Dick Martin (comedian) was an immediate hit, becoming the #1 American television program within two months of its debut. It was the top-rated show in its second and third seasons. "Laugh-In" had a kaleidoscopic format, with what was then a uniquely fast-paced stream-of-consciousness style of blackout gags, double entendre, topical satire and catchphrases, much of it delivered by a cast of then-unknowns such as Goldie Hawn, Lily Tomlin, and Arte Johnson. At the center of the maelstrom stood the veterans Rowan and Martin, who bemusedly made no effort to slow down the program. Martin later said, "We designed it so that we are
Dan Rowan recorded under civilian reigstration N537BR, from which he shot down two Japanese aircraft before he was downed in another P-40 and seriously wounded over New Guinea. His military decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal, and the Purple Heart. After his discharge, Rowan returned to California, where he teamed up with Dick Martin and started a comedy nightclub act. The team had appeared on television before, but it was not until the critical success of a summer special in 1967 that they found fame on "Laugh-In". Rowan later appeared with Dick Martin on the