D'Urville Martin (February 11, 1939 – May 28, 1984) was an American actor in both film and television. He appeared in numerous 1970s movies in the blaxploitation genre. He also appeared in two unaired pilots of what would become All in the Family as Lionel Jefferson. Born in New York City, Martin began his career in the mid-1960s and soon appeared in prominent films such as Black Like Me, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, and Rosemary's Baby. Martin also directed films in his career, including Dolemite, starring Rudy Ray Moore.
Career Martin's first film role was as a speaking-line extra in Black Like Me (1964).D'Urville Martin filmography, d-urville-martin.fullmoviereview.com; accessed November 1, 2014. He then had small roles in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) (as Frankie, whose car is accidentally struck by Spencer Tracy's character Matt Drayton)IMDb synopsis of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, imdb.com; accessed November 1, 2014. and Rosemary's Baby (1968) (as Diego, the elevator operator).IMDB synopsis of Rosemary's Baby, imdb.com; accessed November 1, 2014.
Later movies of D'Urville Martin are of the blaxploitation genre, starting with The Legend of Nigger Charley in 1972 and continuing throughout the decade until he appeared in The Bear in 1983, a biopic about Bear Bryant. In The Legend of Nigger Charley, Martin played Toby, a fellow fugitive of the title character. He reprised his role in the film's two sequels: The Soul of Nigger Charley (1973) and Boss Nigger (1975).
He played Sonny in the film Hammer (1972), Reverend Rufus in Black Caesar (1973) and its sequel Hell Up in Harlem (also 1973), and the pimp in The Get-Man (a.k.a. Combat Cops) (1974).
Martin directed the 1975 Rudy Ray Moore movie Dolemite. In addition to directing the film, Martin plays the villain, Willie Green. The movie was followed by a sequel, The Human Tornado, in 1976; Martin did not direct the sequel. In the 2019 film about Moore and the making of Dolemite, Dolemite Is My Name, Martin is played by Wesley Snipes, and is portrayed as a reluctant participant in the film, with his role as director regularly usurped by Moore.
Personal life and death D'Urville Martin was born in New York City in 1939. He had a daughter, Debra, with his first wife, Frances L. Johnson. After their divorce, he married Lillian Ferguson in 1966 and had two more children. Martin died of a massive heart attack in Los Angeles in 1984 at the age of 45.
Legacy Directing Dolemite, Martin directed a film that proved to be a good example of the era's blaxploitation movies and to this day remains one of the most popular, still inspiring tributes and spoofs today such as Black Dynamite (2009). Cultural historian Todd Boyd finds that Rudy Ray Moore's depiction of Dolemite is linked to rappers like Snoop Dogg and The Notorious B.I.G., pointing out Moore came up with the pronunciation "Biotch!", which later became ubiquitous. Boyd notes the humor in Moore carrying himself off as a sex symbol "to bed the fine-ass women who can't keep their hands off him.”
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes1964 Black Like Me 1967 Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Frankie 1968 Rosemary's Baby Diego A Time to Sing Luke Harper 1970 Watermelon Man Bus Driver 1972 The Legend of Nigger Charley Toby The Final Comedown Billy Joe Ashley Hammer Sonny 1973 Black Caesar Reverend Rufus Book of Numbers Billy Bowlegs The Soul of Nigger Charley Toby Five on the Black Hand Side Booker T. Hell Up in Harlem Reverend Rufus 1974 The Get-Man The Pimp 1975 Boss Nigger Amos Sheba, Baby Pilot Dolemite Willie Green Also directed1976 Death Journey Detective Don Blind Rage Willie Black Black Samurai Uncredited1977 Disco 9000 Stuffman Also directed and produced1983 The Big Score Easy 1984 The Bear Billy Final film role
Television Year Title Role Notes1967 The Monkees The Champ Episode: "Monkees in the Ring"
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