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Stuart Margolin

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Stuart Margolin
Margolin as Evelyn "Angel" Martin onThe Rockford Files
Born(1940-01-31)January 31, 1940
Davenport, Iowa,U.S.
DiedDecember 12, 2022(2022-12-12)(aged 82)
Staunton, Virginia,U.S.
Occupations
  • Actor
  • director
  • screenwriter
Years active1961–2022
Spouse(s)Patricia Dunne Martini
(m.1982)
Children3 (stepchildren)

Stuart Margolin(January 31, 1940 – December 12, 2022)[1]was an American film, theater, and television actor and director who won twoEmmy Awardsfor playing Evelyn "Angel" Martin on the 1970s television seriesThe Rockford Files.In 1973, he appeared onGunsmokeas an outlaw. The next year he played an important role inDeath Wish,givingCharles Bronsonhis first gun. In 1981, Margolin portrayed the character of Philo Sandeen in a recurring role as aNative Americantracker in the 1981–1982 television series,Bret Maverick.

Early life

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Margolin was born January 31, 1940, inDavenport, Iowa,to Morris and Gertrude Kalina Margolin but spent much of his childhood inDallas, Texas,where he learned to golf.[2]

Margolin stated that he led a "hoodlum" childhood, was kicked out ofTexaspublic schools, and was sent by his parents to a boarding school inTennessee.While he attended that school, his family moved toScottsdale, Arizona.When Margolin was released from reform school and moved back with his family, he decided to move back, on his own, to see his friends in Dallas. His parents made arrangements for him to attend a private school there.[3]

Television and film

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Margolin played the recurring character Evelyn "Angel" Martin, the shifty friend and former jailmate of Jim Rockford (James Garner) onThe Rockford Files,whose various cons and schemes usually got Rockford in hot water.[citation needed]Margolin was earlier paired with Garner in theWesternseriesNichols(1971–72), in which he played a character somewhat similar to the Angel character inThe Rockford Files.That show lasted for only one season.[citation needed]

At times Rockford would pay Angel to "hit the streets" and discover information that would help solve a case. Margolin won thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Seriesfor this role, in 1979 and 1980;[4]he is one of only five actors to win this award twice for the same role.[5]

In 1969, Margolin wrote and co-producedThe Ballad of Andy Crocker,anABCtelevision moviethat was one of the first films to deal with the subject matter of Vietnam veterans "coming home".[6]He also co-wrote the title song and had an uncredited cameo in the film. Margolin had an uncredited role as the Station Wagon Driver inHeroes,[citation needed]another story about Vietnam veterans dealing with what we now refer to asPTSD.

Margolin played Rabbi David Small in the 1976 movie,Lanigan's Rabbi,based on the series of mystery novels written byHarry Kemelman.Scheduling conflicts prevented him from continuing the role inthe short-lived TV series of the same namethat aired in 1977 as part ofThe NBC Sunday Mystery Movie,in which the character was played by actorBruce Solomon.[citation needed]

Margolin appeared in episodes of the television seriesM*A*S*H( "Bananas, Crackers and Nuts" and "Operation Noselift" );The Partridge Family( "Go Directly to Jail" and "A Penny for His Thoughts" );That Girl;The Mary Tyler Moore Show;Rhoda;Land of the Giants;Twelve O'Clock High;The Monkees;Love, American Style(in which he was a member of the Love American Style Players; his brotherArnold Margolinwas theexecutive producerof the series);The Fall Guy;Magnum, P.I.;Hill Street Blues(as bookmaker Andy Sedita in the consecutive episodes "Hacked to Pieces" and "Seoul on Ice" );[7]andTouched by an Angel.In May 2009, Margolin appeared on an episode of30 Rock,oppositeAlan Alda;[8]it was the first time the two actors appeared together since Margolin's appearance onM*A*S*Hin 1974.[citation needed]

In Canada, Margolin appeared in the 2009CTV/CBSpolice dramaseriesThe Bridge.[9][10]Margolin appeared as bail jumper Stanley Wescott in the episode "The Overpass" (Season 5 Episode 2; 2013) of the CanadianCBC TelevisionseriesRepublic of Doyle,which itself was inspired byThe Rockford Files.[11]While not a wholesale recreation of the Angel Martin character, the Stanley Wescott role sported many similar attributes.[12]The episode also featured Margolin's stepson,Max Martini,in the role of Big Charlie Archer.[citation needed]

Margolin appeared in such feature films includingKelly's Heroes,Death Wish,Futureworld,The Big Bus,andS.O.B.[citation needed]

Directing

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Margolin directed TV shows since the early 1970s, including episodes ofThe Mary Tyler Moore Show;Sara;The Love Boat;Magnum, P.I.;Bret Maverick;Quantum Leap;Wonder Woman;andNorthern Exposure.[citation needed]

In addition to acting in the original and 1990s TV movie versions ofThe Rockford Files,Margolin also directed some episodes: "Dirty Money, Black Light" (1977), "Caledonia – It's Worth a Fortune!" (1974), "The Rockford Files: Friends and Foul Play" (1996), "The Rockford Files: If It Bleeds... It Leads" (1998).[citation needed]

He won the 1996DGA Awardfor children's programming for directing the filmSalt Water Moose,[citation needed]and he was nominated again for the same award for directing the 1998 film,The Sweetest Gift.[citation needed]He was also nominated for a DGA Award fordrama series directionfor a 1991 episode ofNorthern Exposureentitled "Goodbye to All That".[13]He directed, co-starred and scoredThe Glitter Dome(1984) forHBO Pictures.[citation needed]

Other

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Margolin wrote several songs for and with longtime friend and singer-songwriterJerry Riopellethat have appeared on Riopelle's albums since 1967. Margolin was first associated with Riopelle's late 1960s bandthe Parade,co-writing many of their songs and playing percussion on various tracks. He and Riopelle (along with Shango member Tommy Reynolds) co-wroteShango's 1969 Caribbean-flavored novelty record "Day After Day (It's Slippin' Away)",[14]which hit No. 57 on the U.S. charts and No. 39 in Canada.

