Handsome, clean-cut Marty Milner is what might be termed a perfect example of the new look in leading men--that is, bright-eyed and talented without the obvious irregularities and eccentricities that have characterized the young actors of the past few years. Despite his youth, Marty is a screen veteran, but his role in "Marjorie Morningstar," the Morton Sperling production for Warner Bros., is certainly the most important of his career. He enacts Wally, the ever-faithful playwright friend of Marjorie (Natalie Wood).
Last year was a milestone in Marty's life. He was cast in an important role in "The Sweet Smell of Success," was contracted by Hecht-Hill-Lancaster, won the "Marjorie Morningstar" assignment, and married Judy Jones, a pretty brunette who works in American television.
Marty is the son of the late Sam Milner, a film distributor for Universal-International. His mother is the former Jerry Martin, who was once a dancer. He was born in Detroit, Michigan, on December 28, 1931, and he is an only child. His father died in 1951, and his mother remarried three years later.
Six months after his birth, the Milners moved from Detroit to San Francisco and then to Seattle. Marty attended grade school in Seattle and, when he was ten years old, he started acting in children's plays at the Cornish Playhouse there. When Marty was 14 the Milners settled in Hollywood. By then it was generally accepted that he was to be an actor. he trained with an acting coach and his parents found an agent to represent their son at the studios.
His first important screen role was as John Day, the second oldest son in "Life With Father," the Irene Dunne-William Powell starrer. Scarcely more than a week after the completion of the film, Marty was struck down with polio. He had a complete recovery but the period of recuperation required months of idleness.
Once he regained his health Marty sought and found futher Hollywood roles. In all, he acted in 17 motion pictures before he was drafted into the Army in 1952, where he served two years.
Among his pictures are "Wreck of the Hesperus," "The Green Promise," "Sands of Iwo Jima," "Our Very Own," "Louisa," "Halls of Montezuma," "Operation Pacific," "Captive City", "Last of the Comanches," "Springfield Rifle," "Belles on Their Toes," "Destination Gobi," "Battle Zone," "Pete Kelly's Blues," "Francis Joins the Navy," "Threshold of Space," "Pillars of the Sky," "Man Afraid," and "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral."
With all his professional activity, Marty admits his schooling frequently occupied secondary place. He attended North Hollywood High and went for one year to the University of California but left in 1950 to concentrate on his career.
Marty can juggle, tap dance and throw knives. He is a fan of Dixieland jazz, but at the same time he says he dislikes noise of any kind, and particularly "noisy people." His hobby is bookbinding, and he specializes in many sports, particularly golf.
He works out three times weekly at the Hollywood Athletic Club and is a keen advocate of the steam bath. Marty likes classical music--especially the works of Ravel, Tschaikowsky and Borodin, and also enjoys the singing of Frank Sinatra and June Christy. He goes to the ballet, but not opera. He is a Methodist, and attends church every Sunday. The actors he most admires are Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, David Wayne and Paul Muni, and it is his ambition to play a comedy with Roasalind Russell and Cary Grant.
Marty, who has green eyes, blond-red hair and lost of freckles, is a scrabble and crossword-puzzle enthusiast, drives an Austin-Healey, follows politics, reads the daily paper from column to column, and loves buying clothes--particularly sports clothes.
Marty describes himself as very "systematic" and says: "I don't know how many room-mates I've driven to distraction because I'm neat to the point of sickness."