Martyn was born in Shepherd's Bush, West London, the son of a concert tenor, and was the third of four children. His family would often spend summer holidays in Blackpool, a place that held vivid memories for Martyn, which he would later describe in his memoirs.
Tragedy struck the family in 1910 when Martyn's older brother, Alexander, passed away. This was followed by a significant change in Martyn's life in 1913 when he left school to take up a job in a linen drapers.
When World War I broke out in 1914, Martyn, eager to serve, lied about his age and tried to join up. Despite being caught twice, he eventually enlisted under age and was accepted into the army as a musician.
Martyn saw action and was wounded through the left knee, which led to him being sent home as a stretcher case. Confounding the doctor's prediction that he would never walk again, Martyn made a remarkable recovery and set his sights on a career on the stage.
He took on various theatre jobs until he received his big break and was accepted by the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in 1922. This company, which performed Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas, was the perfect fit for Martyn, and he quickly became understudy to the principal comedian, Henry Lytton.
When Lytton retired in 1934, Martyn took over the "comic baritone" parts, a role he would continue to perform with the company until 1939. During this time, he also appeared in the film version of "The Mikado" in 1939.
When World War II broke out, Martyn left the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and spent the war serving in an administrative role in the RAF. After the war, he rejoined the company in 1947 and left for good in 1951.
Martyn then began a new life in America, where he went on to have a successful theatre career, appearing in two films, "A Lovely Way to Die" (1969) and "The Iceman Cometh" as Cecil Lewis.
Despite being accident-prone, Martyn's life was marked by a series of mishaps, including the loss of his leg in a New York car elevator in 1959. While recovering in Knickerbocker Hospital, his friends clubbed together to buy him a prosthetic leg.
Martyn, ever the optimist, told journalists, "I'll dance on my new leg for you," and he did. Following his accident, he directed Groucho Marx in "The Mikado" for "The Bell Telephone Hour" and married his third wife, the opera singer, Yvonne Chauveau.
Throughout his life, Martyn juggled work as an actor, comedian, singer, writer, director, and musician, until his death in 1975.
