starring in the movieThe Jerk, which he also cowrote.
By the 1980’s, Martin had a following comparable
to those of rock stars of the era. His entertainment
activities also broadened greatly, as he added to his
work as a stand-up comedian, writer, producer, and
television personality. Mainstream movies followed
in the 1980’s, as he played starring roles inPennies
from Heaven(1981), Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid
(1982),The Man with Two Brains(1983),The Lonely
Guy(1984),All of Me(1984),Movers and Shakers
(1985),¡Three Amigos!(1986),Little Shop of Horrors
(1986),Roxanne(1987),Planes, Trains, and Automo-
biles(1987),Dirty Rotten Scoundrels(1988), andPar-
enthood(1989). Martin also was a writer on many of
these films and served as the executive producer
ofRoxanneand¡Three Amigos!His acting career also
branched out from comedy withAll of Meand
Roxanne, and he won a Writers Guild of America
award for his contribution to the screenplay of
Roxanne.
Martin’s stand-up comedy also continued to at-
tract a strong following, as he was equally popular as
a guest on television and as a live stage performer.
He appeared as a frequent guest on shows such as
Saturday Night Live,The Tonight Show Starring Johnny
Carson,Late Night with David Letterman, and a wide
range of other television programs. He also released
an album in 1981 calledThe Steve Martin Brothers,in
which he performed comedy routines and demon-
strated his significant skill as a banjo player.
Impact Steve Martin’s films and comedy reached
people around the United States and the world. His
rise from a stand-up comedian to film in the 1980’s
carried him to recognition by his peers who in 2005
cited him as one of the top fifteen comedy acts in his-
tory. During the 1980’s, he began to expand beyond
simple comedy, building a platform for more serious
and complex endeavors as an actor and writer in
later decades.
Further Reading
Martin, Steve.Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life. New
York: Scribner, 2007.
Walker, Morris Wayne.Steve Martin: The Magic Years.
New York: S.P.I. Books, 2001.
Douglas A. PhillipsSee also Comedians; Film in the United States;
Television.Martin Luther King Day
Identification U.S. federal holiday
Date Established in 1986; celebrated each year
on the third Monday in January
In 1986, the United States established a federal holiday cele-
brating the life and achievements of the internationally re-
vered human rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr.
Following the assassination of Martin Luther King,
Jr., in April, 1968, Democratic representative John
Conyers of Michigan introduced legislation calling
for the establishment of a national holiday com-
memorating the civil rights leader’s life and achieve-
ments. Congress failed to act on Conyers’s bill, de-
spite the lobbying efforts of the Southern ChristianThe Eighties in America Martin Luther King Day 625
Steve Martin performs a parody of Michael Jackson’s “Billy Jean”
music video in January, 1984.(AP/Wide World Photos)