Leopoldo Antonio Carrillo (; August 6, 1880 – September 10, 1961) was an American actor,

vaudevillian Vaudeville (; ) is a theatre, theatrical genre of variety show, variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comic ...

, political cartoonist, and conservationist. He was notable for playing Pancho in the television series ''

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 Maga ...

'' (1950–1956) and in several films.

Biography

Family roots

Leo Carillo with portrait of Antonio Carrillo

Leo Carrillo was a member of the Carrillo family of California, a prominent

Californio Californios (singular Californio) are Californians of Spaniards, Spanish descent, especially those descended from settlers of the 17th through 19th centuries before California was annexed by the United States. California's Spanish language in C ...

family, and traced his ancestry through California, Mexico, and Spain to the year 1260. His great-great grandfather José Raimundo Carrillo (1749–1809), was a soldier in the Spanish

Portolá expedition thumbnail, 250px, Point of San Francisco Bay Discovery The Portolá expedition was a Spanish voyage of exploration in 1769–1770 that was the first recorded European exploration of the interior of the present-day California. It was led by Gas ...

colonization of Las Californias, arriving in San Diego on July 1, 1769.

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

Friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders in the Catholic Church. There are also friars outside of the Catholic Church, such as within the Anglican Communion. The term, first used in the 12th or 13th century, distinguishes the mendi ...

Junípero Serra Saint Junípero Serra Ferrer (; ; November 24, 1713August 28, 1784), popularly known simply as Junipero Serra, was a Spanish Roman Catholic, Catholic priest and missionary of the Franciscan Order. He is credited with establishing the Francis ...

performed the marriage ceremony for Don Jose Raimundo and Tomasa Ignacia Lugo in 1781. His great-grandfather Carlos Antonio Carrillo (1783–1852) was governor of Alta California (1837–38). His great-uncle, José Antonio Carrillo, was a three-time mayor of Los Angeles and twice married to sisters of Governor

Pío Pico Don (honorific), Don Pío de Jesús Pico IV (May 5, 1801 – September 11, 1894) was a California politician, ranchero, and entrepreneur, famous for serving as the List of governors of California before 1850, last governor of Alta California und ...

. His paternal grandfather, Pedro Carrillo, who was educated in Boston, was a writer.

Early history

The family moved from San Diego to Los Angeles then to Santa Monica, where Carrillo's father Juan José Carrillo (1842–1916), served as the city's police chief and later the first mayor. His cousin was Broadway star William Gaxton (real name Arturo Antonio Gaxiola). Proud of his heritage, Carrillo wrote the book ''The California I Love'', published shortly before his death in 1961.

Career

A university graduate, Carrillo worked as a newspaper cartoonist for the ''San Francisco Examiner'', then turned to acting on Broadway. In Hollywood, he appeared in more than 90 films, often as a dialect specialist—although in real life, he had a baritone speaking voice without a trace of an accent. He usually used the dialect for comic effect, liberally salting his speech with malaprops: "My ears, they are para-loused!" or "Why you wanna put your dirty face in my horse's water? I got a healthy horse and you put Germans in the water!" When his screen character left any scene, Carrillo always exclaimed, "Let's went!" Signed drawing of Leo Carrillo by Manuel Rosenberg 1922

Signed drawing of Leo Carrillo by Manuel Rosenberg 1922

Portrait of Manuel Rosenberg by Leo Carrillo

Leo Carrillo could play sympathetic and villainous roles with equal skill. In 1951 he took the starring role in the feature film ''Pancho Villa Returns'', which was filmed in both English-dialogue and Spanish-dialogue versions. However, he is best remembered as Pancho, good-natured sidekick of ''

'', opposite Duncan Renaldo as Cisco. Renaldo and Carrillo were teamed for a series of feature films in 1949, and then for a syndicated television series that ran from 1950 until 1956. ''

'' was notable as the first TV series filmed in color. After ''The Cisco Kid'' ended production, Carrillo appeared in the episode "Rescue at Sea" of the syndicated military drama '' Men of Annapolis''.

Civic contributions

Carrillo was a preservationist and conservationist of long standing. When a film crew did location filming in

Hilo, Hawaii Hilo () is the largest settlement in and the county seat of Hawaii County, Hawaiʻi, United States, which encompasses the Island of Hawaiʻi, and is a census-designated place (CDP). The population was 44,186 according to the 2020 census. I ...

in 1933, the city named one of its stately banyan trees in Carrillo's honor; the "Leo Carrillo tree" still stands there today. Carrillo served on the California Beach and Parks commission for 18 years and played a key role in the state's acquisition of

Hearst Castle Hearst Castle, known formally as La Cuesta Encantada ( Spanish for "The Enchanted Hill"), is a historic estate in San Simeon, located on the Central Coast of California. Conceived by William Randolph Hearst, the publishing tycoon, and his arc ...

San Simeon San Simeon ( Spanish: ''San Simeón'', meaning "St. Simon") is an unincorporated community on the Pacific coast of San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Its position along State Route 1 is about halfway between Los Angeles and San ...

, Los Angeles Arboretum, and

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (, ''Help:Pronunciation respelling key, AN-zə bə-RAY-goh'') is a California State Park located within the Colorado Desert of Southern California, United States. Created in 1932, the park takes its name from 18th ...

