Carlos Romero (February 15, 1927 – June 21, 2007)[1] was a professional ice skater who turned to acting in films and television. He was a prolific character actor, who appeared on 132 television episodes and eleven films during his half-century of performing.

Carlos Romero
Born(1927-02-15)February 15, 1927
DiedJune 21, 2007(2007-06-21) (aged 80)
Occupation(s)Pro Ice Skater, Actor
Years active1943–1997
Spouses
  • Betty Schalow
    (m. 1947; div. 1949)
  • Alix Bainbridge
    (m. 1958; div. 1967)
Parent(s)Carlos Romero Sr, Malvina Polo

Early life edit

He was born Carlos Romero Jr, the only child of Carlos Romero Sr and Malvina Polo.[1][2] His father, born Geronimo Quiroga in Monterrey, Mexico, fled to the United States as a child in 1910 with his large family.[2] They had owned a hotel and theater in Monterrey, but supported the wrong side in the struggle between Venustiano Carranza and Pancho Villa during the Mexican Revolution.[3]

The extended family adopted the stage name "The Dancing Romeros" for their act during the 1920's, when they performed shows at nightclubs,[4] and later at movie theaters, in between exhibitions of silent pictures.[5][6]

Carlos Sr switched to designing dance routines for nightclubs and films in the early 1930's. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1938 under his stage name, sponsored by members of the Hollywood film industry with whom he worked.[2] The family settled into the San Fernando Valley of California, where young Carlos attended first Van Nuys High School[7] then North Hollywood High School.[8] Carlos Romero Jr applied for his first social security card at age 15 in June 1942.[1]

Besides film and nightclubs, his father also designed dances for Fanchon and Marco's entertainment partnership. They hired him to design routines for the International Polarink Follies, an ice show that debuted at the newly opened Polarink in Long Beach, California during March 1939.[9][10] This show had business ties with the more well-known Ice Follies, and by 1943 Carlos Sr had become a director for it as well. His contracts with film studios usually included a clause granting him two months annual leave for work on ice shows.[11] Carlos Jr thus had an early introduction to entertainment ice skating as a profession, as opposed to competitive skating.

Start in skating edit

The Ice Follies of 1944 tour started in Los Angeles during September 1943. As Carlos Jr related it to a later interviewer, he was standing backstage at an early performance when someone shoved a horse head mask over him and pushed him out onto the ice.[8] At sixteen he became a full time pro skater, traveling with the Ice Follies on its year-round tour. His hiring as a teenager was likely due to the absence of 21 male cast and crew of military age for the war effort.[12] Newspapers, to distinguish him from his well-known father, consistently referred to him as "Carlos Romero Jr", which was his Ice Follies billing as well. He was among the cast in that year's official program and newspapers listed him with the other performers.[13][14]

The Ice Follies was then entering its eighth year, with annual attendance approaching two million. Named for the coming year, each Ice Follies show would start performances at the Pan-Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles during September. The entire company would travel on the Ice Follies Special, a special train, usually chartered from Great Northern Railways, to cities across the northern US and Canada.[15] The tour would finish up in San Francisco, playing the current show for the summer months during evenings at the Winterland Arena, while rehearsing the new show for the coming season during the day.

Carlos was in Boston on tour with the Ice Follies of 1945 during February of that year when he turned eighteen. He registered for the draft with a local board in Boston, which then forwarded it to the district board for his permanent residence in Encino, California. According to the draft registrar, Carlos stood 6' 1 3/4" (187.3 cm), weighed 152 pounds (68.9 kg), had hazel eyes, brown hair, and a sallow complexion.[16] He lived with his father in Encino, was employed by the Ice Follies, had scars on the back of his head and right forefinger, and was left-handed.[16]

Military service edit

On June 26, 1945, while still on tour with the Ice Follies, Carlos enlisted in the US Army.[17] According to his enlistment papers, Carlos was single, a citizen, had completed three years of high school, and was an athlete by occupation.[17] He wasn't inducted right away, for he continued to perform with the Ice Follies through August 1945.[18]

Carlos Jr apparently served in the US Army from early September 1945 through late August 1947, given his dates of absence from the Ice Follies. A later interview said he was assigned to the Signal Corps, possibly with a specialized entertainment unit, for he claimed to have emceed a GI show in Berlin for which he also did a song and dance routine.[8]

Reporter Pat Laughrey interviewed Carlos Romero Jr just after his military service, when he had rejoined the Ice Follies. The tone of the interview may be judged from Carlos relating to the reporter that his nickname with the show was "Romero the Great". Like one of the charming, witty, fast-talking characters he would later play on television, he was not above giving a slight spin to the truth, saying he had enlisted after "December 1941", and served in France, Belgium, and Germany, letting the unwary assume from the order of countries that he was with the liberation forces, rather than the army of occupation.[8][19]

An anonymous newspaper blurb from the same time frame mentioned Carlos Jr was a "Purple Heart wearer",[20] while a later article referred to the performer Carlos Romero Jr as a "decorated war hero".[21] The same description was repeated, along with the addendum that he had "narrowly escaped death", in a capsule profile from an official Ice Follies program.[22] The ultimate source for these unlikely statements is unknown.

