Chris-Pin Martin (born Ysabel Ponciana Chris-Pin Martin Paiz, November 19, 1893 – June 27, 1953) was an American character actor whose specialty lay in portraying comical

Mexicans Mexicans ( es, mexicanos) are the citizens of the United Mexican States. The most spoken language by Mexicans is Spanish, but some may also speak languages from 68 different Indigenous linguistic groups and other languages brought to Mexi ...

, particularly sidekicks in '' The Cisco Kid'' film series. He acted in over 100 films between 1925 and 1953, including over 50 westerns.

Biography

Martin was born in

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive ...

. His roles were as a bumbling or slow comedic character who spoke in broken English. His most remembered western film role was in nine of the ''

Cisco Kid The Cisco Kid is a fictional character found in numerous film, radio, television and comic book series based on the fictional Western character created by O. Henry in his 1907 short story "The Caballero's Way", published in ''Everybody's Magaz ...

'' films playing the Kid's sidekicks Gordito and in the later films Pancho. He also appeared in the

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

classic ''

Stagecoach A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...

'' (1939) with John Wayne. He was credited in his films by other names, including Chrispin Martin, Chris King Martin, Chris Martin, Cris-Pin Martin, and Ethier Crispin Martini. Martin was adept in both drama and comedy, in films like the melodramatic '' The Ox-Bow Incident'' (1943) as "Poncho" the Mexican who reluctantly becomes a part of a lynch mob and a contrite confessor. In '' A Millionaire for Christy'' (1951) Martin plays a brief but memorable role as "Manolo", a Mexican who knows no English.

Death

Less than five months before his 60th birthday, Martin died of a heart attack while addressing a

Moose lodge The Loyal Order of Moose is a fraternal and service organization founded in 1888 and headquartered in Mooseheart, Illinois. Moose International supports the operation of Mooseheart Child City & School, a community for children and teens ...

meeting in the

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

suburb of Montebello. He is buried at the Odd Fellows Cemetery on Whittier Blvd, in

East Los Angeles East Los Angeles ( es, Este de Los Ángeles), or East L.A., is an unincorporated area in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 118,786, a drop of 6.1% from 2010, when it was 126,496. For statistical purpo ...

.Photo of Martin's grave
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Selected filmography

*'' The Lost World'' (1925) - (scenes deleted) *'' The Gold Rush'' (1925) - Man in Dance Hall (uncredited) *'' Border Vengeance'' (1925) - Bartender (uncredited) *'' Lord Jim'' (1925) - One of Brown's Crewmen (uncredited) *''

Cactus Trails ''Cactus Trails'' is a lost 1927 American silent Western film directed by Scott Pembroke and starring Bob Custer. It was produced by Custer and Joseph P. Kennedy and distributed through Film Booking Offices of America. Cast * Bob Custer ...

'' (1925) - Bartender (uncredited) *'' The Temptress'' (1926) - Argentine Ranch Hand (uncredited) *'' The Night of Love'' (1927) - Gypsy (uncredited) *'' The Gaucho'' (1927) - Minor Role (uncredited) *'' In Old Arizona'' (1928) *'' The Crowd'' (1928) - Worker in Hallway (uncredited) *'' Across to Singapore'' (1928) - Sailor from the Santa Rosa (uncredited) *''

The Rescue ''The Rescue'' may refer to: Art * ''The Rescue'' (painting), an 1855 painting by John Everett Millais * ''The Rescue'' (statue), a marble sculpture group (1837–50) by Horatio Greenough Film and television * " Chapter 16: The Rescue", 202 ...

'' (1929) - Tenga *'' Where East Is East'' (1929) - Native Hunter (uncredited) *''

Condemned Condemned or The Condemned may refer to: Legal * Persons awaiting execution * A condemned property, or condemned building, by a local authority, usually for public health or safety reasons * A condemned property seized by power of eminent domain ...

'' (1929) - Monkey Seller (uncredited) *''

Under a Texas Moon ''Under A Texas Moon'' is a 1930 American pre-Code musical Western film photographed entirely in Technicolor. It was based on the novel ''Two-Gun Man'' (from 1929) which was written by Stewart Edward White. It was the second all-color, all-ta ...

'' (1930) - Pancho (uncredited) *'' The Fighting Legion'' (1930) - Henchman (uncredited) *'' The Big House'' (1930) - Inmate (uncredited) * ''

Wings of Adventure ''Wings of Adventure'' is a 1930 American action adventure film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Rex Lease, Armida and Clyde Cook. Fetrow p.753 It was produced and distributed by Tiffany Pictures. Cast * Rex Lease as Dave Kent * Armi ...