. He eventually was made a goodwill ambassador by the California governor at the time. As a result of his service to California, west of Malibu, California on CA-1 Pacific Coast Highway, a 1.5-mile beach is named Leo Carrillo State Park in his honor. The City of Westminster, California named an elementary school for him. Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park, originally Rancho de los Kiotes, in Carlsbad, California, is a registered California Historical Site. Rancho Carrillo Trail, also in Carlsbad, is named for Leo Carrillo.Rancho Carrillo Trail
Retrieved 2012-03-30.

Political views

In the early days of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Carrillo advocated for the removal of all

Japanese Americans are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian Americans, Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 United States census, 2000 census, they have declined in ...

from the west coast. In a telegram to Congressman Leland Ford that received extensive coverage, Carrillo wrote:

I travel every week through a hundred miles of Japanese shacks on the way to my ranch, and it seems that every farmhouse is located on some strategic elevated point. Let's get them off the coast and into the interior. You know and I know the Japanese situation in California. The eastern people are not conscious of this menace. May I urge you in behalf of the safety of the people of California to start action at once.

Carrillo was a Republican. In

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free France, Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command First Army (France), French Army B, part of the Sixt ...

, for instance, he performed a "Wild West" act at the massive rally organized by

David O. Selznick David O. Selznick (born David Selznick; May 10, 1902June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive who produced ''Gone with the Wind (film), Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and ''Rebecca (1940 film), Rebecca'' (1 ...

in the

Los Angeles Coliseum The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (also known as the Los Angeles Coliseum or L.A. Coliseum) is a multi-purpose stadium in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. Conceived as a hallmark of civic pride, the Col ...

in support of the Dewey- Bricker ticket as well as Governor

Earl Warren Earl Warren (March 19, 1891 – July 9, 1974) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 30th governor of California from 1943 to 1953 and as the 14th Chief Justice of the United States from 1953 to 1969. The Warren Court presid ...

of California, who became Dewey's running mate in 1948 and later the

Chief Justice of the United States The chief justice of the United States is the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States and is the highest-ranking officer of the U.S. federal judiciary. Appointments Clause, Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution g ...

. The gathering drew 93,000, with

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American filmmaker and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of American cinema and the most co ...

as the master of ceremonies and with short speeches by

Hedda Hopper Elda Furry (May 2, 1885February 1, 1966), known professionally as Hedda Hopper, was an American gossip columnist and actress. At the height of her influence in the 1940s, more than 35 million people read her columns. A strong supporter of the Hous ...

and

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...

. Among the others in attendance were

Ann Sothern Ann Sothern (born Harriette Arlene Lake; January 22, 1909 – March 15, 2001) was an American actress who worked on stage, radio, film, and television, in a career that spanned nearly six decades. Sothern began her career in the late 1920s ...

Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...

Randolph Scott George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor, whose Hollywood career spanned from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in dramas, come ...

, Adolphe Menjou,

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, silent screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, ...

, Edward Arnold,

William Bendix William Bendix (January 14, 1906 – December 14, 1964) was an American film, radio, and television actor, known for his portrayals of rough, blue-collar characters. He gained significant recognition for his role in ''Wake Island'', for wh ...

, and

Walter Pidgeon Walter Davis Pidgeon (September 23, 1897 – September 25, 1984) was a Canadian-American actor. A major leading man during the Golden Age of Hollywood, known for his "portrayals of men who prove both sturdy and wise," Pidgeon earned two Academy ...

Personal life

In 1913, Carrillo married Edith Shakespeare Haeselbarth of Nyack, New York, whom he met backstage at the New York City theater where she had seen him perform. They remained together until her death in 1953. They lived in Los Alisos on Channel Road, in Santa Monica Canyon. The Carrillos had one child, a daughter, Marie Antoinette. They spent part of their time at their ranch in Carlsbad, California. Carrillo frequently permitted

Boy Scout A Scout, Boy Scout, Girl Scout or, in some countries, a Pathfinder is a participant in the Scout Movement, usually aged 10–18 years, who engage in learning scoutcraft and outdoor and other special interest activities. Some Scout organizatio ...

groups to camp on the grounds.

Death

Leo Carrillo died of cancer on September 10, 1961, at the age of 81, and is interred at Santa Monica's Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery.

Legacy

For his contributions to the film industry, Leo Carrillo has a motion pictures star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...

at 1635 Vine Street, and a second star at 1517 Vine Street for his work in television. The star inspired the name of the character Horatio Carillo in the

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

drama '' Narcos''.

Filmography

Notes

Footnotes

Citations

References

*
José Raimundo Carrillo (1749-1809)Leo Carrillo biography

title=Leo Carrillo The California I LoveBillboard, 24 Sep 1949
Page 47.
Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park

Rancho Carrillo Trail
*David M. Jordan, ''FDR, Dewey, and the Election of 1944'' (Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 2011), p. 231
Hollywood Star Walk Leo Carrillo

External links

* * * *
Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic ParkFriends of Carrillo RanchCommunity of Rancho Carrillo - Riverside CountyThe Colt Revolver in the American West—Leo Carrillo's Single Action Army
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carrillo, Leo 1880 births 1961 deaths American male film actors Hispanic and Latino American male actors History of Los Angeles Male actors from Los Angeles American people of Spanish descent American vaudeville performers Deaths from cancer in California American magazine cartoonists American humorists People from Freeport, New York Artists from California 20th-century American male actors Burials at Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery, Santa Monica California Republicans Western (genre) television actors Male Western (genre) film actors Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players Latino conservatism in the United States