Post service skating edit

 
Romero was married to fellow ice skater Betty Schalow (pictured) from 1947 to 1949.

Starting in September 1947, Carlos toured with the Ice Follies of 1948.[23] His father had switched to working for the competing Ice Vanities troupe in 1946. Despite the parental defection, Carlos resumed performing with the show in character parts, generally comic acrobatic bits. The tour's premiere at the Pan Pacific Auditorium in Hollywood was broadcast live by KTLA on September 18, 1947.[24] This was Carlos first known appearance on screen, playing a matador trying to battle with the Disney character Ferdinand the Bull.[23] Though the broadcast was not recorded, home movie film of the same premiere, including a brief scene of Carlos, was on YouTube as of August 2021.

While on tour during December 1947, Carlos married Ice Follies headliner and former National Pairs Champion Betty Schalow, who was two years older than him.[19][25] The ceremony occurred during the finale of a Follies performance at the arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania, a longtime venue for all the touring ice shows.[26] Carlos Romero Sr had to give his legal consent to the marriage, as under Pennsylvania law at the time the twenty year old Carlos Jr was still a minor.[25] The marriage came as a complete surprise to their colleagues with the tour.[26] The event was widely reported in newspapers, and marked a rise in Carlos profile with the tour.[27] Though well-reviewed by the newspapers, Carlos was never a headliner, for he had no competitive skating background and lacked the technical virtuosity demanded of such.

Carlos continued touring with the Ice Follies through the spring of 1948 and stayed with them as they went into their summer quarters in San Francisco. He was cast again in Ice Follies of 1949[22] and the following year in Ice Follies of 1950.[15] He was with the latter tour at least until January 1950, when newspapers stopped listing him among the other performers. Carlos and Betty apparently divorced in late 1949, though the exact date and location are not known. Betty soon remarried to another skater with the show and stayed with the Ice Follies until 1956.[28][29]

Stage and screen acting edit

Despite his father's contacts in the film industry, Carlos started his acting career on the stage. According to a later Hedda Hopper column, he seems to have been active in both New York and West Coast theatre, though details are lacking for the former.[30] He was mentioned as a new addition to the cast of the Los Angeles based Geller Theatre Workshop in November 1951, for a production of Moss Hart's Light Up The Sky, as "a former Ice Follies skater, who also has a number of years' Little Theater experience".[31] His next documented stage performance was again with the Geller Theatre, in October 1953, for a production of The Two Mrs. Carrolls.[32] This was also his first billing without the generational suffix of "Junior", which he abandoned going forward.

Carlos Romero did an episode of State Trooper in December 1957 that is his first known non-skating television role. He had supposedly done some television in New York,[30] but verification for this is lacking. He had a surprising career arc on the screen, having a flood of television and film roles immediately upon this debut. For some early television character parts he was asked to wear a fake mustache. He had always been clean-shaven for performances prior to 1958, but casting directors and audiences soon came to expect a mustache, and he obliged. He would still appear without one for Native American roles, and for the occasional contemporary part.

Later career edit

For 1981, Carlos had no television appearances, breaking a string of twenty-four years of continuous performances. He made up for the gap in the next two years, playing his longest recurring role for a series on Falcon Crest. His TV work gradually dwindled away to once a year in the mid 1980s, though he may have done work outside the US that isn't readily available for reference. His last known performance of any sort was at age 70 in 1997, for an episode of the Spanish comedy series La casa de los líos.

Carlos Romero passed away in Ferndale, California on June 21, 2007.[33]

Personal life edit

Carlos was interested in flying as a young man, and qualified for a pilot's license in 1947.[8] He also liked bowling, swimming, riding horses, and hunting.[8] Carlos was always readily accessible to fans who wanted a photo with him.[34] He was noted for his keen sense of humor and fast patter, and was not above joshing an interviewer with exaggerations about himself.[34][8]

Almost ten years after his divorce from Betty Schalow, Carlos married Alix Bainbridge, nine years his junior, during August 1958.[35] They had a son, born a little more than a year later, but divorced in August 1967.[36][37] Despite a strong physical resemblance, Carlos Romero was apparently not related to actor Cesar Romero.

