He came to stardom in the 1970s and sometimes seems to have aged barely a day. Yet Steve Martin has progressed from presumably flash-in-the-pan stand up comedian to one-note actor to a multifaceted, highly respected performer and show business icon. Cinema Retro's Mark Mawston was invited to photograph Martin during his recent appearance at the Royal Festival Hall in London, where his
shtick wasn't comedy, but banjo playing. Although Martin sometimes uses a banjo as a prop, a la Jack Benny's violin, he is one of the most respected banjo players around and has earned the respect of professional musicians for master the difficult clawhammer method of playing.Â