Trivia

Frequently co-starred with L.Q. Jones, who in real life was one of his closest friends.

Did an episode of the The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961) called "Baby Fat" in which he portrayed a playwright based on Tennessee Williams in 1965. Fifteen years later while hosting Saturday Night Live (1975), he admitted during the monologue that because of that part, many times he was actually mistaken for the famous playwright.

Cast alongside Paul Newman in The Silver Chalice (1954), Harper (1966), Cool Hand Luke (1967), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), Pocket Money (1972) and Slap Shot (1977).

Although he often played scruffy, low-life, violent, somewhat crazed villains, in real life he was an avid gardener and an aficionado of classical music.

In 1936, he won the National Junior Springboard Division Championship at age 17. He never won the adult championship, finishing second in 1944 and third in 1946. Although he barely missed making the 1948 Olympic Team, he did gain access to Hollywood by giving swimming lessons to Marion Davies at San Simeon and the children of Charles Chaplin. He was hired as a swimming extra in films between 1948-50, including The Damned Don't Cry (1950).

Bitten by a snake during filming of Sssssss (1973)

Once described the characters he played in westerns as "prairie scum".

Appeared in six movies with John Wayne: The Horse Soldiers (1959), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), McLintock! (1963), The Sons of Katie Elder (1965), True Grit (1969) and Rooster Cogburn (1975).

The name Strother is old Teutonic for "river".

During the 1950s and 1960s he was active in Arthur Kennedy's Stage Society, along with Gary Cooper, Akim Tamiroff, Jeff Corey, Tony Curtis, Mildred Dunnock, Anthony Quinn and Patricia Neal.

He has appeared in seven films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: The Asphalt Jungle (1950), A Star Is Born (1954), Kiss Me Deadly (1955), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), Cool Hand Luke (1967), The Wild Bunch (1969) and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969).

He collaborated with friend and filmmaker J.D. Feigelson on dialog in the screenplay for the cult film Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981). Feigelson was writing the film to star Strother, but before it could be set for production he passed away. Charles Durning replaced Martin in the lead role of Otis P. Hazelrigg. One of the memorable lines in the film was Martin's contribution: "He's thirty-three years old, Mrs. Ritter, he's physically mature".

In 1970, the First Annual Strother Martin Film Festival was held at Chico State College in Chico, CA.

Interred at Forest Lawn (Hollywood Hills), Los Angeles, CA, in the Court of Remembrance, #G62420.

The press dubbed him "The Andy Devine for the Age of Anxiety" and "A Gabby Hayes without Honor.".

Played a character named Stoner in two unrelated movies: Sssssss (1973) and Up in Smoke (1978).

Appeared in the three most-acclaimed westerns of 1969: The Wild Bunch (1969), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and True Grit (1969).

His manner of speaking, tone, etc., was imitated by Ken Curtis on Gunsmoke (1955). Curtis' style of acting before that role was very low-key. Martin had appeared in a handful of "Gunsmoke" episodes before Curtis got the role replacing Dennis Weaver.

He was a swimming instructor before becoming an actor and became well-known in Hollywood by teaching the children of film stars, executives, etc., how to swim. From that, he became an uncredited technical adviser on various film featuring the swimming star Esther Williams, and small acting roles followed.

Interviewed in "Bad at the Bijou" by William R. Horner (McFarland, 1982).

Served in the US Navy from 1942-46, according to the site Navy.weservedtogether. He was stationed in San Diego, CA, at the HQ of the Recruit Training Command (RTC) as cadre/facility staff. His rating was SP(A), an athletic instructor (someone has to teach sailors how to swim). His highest rank was Petty Officer Third Class. He was awarded the American Campaign and WWII Victory medals.

No relation to Dewey Martin although erroneously claimed as such in some sources.