Harry Martin (urologist)
| Harry Watson Martin | |
|---|---|
 Dr. Harry Martin and Louella Parsons | |
| Born |
16 Jan 1890 Redfield, South Dakota |
| Died |
24 June 1951 Los Angeles |
| Nationality | US |
| Occupation | Urologist |
| Spouse(s) |
Sylvia Breamer (1924-1928, divorced) Louella Parsons (m 1930-1951, his death) |
Harry Watson Martin (born 16 Jan 1890 in Redfield, South Dakota, died 24 June 1951, age 61, Los Angeles) was a urologist and third husband of Louella Parsons.
Early Years and Education
Harry Martin was the son of Watson Jesse Martin, a dentist, and Annie Amelia Moriarty. He was the younger of two brothers. His paternal grandfather, David D. Martin, was also a physician.[1][2] Harry Martin graduated from John Marshall High School, Chicago and received his M.D. from the University of Illinois, Chicago, June 4, 1912.[3] He served in the Army Medical Corps during World War I.[4]
Hollywood Physician
Martin moved to Los Angeles in 1919. He was a urologist [5] who specialized in the treatment of venereal disease. He became medical director of Twentieth Century Fox studios in 1937. He performed abortions and dispensed stimulant drugs to the actors, as needed, to keep them alert while films were being shot.[6]
Personal
In 1924 Martin married actress Sylvia Breamer. She divorced him in 1928, complaining that he failed to return home for meals and treated her with complete indifference.[7] Martin married gossip columnist Louella Parsons, January 4, 1930.[8] She called him “Docky.”
Martin’s heavy drinking was legendary. On one occasion he passed out on the floor at a party. When a guest pointed him out to Parsons, she replied, “Let Docky sleep. He has to operate in the morning.”[9]
Death
Martin died at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital of a tropical ailment contracted while he served in the South Pacific with the Army Medical Corps during the Second World War. He had been a hospital patient for several weeks, and had been in a coma for a few days. The cause of the persistent fever from which he died was never diagnosed, although he visited many noted clinics and consulted specialists. With him at his death were his wife and her daughter, Harriet Parsons, a motion-picture producer.[10] He is interred next to Louella Parsons at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California.[11]
Selected Publications
- Robert V. Day, M.D.; Harry W. Martin, M.D. Diverticula of the Urinary Bladder. Feature Observations. JAMA. 1925;84(4):268-272
- Harry W. Martin. Injuries of the Posterior Urethra. Cal West Med. Jan 1936; 44(1): 16–20.
- Harry W. Martin, M.D.; Rachel E. Arbuthnot, M.D. Spinal Anesthesia. A Review Of More Than Six Thousand Cases In The Los Angeles General Hospital, With Especial Consideration Of Genito-Urinary Operations. JAMA. 1926;87(21):1723-1725.
- Harry W. Martin. Ruptured Bladder—A Method of Diagnosis. Cal West Med. Apr 1932; 36(4): 230–232.
- Robert V. Day, M.D.; Harry W. Martin, M.D. Vesical Diverticulum. A Feature Study. JAMA. 1939;112(6):509-513.
- Robert V. Day and Harry W. Martin. Injuries to The Urinary Organs in Relation to Industrial Accidents. Cal West Med. Jul 1925; 23(7): 849–853.
- Harry W. Martin. Cysto-Urethroscopic Resection of the Prostate. Cal West Med. Feb 1932; 36(2): 76–79.
- Day, R. V., Martin, H. W., Kutzmann, A. A., & Kessler, E. E. (1938). Sex hormone therapy for prostatism. The American Journal of Surgery, 39(1), 100-103.
- Martin, Harry W. "The Treatment Of Bladder Neck Contracture Or Median Bar." The Journal of Urology (1930): 313.
References
- ↑ 1880 United States Federal Census for David D. Martin
- ↑ 1900 United States Federal Census for Harry Martin
- ↑ Annual Register. University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign campus) 1913 Page 527
- ↑ The alumni record of the University of Illinois, Chicago 1912, p 188
- ↑ IN MEMORIAM: Harry W. Martin, 1890-1951. "Transactions. American Urological Association. Western Section 18: 1951 pg 5-6". Trans West Sect Am Urol Assoc 18: 5–6. 1951. PMID 14922495.
- ↑ Ted Schwarz. Marilyn Revealed: The Ambitious Life of an American Icon. Taylor Trade Publishing. January 16, 2009 p 164
- ↑ Actress suing. San Jose News - Aug 20, 1928
- ↑ Louella Parsons engaged to wed. New York Times. 9 December 1929
- ↑ Samantha Barbas. The First Lady of Hollywood: A Biography of Louella Parsons. University of California Press. October 24, 2005. p132
- ↑ Dr. Martin is dead. Fox Film official. New York Times. June 25, 1951
- ↑ Harry Watson Martin on findagrave.com