To most audiences, Duncan Renaldo will always be identified as film and TV's "The Cisco Kid." However, this role occurred late in his career, which consisted of much more than just this western character. Not much is known about Renaldo's early life. In fact, his date and place of birth is still questioned. The usual given birth date is April 23, 1904. His birthplace has been generally stated as Spain--he has said that his first memories as a child were in Spain--although Romania and even New Jersey have been mentioned as well. An orphan, he never knew his actual parents and was never able to ascertain the exact date and place of his birth. He was raised and educated in various European countries and arrived in the US in the early 1920s as a stoker on a Brazilian coal ship. Entering the country on a 90-day seaman's permit, he stayed when his ship caught fire at the dock and burned to the waterline. A paltry existence as a portrait painter forced him to seek other work, and he somehow found his way into films as a producer of short features, which in turn led to on-camera work as an actor with MGM in 1928. The studio capitalized on his dashing Hispanic looks and initially typed him as a "Latin lover", but it didn't last long. In the early 1930s his career was interrupted when he was arrested and faced deportation due to his illegal immigrant status. The actor was eventually pardoned by President Franklin D. Roosevelt--his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, had bought one of Renaldo's paintings, looked into his case and persuaded her husband to pardon him. He returned to minor films for both Republic and Monogram, alternating as heroic sidekick and villain. He co-starred as one of the Three Mesquiteers in the revamped film series, and showed up regularly in 1930s and 1940s cliffhangers, including The Painted Stallion (1937), Jungle Menace (1937), Zorro Rides Again (1937), King of the Mounties (1942), Secret Service in Darkest Africa (1943) The Tiger Woman (1944). In 1945 he began the Cisco Kid film series and transferred the character successfully to TV in the early 1950s, with Leo Carrillo as faithful sidekick Pancho. Renaldo made the character clean-shaven and more of a do-gooder than the roguish bandit who actually was in the books. Renaldo retired soon after the series' demise and died years later at Goleta Valley Community Hospital in California of lung cancer in 1980.
To most audiences, Duncan Renaldo will always be identified as film and TV's "The Cisco Kid." However, this role occurred late in his career, which consisted of much more than just this western character. Not much is known about Renaldo's early life. In fact, his date and place of birth is still questioned. The usual given birth date is April 23, 1904. His birthplace has been generally stated as Spain--he has said that his first memories as a child were in Spain--although Romania and even New Jersey have been mentioned as well. An orphan, he never knew his actual parents and was never able to ascertain the exact date and place of his birth. He was raised and educated in various European countries and arrived in the US in the early 1920s as a stoker on a Brazilian coal ship. Entering the country on a 90-day seaman's permit, he stayed when his ship caught fire at the dock and burned to the waterline. A paltry existence as a portrait painter forced him to seek other work, and he somehow found his way into films as a producer of short features, which in turn led to on-camera work as an actor with MGM in 1928. The studio capitalized on his dashing Hispanic looks and initially typed him as a "Latin lover", but it didn't last long. In the early 1930s his career was interrupted when he was arrested and faced deportation due to his illegal immigrant status. The actor was eventually pardoned by President Franklin D. Roosevelt--his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, had bought one of Renaldo's paintings, looked into his case and persuaded her husband to pardon him. He returned to minor films for both Republic and Monogram, alternating as heroic sidekick and villain. He co-starred as one of the Three Mesquiteers in the revamped film series, and showed up regularly in 1930s and 1940s cliffhangers, including The Painted Stallion (1937), Jungle Menace (1937), Zorro Rides Again (1937), King of the Mounties (1942), Secret Service in Darkest Africa (1943) The Tiger Woman (1944). In 1945 he began the Cisco Kid film series and transferred the character successfully to TV in the early 1950s, with Leo Carrillo as faithful sidekick Pancho. Renaldo made the character clean-shaven and more of a do-gooder than the roguish bandit who actually was in the books. Renaldo retired soon after the series' demise and died years later at Goleta Valley Community Hospital in California of lung cancer in 1980.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0719121
