; Herskowitz, Mickey (1990). Shirley and Marty: An Unlikely Love Story (reprint ed.). New York: S P Books. ISBN 978-1561712366.
  2. ^ a b Marty Ingels (1936-) - Film Reference. Accessed April 21, 2020.
  3. ^ Chawkins, Steve (October 24, 2015). "Marty Ingels, actor-turned-agent and husband of Shirley Jones, dies at 79". The Washington Post.
  4. ^ a b c Marty Ingels at IMDb
  5. ^ a b c d Fox, Margalit (October 22, 2015). "Marty Ingels, Actor and Comedian, Is Dead at 79". The New York Times. p. A24.
  6. ^ Ingels vs. Westwood One Services, Inc. et al.
  7. ^ Welkos, Robert W. (July 6, 2005). "Not too old to sue Tom Leykis". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-02-16.
  8. ^ "Marty Ingels dies at 79; comedian was known for his raspy voice, marriage to Shirley Jones". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. October 22, 2015.
  9. ^ "Marty Ingels, Shirley Jones Dead at 79". Variety. October 21, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2015.

External links edit