'' (1930) - Lopez (uncredited) *''

Billy the Kid Billy the Kid (born Henry McCarty; September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), also known by the pseudonym William H. Bonney, was an outlaw and gunfighter of the American Old West, who killed eight men before he was shot and killed at t ...

'' (1930) - Don Esteban Santiago *'' The Lash'' (1930) - Caballero (uncredited) *'' Strangers May Kiss'' (1931) - Mexican (uncredited) *''

Transgression Transgression may refer to: Legal, religious and social *Sin, a violation of God's Ten Commandments or other elements of God's moral law *Crime, legal transgression, usually created by a violation of social or economic boundary **In civil law ju ...

'' (1931) - Eduardo, the Mail Carrier (uncredited) *''

Nuit d'Espagne ''Spanish Nights'' (French:''Nuit d'Espagne'') is a 1931 American Pre-Code drama film directed by Henri de la Falaise and starring Jeanne Helbling, Rose Dione and Geymond Vital.Waldman & Slide, p. 133 It is the French-language version of '' Tran ...

'' (1931) - (uncredited) *'' The Squaw Man'' (1931) - Spanish Pete - Hawkins' Henchman *''

Lasca of the Rio Grande ''Lasca of the Rio Grande'' is a 1931 American pre-Code film based on the poem "Lasca" by Frank Desprez. Dorothy Burgess stars in the title role of Rio Grande dance hall girl Lasca who becomes involved in a love triangle between herself, her ...

'' (1931) - (uncredited) *'' The Cisco Kid'' (1931) - Gordito *'' Safe in Hell'' (1931) - Jury Member (uncredited) * '' South of Santa Fe'' (1932) - Pedro *'' Girl of the Rio'' (1932) - (uncredited) *'' Girl Crazy'' (1932) - Pete *'' The Broken Wing'' (1932) - Mexican Husband *'' Destry Rides Again'' (1932) - Lopez (uncredited) *'' The Stoker'' (1932) - Chief of Police *'' Winner Take All'' (1932) - Pice's Manager in Tijuana (uncredited) *'' The Painted Woman'' (1932) - Francois Marquette aka Frenchy *'' Flaming Gold'' (1932) - Chris - Oil Well Foreman (uncredited) *'' Outlaw Justice'' (1932) - El Diablo *'' The Mask of Fu Manchu'' (1932) - Potentate (uncredited) *'' Terror Trail'' (1933) - Jose (uncredited) *''

The California Trail ''The California Trail'' is a 1933 American pre-Code Western film directed by Lambert Hillyer starring Buck Jones, Helen Mack and Luis Alberni. Cast * Buck Jones as Santa Fe Stewart (as Charles 'Buck' Jones) * Helen Mack as Dolores Ramirez * L ...

'' (1933) - Pancho *''

Central Airport Central Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located in Central, in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. Commercial service is subsidized by the Essential Air Service program. As per Federal Aviation Administration ...

'' (1933) - Havana Air Port worker (uncredited) *'' I Loved You Wednesday'' (1933) - Chris - the Waiter (uncredited) *'' The Man from Monterey'' (1933) - Manuel (uncredited) *'' The Last Trail'' (1933) - Mexican Officer (uncredited) *'' Four Frightened People'' (1934) - Native Boatman *'' Heat Lightning'' (1934) - Mexican Husband with Family (uncredited) *'' Lazy River'' (1934) - Raoul (uncredited) *'' Viva Villa!'' (1934) - Peón (scenes deleted) *'' Rawhide Mail'' (1934) - Pedro Esteban *''

Grand Canary Gran Canaria (, ; ), also Grand Canary Island, is the third-largest and second-most-populous island of the Canary Islands, an archipelago off the Atlantic coast of Northwest Africa which is part of Spain. the island had a population of that ...

'' (1934) - Henchman (uncredited) *'' La Cucaracha'' (1934, Short) - Chiquita's Fan in Cafe (uncredited) *'' Chained'' (1934) - Peón (uncredited) *'' Marie Galante'' (1934) - Furniture Dealer (uncredited) *'' The Marines Are Coming'' (1934) - Carlos, Aide to the Torch (uncredited) *'' The Cactus Kid'' (1935) - Gambler (uncredited) *'' Bordertown'' (1935) - José (uncredited) *'' In Caliente'' (1935) - Mariachi (uncredited) *'' Under the Pampas Moon'' (1935) - Pietro *'' Red Salute'' (1935) - Men's Room Attendant (uncredited) *''

Hi, Gaucho! ''Hi, Gaucho!'' was a 1935 American comedy film directed by Tommy Atkins (who also wrote the story), from a screenplay by Adele Buffington. Released by RKO Radio Pictures on October 11, 1935, the film stars John Carroll (in his first credited rol ...