Filmography edit

Film (by year of first release)
Year Title Role Notes
1958 The World Was His Jury 2nd Officer Johnson The first film Carlos appeared in had the working title of The Trial of Captain Barrett
The True Story of Lynn Stuart Fred (uncredited)
The Gun Runners Carlos Contreras
1959 The Young Land Francisco Quiroga
They Came to Cordura Arreaga
1962 Deadly Duo Police Lieutenant Reyes
1964 Island of the Blue Dolphins Chowig
1966 Lanza tus penas al viento
The Professionals 2nd Revolutionary
1973 Soylent Green New Tenant
The Don Is Dead Mariano Longobardo (uncredited)
Television (in original broadcast order)
Year Series Episode Role Notes
1947 Ice Follies (Sept 18, 1947) Matador / Magician A live local broadcast on KTLA from the Pan-Pacific Auditorium[38]
1957 State Trooper The Gandy Dancers of Steptoe Valley Pablo Viejo
1958 Wagon Train The Luke O'Malley Story Dan Romero
Broken Arrow Power Natan
How to Marry a Millionaire The Big Order Ramon Valdez
The Gale Storm Show Hayride Ahoy
Zorro Welcome to Monterrey Romero Serrano
Horse of Another Color Romero Serrano
The Senorita Makes a Choice Romero Serrano
Cimarron City Twelve Guns Joaquin Avila (uncredited)
Zorro Rendezvous at Sundown Romero Serrano
The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin Miracle of the Mission Strong Branch
The Californians The Man Who Owned San Francisco Jose Limantour
1959 The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin Ol' Betsy Running Deer
Death Valley Days Price of a Passport Captain Carlos Rico
Wagon Train The Conchita Vasquez Story Carlos Soldareo
Bronco Prairie Skipper Angelo
Bat Masterson The Black Pearls Dale - Henchman
Rawhide S2:E1, Incident of the Day of the Dead Goyo
Cheyenne The Rebellion Lieutenant Jose Montez
Wichita Town Bullet for a Friend Rico Rodriguez Carlos had a brief recurring character part on this series
Wichita Town They Won't Hang Jimmy Relson Rico Rodriguez
Richard Diamond, Private Detective The Client Jose
Wanted: Dead Or Alive Desert Seed Juan Gomez
Wichita Town Out of the Past Rico Rodriguez
1960 Maverick The Marquesa Manuel Ortiz
Cheyenne Gold, Glory and Custer - Requiem Moccasin Charlie
Riverboat The Blowup Juan Miguel (uncredited)
Wichita Town The Long Night Rico Rodriguez
Shotgun Slade Donna Juanita Mario Guiagoes
Bronco La Rubia Urbino
Bat Masterson Gold Is Where You Steal It Juan Torrino
Bourbon Street Beat Green Hell Ramon Rivera
Rawhide S2:E30, Incident of the Silent Web Mendoza
Wagon Train Wagons Ho! Indian #1 (Uncredited)
Peter Gunn Mask of Murder Sol Escobar
Cheyenne Road to Three Graves Luiz Perez
Rawhide S3:E7, "Incident at Superstition Prairie" Asunta
1961 Zorro The Postponed Wedding Ansar
Surfside 6 Heels Over Head Juan Escudero
Maverick Dutchman's Gold Ricardo Padilla
The Case of the Dangerous Robin Doll of Death
Gunslinger Road of the Dead Colonel Delgado
Maverick Substitute Gun Clete Spain
Checkmate Dance of Death Arturo Calderone
77 Sunset Strip Hot Tamale Caper Part 1 Senor Seradil
77 Sunset Strip Hot Tamale Caper Part 2 Senor Seradil
Rawhide S4:E1, Rio Salado Antonio Marcos
Have Gun – Will Travel Squatter's Rights Juan Quintos
1962 77 Sunset Strip The Parallel Caper Caesar Martinez
The Dick Powell Theater Borderline
Rawhide S5:E14, Incident of Decision Antonio Chavez
1963 Empire Where the Hawk Is Wheeling Max
Alcoa Premiere The Hat of Sargeant Martin Sergeant Sandy Sandoval Carlos was on this ABC show the same night (Feb 7)....
Perry Mason The Case of the Libelous Locket Raul Perez ....that he was on this CBS show
Wagon Train The Tom Tuesday Story Bandit Leader (Uncredited)
