Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In producer mollified him, but had announcer Gary Owens read Johnson's credit as a separate sentence: "Starring Dan Rowan and Dick Martin! And Arte Johnson! With Ruth Buzzi ..." This maneuver gave Johnson star billing, but made it sound like he was still part of the ensemble cast. Johnson left the show after the 1970–71 season. Henry Gibson also departed after the 1970–71 season. Johnson and he were replaced by former "Hogan's Heroes" stars Richard Dawson and Larry Hovis, both of whom had appeared occasionally in the first season. However, the loss of Johnson's many popular characters caused ratings to drop
Martin S. Vilas Martin S. Vilas Martin S. Vilas (March 1, 1870 – November 19, 1953) was a Vermont lawyer, politician and author who served as President of the Vermont State Senate. Martin Samuel Vilas was born in Colchester, Vermont on March 1, 1870. He graduated from the University of Vermont in 1894, studied at Harvard University, and received a master of arts degree from the University of Vermont in 1899. Vilas taught school and served as a school principal while studying law, and attained admission to the bar in 1902. He practiced in Burlington until 1912, when he relocated to the west