Margolin had tracks he co-wrote covered byR. B. GreavesandGary Lewis and the Playboysin 1968–69. Margolin's frequent songwriting partner Jerry Riopelle established a long-running solo career beginning in 1971; Riopelle released 8 albums between 1971 and 1982, every one of which contained at least one song (often more) written or co-written by Margolin. In turn, Margolin released a solo album in 1980,And the Angel Sings,which featured his interpretations of a number of Margolin and/or Riopelle compositions previously recorded by Riopelle.

Starting in 2004, he was a regular participant in the theater program of theChautauqua Institution.[15]

Personal life and death

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He married Patricia Dunne Martini in 1982. He had three stepchildren: actorMax Martini,costume designerMichelle Martiniand editor/ producer/ director Christopher Martini.[16]

He was the younger brother of Emmy-winning director/producer/writerArnold Margolin,both of them lived inLewisburg, West Virginia,[3]and acted together there in a professional community theater production ofLaughter on the 23rd Floor.[17]

Margolin had frequently been misidentified as the brother of actressJanet Margolin(1943–1993);[18][19]the two were not related, although they appeared together as husband and wife in the pilot for the 1977 TV seriesLanigan's Rabbi.[citation needed]

Margolin, his wife and stepchildren lived onSalt Spring IslandinBritish Columbia,Canadafor twenty two years.[20]

According to stepdaughter Michelle Martini, Margolin had been diagnosed withpancreatic cancera decade earlier. He died inStaunton, Virginia,on December 12, 2022.[21]

Selected filmography

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References

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  1. ^Barnes, Mike."Stuart Margolin, Emmy-Winning Actor on 'The Rockford Files,' Dies at 82".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedDecember 12,2022.
  2. ^Obituary,nytimes.com. Accessed December 14, 2022.
  3. ^ab"Stuart Margolin: A Road Less Traveled".Greenbrier Valley Quarterly.February 10, 2018. Archived fromthe originalon March 5, 2022.RetrievedMarch 12,2019.
  4. ^Advanced Primetime Awards Searchat Academy of Television Arts and Sciences website; retrieved April 18, 2009.
  5. ^Tom O'Neil,"Drama supporting actors prove Emmy winners not always TV reruns",Los Angeles Times,July 13, 2010.
  6. ^Jeremy M. Devine,Vietnam at 24 Frames a Second: A Critical and Thematic Analysis of Over 400 Films about the Vietnam War(University of Texas Press,1999);ISBN978-0292716018,p. 57.Excerpts availableatGoogle Books.
  7. ^"Hill Street Blues (6th Season Episode Guide)".epguides.com.RetrievedMarch 12,2019.
  8. ^Alan Sepinwall,"30 Rock," Mamma Mia ": Alan Alda is the Donaghy daddy?",The Star-Ledger,May 8, 2009; retrieved May 19, 2009.
  9. ^"Flashpoint pipeline brings The Bridge to CBS".HitFix.Archived fromthe originalon August 11, 2010.RetrievedDecember 22,2015.
  10. ^Mary McNamara,"Television Review: 'The Bridge' on CBS",Los Angeles Times,July 10, 2010.
  11. ^"Detectives who aren't that smart – Macleans.ca".www.macleans.ca.RetrievedMarch 12,2019.
  12. ^"Amazon.com Review".Amazon.RetrievedMarch 11,2019.
  13. ^"DGA Announces 1998 Nominees For Outstanding Directorial Achievement In Documentary And TV Categories Of Daytime Serials And Children's Programs",DGA.org, February 8, 1999. Retrieved January 4, 2009.
  14. ^Jerry Osborne,"Prominent albums make comeback",Evansville Courier & Press,January 1, 2007; retrieved January 7, 2009.
  15. ^Sharon Cantilon,"The Secret's Out: Chautauqua Institution's theater program is gaining national attention, thanks in part to actor Stuart Margolin",Buffalo News,June 22, 2008; retrieved January 4, 2009.
  16. ^Obituary,nytimes.com. Accessed December 14, 2022.
  17. ^REPORTER, Pamela Pritt REGISTER-HERALD (July 5, 2015)."Margolin Brothers to star in GVT production ofLaughter on the 23rd Floor".Beckley Register-Herald.RetrievedMarch 12,2019.
  18. ^"Janet Margolin, Film And TV Actress, 50",New York Times,December 18, 1993.
  19. ^"Benjamin Margolin",New York Times,July 29, 1982.
  20. ^"A Second Time Around with one of B.C.'s better angels, Stuart Margolin".Georgia Straight.March 22, 2017.RetrievedOctober 18,2020.
  21. ^Obituarynytimes.com. Accessed December 15, 2022.
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