Lock Martin

Lock Martin
Born Joseph Lockard Martin Jr.
October 12, 1916
Died January 19, 1959 (aged 42)
Los Angeles County, California, USA
Years active 1944–1957
Height 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m)
Spouse(s) Ethel Mae Babcock
(7 June 1946 — his death)

Lock Martin (October 12, 1916 – January 19, 1959) was the stage name of American actor Joseph Lockard Martin, Jr. He is best remembered for playing the robot Gort in The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951).

He was from Pennsylvania and had a series of odd jobs before going into acting. He was working as a doorman at Grauman's Chinese Theater when he was hired for the role of Gort, although this was not his first acting job. He was reportedly 7 feet 7 inches tall (about 231 cm); however Robert Wise, director of The Day The Earth Stood Still, states his height was 7 feet 1 inch in the DVD commentary. His great height did not translate into strength and he had difficulty managing his robot suit. For scenes where he was supposed to physically lift Patricia Neal and Michael Rennie, they were either held up by wires, a hidden dolly or replaced with lightweight dummies.

He was also in The Incredible Shrinking Man as a giant, but his scenes were deleted. He was nicknamed "the Gentle Giant" as he liked reading stories to children and for a time had a local show devoted to that.

Martin was married to Ethel Babcock from 1946 until his death in 1959.

Filmography

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