'' (1935) - Marco (uncredited) *'' Escape from Devil's Island'' (1935) - Goat Herder (uncredited) *'' Coronado'' (1935) - Mexican (uncredited) *'' Captain Blood'' (1935) - Sentry (uncredited) *'' The Border Patrolman'' (1936) - Mexican Giving Directions (uncredited) *''

The Gay Desperado ''The Gay Desperado'' is a 1936 comedy film starring Ida Lupino, Leo Carrillo, and Nino Martini and directed by Rouben Mamoulian, produced by Mary Pickford, and originally released by United Artists. The film was restored by the UCLA Film ...

'' (1936) - Pancho *''A Tenderfoot Goes West'' (1936) - Pedro *'' The Bold Caballero'' (1936) - Hangman *'' When You're in Love'' (1937) - Servant (uncredited) *'' Swing High, Swing Low'' (1937) - Sleepy Servant (uncredited) *''

Under Strange Flags ''Under Strange Flags'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by I. V. Willat and starring Tom Keene, Luana Walters, and Maurice Black. It was released on August 16, 1937. During production, it was also titled ''South of Sonora'' and ''Beyond ...

'' (1937) - Lopez *'' A Star Is Born'' (1937) - José Rodriguez (uncredited) *'' Boots and Saddles'' (1937) - Juan *'' The Hurricane'' (1937) - Sailor (uncredited) *'' Zorro Rides Again'' (1937, Serial) - Pedro - Wagon Driver

h. 1 H is the eighth letter of the Latin alphabet. H may also refer to: Musical symbols * H number, Harry Halbreich reference mechanism for music by Honegger and Martinů * H, B (musical note) * H, B major People * H. (noble) (died after 1279 ...

(uncredited) *'' Wallaby Jim of the Islands'' (1937) - Mike *'' Born to Be Wild'' (1938) - Garcia (uncredited) *'' Four Men and a Prayer'' (1938) - Sergeant in Marlanda (uncredited) *''

Blockade A blockade is the act of actively preventing a country or region from receiving or sending out food, supplies, weapons, or communications, and sometimes people, by military force. A blockade differs from an embargo or sanction, which ar ...

'' (1938) - Cantina Patron (uncredited) *'' Tropic Holiday'' (1938) - Pancho *'' I'm From the City'' (1938) - Mexican Ranch Hand (uncredited) *'' The Texans'' (1938) - Juan Rodriguez (uncredited) *'' Billy the Kid Returns'' (1938) - Desk Clerk (uncredited) *'' Too Hot to Handle'' (1938) - Pedro (uncredited) *''

The Renegade Ranger ''The Renegade Ranger'' is a 1938 American Western film directed by David Howard. It was the first film Tim Holt made for RKO, for whom he would be one of the studio's biggest stars.Richard Jewell & Vernon Harbin, ''The RKO Story.'' New Rochel ...

'' (1938) - Felipe (uncredited) *'' Flirting with Fate'' (1938) - Solado *''

'' (1939) - Chris, innkeeper (uncredited) *'' Rough Riders' Round-up'' (1939) - Ramon (uncredited) *'' Frontier Pony Express'' (1939) - Deer Lodge Station Agent (uncredited) *'' The Return of the Cisco Kid'' (1939) - Gordito *'' Man of Conquest'' (1939) - Massacre Survivor (uncredited) *'' Code of the Secret Service'' (1939) - Mexican Pottery Proprietor (uncredited) *'' The Girl and the Gambler'' (1939) - Pasqual *'' Frontier Marshal'' (1939) - Pete *'' The Fighting Gringo'' (1939) - Felipe - Barber *'' Espionage Agent'' (1939) - Tunisian Guard (uncredited) *'' Rio'' (1939) - Roberto's Ranch Foreman (uncredited) *''

The Llano Kid ''The Llano Kid'' is a 1939 Western film starring Tito Guízar in the title role of Enrique Ibarra/the Llano Kid. Released on December 8, 1939, it was a remake of Gary Cooper's 1930 film '' The Texan''. ''The Llano Kid'' was directed by Edwar ...

'' (1939) - Sixto *''

The Cisco Kid and the Lady ''The Cisco Kid and the Lady'' is a 1939 American Western film starring Cesar Romero as the Cisco Kid, replacing Warner Baxter, who'd won the Academy Award for the role, and is the fifth film in The Cisco Kid series. For Cesar Romero, this was t ...

