Martin Kingsley, a successful supporting actor, had a relatively short career spanning from 1947 to 1957. Born Martin Kornhauser on December 14, 1925, in Brooklyn, New York, he was the firstborn son of Harry A. Kornhauser, a native of Hungary, and Sadye R. Weiss Kornhauser.
Martin was raised in Brooklyn and had one sister, Edna, who was perhaps six years his junior. He entered the U.S. Army in early 1944 and served in the Third Army Headquarters in France during the closing days of World War II. While on active duty, Martin volunteered for an acting role, playing the gangster Trock, in the overseas G.I. production of 'Winterset,' directed by Guthrie McClintic.
After the war, Martin began his professional acting career on Broadway, playing the part of Dercetas (and later Menas) in the production of 'Antony and Cleopatra' (1947) directed by McClintic, alongside Katharine Cornell. He then played the part of Kurtz in the Broadway production of 'Red Gloves' (1948) with Charles Boyer.
For the next seven years, Martin appeared in more than 200 live New York television productions, including episodes of 'Suspense,' 'Police Story,' 'Robert Montgomery Presents,' 'Cosmopolitan Theater,' 'Colgate Theater,' 'Philco Studio One,' 'Campbell Soundstage,' and 'Broadway Television Theater.' He also starred as Erwin Trowbridge in the episode 'Three Men on a Horse' (1952).
Martin also toured with summer and winter stock stage productions, playing roles opposite well-known stage, TV, and screen actors of the era, including José Ferrer, Mary Anderson, Brian Aherne, Peggy Ann Garner, Paula Laurence, Buff Cobb, Buster Keaton, Signe Hasso, Shelley Winters, Sam Levene, Sylvia Sidney, Diana Barrymore, Ann Thomas, Orson Bean, Vincent Price, Maureen Stapleton, and Ruth Hussey.
In 1953, Martin received second billing in his first known film, 'No Room' (1953),alongside James Dean. In 1956, he appeared in the films 'Gunslinger' (1956) with John Ireland, 'The Oklahoma Woman' (1956) with Richard Denning, Mike Connors, and Peggie Castle, as well as two television episodes, '20-20' (1956) with James Arness and Dennis Weaver, and 'Press Photographer' (1956).
However, Martin's acting career was cut short when his father in Brooklyn developed serious medical problems, requiring Martin's return to his parent's home and takeover of the family business, 'Edmark Gowns - Makers of Kornhauser Originals,' a successful high-end fashion line marketed nationwide.
Martin abandoned his acting career and spent the next sixteen years traveling the country, selling Edmark Gowns from his homes in New York and New Jersey. He eventually sold or closed the business, sold his home in Montclair, New Jersey, and relocated to Claremont, California, where he lived alone after separating from his wife, Polly, and their daughter, Claudia.
As of August 11, 2010, nothing is known of Martin's TV and film career beyond 1956. Martin died on September 30, 1997, at the age of 71, in Montclair, California.
