Pancho
Pancho’s pairing with the Cisco Kid was something of a late arrival. The character we know as the Cisco Kid is based on an O. Henry short story The Caballero’s Way. He starts out as an outlaw killer without a sidekick. Short of being Hispanic, any resemblance to the Cisco we know ends there. Hollywood picked up the character for a 1914 silent film and turned him into a good guy. There is a controversy over who played the original part.
Cisco sidekicks first turn up in a 1939 film, The Return of the Cisco Kid, starring Warner Baxter with Cesar Romero as one sidekick “Lopez” and Chris-Pin Martin as “Gordito” (Fatty) the other. Romero later took over the Cisco role paired with Martin’s Gordito. They did six films before WW II interrupted.
In 1945 Monogram brought Cisco back in The Cisco Kid Returns with Duncan Renaldo and introduced “Pancho” played by Martin Garralaga. Some speculate the name may have its roots in the revolutionary bandit, Francisco Pancho Villa. “Cisco” is a diminutive sometimes given to the Hispanic name Francisco. Who better than to pair with a Cisco than a “Pancho”. Renaldo took a break; but returned to the Kid role in the late forties at age 46. He was paired with Leo Carrillo cast as the Pancho we came to know. They made five films with Cisco clad in what became the character’s signature fancy black duds in the last.
The Cisco Kid and Pancho rode our TV screens for 156 episodes from 1950 – 1956. It must have been the black suit or maybe Diablo, the black and white overo paint Cisco rode; because with all that going for it the TV series was the first to be shot in color. Leo Carrillo became the iconic sidekick we know as Pancho at the age of 70. I guess there’s hope for some of us yet. He rode a beautiful palomino horse named Loco when star quality mounts typically belonged to the sidekick’s hero.
Carrillo’s family roots ran deep in eighteenth century old Spanish California. He wed Edith Haeselbarth in 1913. They had one daughter and remained together until her death in 1953. Carrillo died of cancer in 1961 at age 81. He has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for film and one for TV.
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Paul
Cisco sidekicks first turn up in a 1939 film, The Return of the Cisco Kid, starring Warner Baxter with Cesar Romero as one sidekick “Lopez” and Chris-Pin Martin as “Gordito” (Fatty) the other. Romero later took over the Cisco role paired with Martin’s Gordito. They did six films before WW II interrupted.
In 1945 Monogram brought Cisco back in The Cisco Kid Returns with Duncan Renaldo and introduced “Pancho” played by Martin Garralaga. Some speculate the name may have its roots in the revolutionary bandit, Francisco Pancho Villa. “Cisco” is a diminutive sometimes given to the Hispanic name Francisco. Who better than to pair with a Cisco than a “Pancho”. Renaldo took a break; but returned to the Kid role in the late forties at age 46. He was paired with Leo Carrillo cast as the Pancho we came to know. They made five films with Cisco clad in what became the character’s signature fancy black duds in the last.
The Cisco Kid and Pancho rode our TV screens for 156 episodes from 1950 – 1956. It must have been the black suit or maybe Diablo, the black and white overo paint Cisco rode; because with all that going for it the TV series was the first to be shot in color. Leo Carrillo became the iconic sidekick we know as Pancho at the age of 70. I guess there’s hope for some of us yet. He rode a beautiful palomino horse named Loco when star quality mounts typically belonged to the sidekick’s hero.
Carrillo’s family roots ran deep in eighteenth century old Spanish California. He wed Edith Haeselbarth in 1913. They had one daughter and remained together until her death in 1953. Carrillo died of cancer in 1961 at age 81. He has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for film and one for TV.
Next Week: Pat Buttram
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Ride easy,
Paul
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Ed
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Aug 11, 2019 02:38PM
Wow, thanks Paul Colt. I didn’t know about the earlier Cisco and sidekicks, I guess my education is lacking? But I sure remember Duncan Renaldo as Cisco and especially Leo Carrillo. “Oh Cisco, Oh Pancho.” Great times.
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Ed wrote: "Wow, thanks Paul Colt. I didn’t know about the earlier Cisco and sidekicks, I guess my education is lacking? But I sure remember Duncan Renaldo as Cisco and especially Leo Carrillo. “Oh Cisco, Oh P..."Ed, Thanks for the comment. We try to do a little western interest each week on these pages. They also appear on Facebook @paulcoltauthor and my Paul Colt Author page on Amazon.