'' (1939) - Gordito *''

Charlie Chan in Panama ''Charlie Chan in Panama'' is a 1940 mystery film starring Sidney Toler. It is an unaccredited remake of Jacques Deval's novel "Marie Galante", produced by 20th Century Fox in 1934, directed by Henry King. Plot Charlie Chan must stop a spy from ...

'' (1940) - Sergeant Montero *'' Viva Cisco Kid'' (1940) - Gordito *'' Lucky Cisco Kid'' (1940) - Gordito *'' The Gay Caballero'' (1940) - Gordito *''

Down Argentine Way ''Down Argentine Way'' is a 1940 American musical film made in Technicolor by Twentieth Century Fox. It made a star of Betty Grable in her first leading role for the studio although she had already appeared in 31 films, and it introduced American ...

'' (1940) - Esteban *'' Mark of Zorro'' (1940) - Turnkey *'' Charter Pilot'' (1940) - Captain of Police (uncredited) *'' Romance of the Rio Grande'' (1940) - Gordito *'' The Bad Man'' (1941) - Pedro *'' Ride on Vaquero'' (1941) - Gordito *'' Week-End in Havana'' (1941) - Driver *'' Tombstone, the Town Too Tough to Die'' (1942) - Chris *'' Undercover Man'' (1942) - Miguel *'' American Empire'' (1942) - Augustin- Beauchard Henchman *'' The Ox-Bow Incident'' (1943) - Poncho *''

The Sultan's Daughter ''The Sultan's Daughter'' is a 1943 American comedy film directed by Arthur Dreifuss and written by Milton Raison and Tim Ryan. The film stars Ann Corio, Charles Butterworth, Tim Ryan, Irene Ryan, Edward Norris and Fortunio Bonanova. The film w ...

'' (1943) - Merchant *'' Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves'' (1944) - Fat Thief *'' Tampico'' (1944) - Waiter at Wedding Party (uncredited) *'' Along Came Jones'' (1944) - Store Proprietor (uncredited) *''

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

'' (1945) - Jaime Rosas (uncredited) *'' The Gay Cavalier'' (1946) *'' Perilous Holiday'' (1946) - Store Proprietor (uncredited) *'' Suspense'' (1946) - Mexican Waiter (uncredited) *'' Holiday in Mexico'' (1946) - (uncredited) *'' Gallant Journey'' (1946) - Pedro Lopez (uncredited) *'' The Lone Wolf in Mexico'' (1947) - Cab Driver (uncredited) *''

The Beginning or the End ''The Beginning or the End'' is a 1947 American docudrama film about the development of the atomic bomb in World War II, directed by Norman Taurog, starring Brian Donlevy, Robert Walker, and Tom Drake, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Th ...

'' (1947) - Mexican Man (uncredited) *'' The Secret Life of Walter Mitty'' (1947) - Waiter (uncredited) *'' Robin Hood of Monterey'' (1947) - Pancho *'' King of the Bandits'' (1947) - Pancho *'' The Fugitive'' (1947) - An Organ-Grinder *'' Pirates of Monterey'' (1947) - Caretta Man (uncredited) *'' Captain from Castile'' (1947) - Sancho Lopez (uncredited) *'' Old Los Angeles'' (1948) - Waiter (uncredited) *''

The Return of Wildfire ''The Return of Wildfire'', also known as Black Stallion, is a 1948 American Western film directed by Ray Taylor (director) and starring Richard Arlen. Plot Pop Marlowe owns a horse ranch and his daughters help maintain it. Judy Marlow runs th ...

'' (1948) - Pancho *'' Blood on the Moon'' (1948) - Commisary Bartender (uncredited) *'' Belle Starr's Daughter'' (1948) - Spanish George *'' Mexican Hayride'' (1948) - Mariachi Leader *'' Rimfire'' (1949) - Chico *'' The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend'' (1949) - Joe *'' Borderline'' (1950) - Pepe - Hotel Clerk (uncredited) *'' The Arizona Cowboy'' (1950) - Café Owner Pedro *''

The Lady from Texas ''The Lady from Texas'' is a 1951 American comedy Western film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Howard Duff, Mona Freeman and Josephine Hull. Plot A ranch cook and a cowboy save a poor old Civil War widow from a land grabber in the Old W ...

'' (1951) - José *'' A Millionaire for Christy'' (1951) - Manolo, Fat Mexican *'' Ride the Man Down'' (1952) - Chris *'' San Antone'' (1953) - Ramon, Vaquero (uncredited) *'' Mesa of Lost Women'' (1953) - Pepe (final film role)

References

External links

* * 1893 births 1953 deaths American male film actors American male actors of Mexican descent Male actors from Tucson, Arizona 20th-century American male actors Male Western (genre) film actors {{US-film-actor-1890s-stub