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5314585
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Filmography (Movies)
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:10/01/1972
The Capture
Character:Carlos
Release Date:08/04/1950
The Girl from San Lorenzo
Character:The Cisco Kid
Release Date:24/02/1950
Satan's Cradle
Character:The Cisco Kid
Release Date:06/10/1949
The Daring Caballero
Character:The Cisco Kid
Release Date:13/06/1949
The Gay Amigo
Character:The Cisco Kid
Release Date:13/05/1949
The Valiant Hombre
Character:The Cisco Kid
Release Date:15/12/1948
Sword of the Avenger
Character:Fernando
Release Date:02/06/1948
Jungle Flight
Character:Police Captain Costa
Release Date:22/08/1947
Jungle Terror
Character:Armand Roget
Release Date:01/06/1946
South of the Rio Grande
Character:The Cisco Kid
Release Date:15/09/1945
In Old New Mexico
Character:The Cisco Kid
Release Date:15/05/1945
The Cisco Kid Returns
Character:The Cisco Kid
Release Date:16/02/1945
Sheriff of Sundown
Character:Chihuahua Ramírez
Release Date:07/11/1944
San Antonio Kid
Character:Johnny Bennett
Release Date:16/08/1944
The Tiger Woman
Character:José Delgado
Release Date:27/05/1944
Call of the South Seas
Character:Commissioner Charcot
Release Date:07/04/1944
The Fighting Seabees
Character:Construction Worker at Party
Release Date:27/01/1944
Hands Across the Border
Character:Juan Morales
Release Date:05/01/1944
Around the World
Character:Dragoman
Release Date:27/11/1943
Tiger Fangs
Character:Peter Jeremy
Release Date:10/09/1943
Secret Service In Darkest Africa
Character:Capt. Pierre LaSalle
Release Date:24/07/1943
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Character:Lt. Berrendo
Release Date:12/07/1943
Mission to Moscow
Character:Italian Reporter (uncredited)
Release Date:29/04/1943
Border Patrol
Character:Commandante
Release Date:02/04/1943
King of the Mounties
Character:Pierre (Ch. 1, 11-12)
Release Date:17/10/1942
A Yank in Libya
Character:Sheik David
Release Date:24/07/1942
Outlaws of the Desert
Character:Sheik Suleiman
Release Date:01/11/1941
Gauchos of El Dorado
Character:Gaucho / José Ojara
Release Date:24/10/1941
Down Mexico Way
Character:Juan
Release Date:15/10/1941
King of the Texas Rangers
Character:Lt. Pedro Garcia
Release Date:03/10/1941
Bad Men of Missouri
Character:Dan
Release Date:26/07/1941
South of Panama
Character:Captain of Police
Release Date:02/05/1941
Heroes of the Saddle
Character:Rico
Release Date:01/12/1940
Oklahoma Renegades
Character:Rico Rinaldo
Release Date:29/08/1940
Rocky Mountain Rangers
Character:Rico
Release Date:24/05/1940
Gaucho Serenade
Character:Gaucho Don José
Release Date:09/05/1940
Covered Wagon Days
Character:Rico Rinaldo
Release Date:22/04/1940
Pioneers of the West
Character:Rico
Release Date:12/03/1940
The Mad Empress
Character:Col. Miguel López
Release Date:16/12/1939
South of the Border
Character:Andreo Mendoza
Release Date:15/12/1939
Cowboys from Texas
Character:Rico Rinaldo
Release Date:29/11/1939
The Kansas Terrors
Character:Renaldo
Release Date:05/10/1939
Rough Riders' Round-up
Character:Alcalde Don Enriguez
Release Date:13/03/1939
The Lone Ranger Rides Again
Character:Juan Vasquez
Release Date:25/02/1939
Spawn of the North
Character:Ivan
Release Date:26/08/1938
Tropic Holiday
Character:Young Blood (uncredited)
Release Date:29/06/1938
Rose of the Rio Grande
Character:Sebastian
Release Date:15/03/1938
Zorro Rides Again
Character:Renaldo
Release Date:20/11/1937
Sky Racket
Character:Count Barksi
Release Date:01/10/1937
Jungle Menace
Character:Armand Roget
Release Date:01/09/1937
The Painted Stallion
Character:Zamorro
Release Date:05/06/1937
Mile a Minute Love
Character:Count Ribalto
Release Date:05/04/1937
Ten Laps to Go
Character:Eddie DeSylva
Release Date:05/12/1936
Two Minutes to Play
Character:Lew Ashley
Release Date:02/11/1936
Rebellion
Character:Ricardo Castillo
Release Date:27/10/1936
Lady Luck
Character:Tony Morelli
Release Date:13/09/1936
Special Agent K-7
Character:Tony Blank
Release Date:04/05/1936
Moonlight Murder
Character:Pedro
Release Date:27/03/1936
The Moth
Character:Don Pedro
Release Date:14/01/1934
Public Stenographer
Character:Henchman Orsini
Release Date:09/01/1934
Trapped in Tia Juana
Character:Lt. Kenneth Holbert / El Zorro
Release Date:14/08/1932
Trader Horn
Character:Peru
Release Date:03/02/1931
Pals of the Prairie
Character:Francisco Valencia
Release Date:01/07/1929
The Bridge of San Luis Rey
Character:Esteban
Release Date:30/03/1929
Clothes Make the Woman
Character:
Release Date:04/06/1928
Television Appearances
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