Have Gun – Will Travel The Black Bull Nino Ybarra
The Virginian The Mountain of the Sun Pedro
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Season 1 Episode 28: "Last Seen Wearing Blue Jeans" Alfau - Mexican Police Chief
Rawhide S5:E29, Incident at Rio Doloroso Hernan Maldenado
GE True Five Tickets to Hell Lieutenant Juan Garcia A clean-shaven Carlos stars as a Mexican police officer
1964 Perry Mason The Case of the Scandelous Sculptor Nonno Volente
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color The Tenderfoot Part 1 Commandante Maldonado
1965 Ben Casey A Horse Named Stravinsky Dr. Elton De Los Rios
Laredo I See By Your Outfit Miguel
1966 Daniel Boone Gabriel Francisco
I Spy The Conquest of Maude Murdock Bandit #1
Perry Mason The Case of the Tsarina's Tiara Ricardo Arena
The Big Valley Legend of a General Part 1 Leon
The Big Valley Legend of a General Part 2 Leon
The Fugitive Wine Is a Traitor Morales
1967 The FBI The Gray Passenger Calderon
The Fugitive Death of a Very Small Killer Sergeant Rodriguez
The Invaders The Storm Luis Perez
The FBI The Extortionist S. A. Robert Vega
Death Valley Days Along Came Mariana Jose de la Cruz Romero
The Wild Wild West The Night of the Assassin The Lieutenant
The High Chaparral The Widow from Red Rock Romero Carlos does another doubleheader, appearing on this NBC show....
The FBI Line of Fire Bartender ....the same night (November 26) he was on this ABC show
1968 Run For Your Life A Dangerous Proposal Lieutenant Ortiz
It Takes a Thief One Night on Soledade Andreas
Dragnet Robbery: DR-15 Juan
Mannix The End of the Rainbow Jug Haskins
1969 Mod Squad The Sunday Drivers Frank Salido
The FBI The Patriot Captain Ortiz
The Guns of Will Sonnett A Town in Terror Part 1 Carlos
The Guns of Will Sonnett A Town in Terror Part 2 Carlos
Family Affair The Young Man from Bolivia Senor Mendez
It Takes a Thief The Baranhoff Timetable Director
D.A.:Murder One (TV Movie) Bob Ramirez
1970 The High Chaparral Fiesta Sargente
The Virginian Last of the Comancheros Raul Armendez
1971 The Smith Family Chicano Mike Blanco
Family Affair You Can't Fight City Hall Mr. Alvarez
Cannon Scream of Silence Moreno
The FBI Bitter Harbor
1972 O'Hara, U.S. Treasury Operation: Mr Felix Peter Wade
Adam-12 Gifts and Long Letters Reuben Sanchez Carlos played a detective sergeant on three episodes of this series
1973 Adam-12 O'Brien's Stand Reuben Sanchez
Streets of San Francisco Deathwatch Supervisor Pete Delgado
Adam-12 Nightwatch Reuben Sanchez
1974 Kung Fu Empty Pages of a Dead Book Doctor
Banacek Fly Me- If You Can Find Me Sheriff Ortega
Barnaby Jones Rendezvous with Terror Jarras
Chase The People Parlay Felix Martinez
The Six Million Dollar Man Act of Piracy Ferndo Ferraga
1975 Kolchak: The Night Stalker Legacy of Terror George Andrews
Chico and the Man Bird in a Gilded Cage Diner Owner Ramon
1976 Cannon Bloodlines Captain Landivar
1977 Wonder Woman Return of Wonder Woman Colonel Acevo
1978 Rockford Files South By Southeast Sam Gurolla
1979 Hart to Hart Passport to Murder Doctor
1980 Barnaby Jones Killer Without a Name Carlos Duquesa
1982 Falcon Crest For Love or Money Carlo Agretti
Code Red Trapped by Time Robles
Falcon Crest House of Cards Carlo Agretti
The Good, the Bad, and the Profane Carlo Agretti
The Challenge Carlo Agretti
The Arrival Carlo Agretti
Troubled Waters Carlo Agretti
Murder One Carlo Agretti
1983 Hart to Hart Pounding Harts Emil Herrera
T. J. Hooker Raw Deal Senor Diez
Falcon Crest Cimmerean Dawn Carlo Agretti
Falcon Crest Conspiracy Carlo Agretti
1984 The Fall Guy Rabbit's Feet Moreno
1985 Scarecrow and Mrs. King Spiderweb Julian Zaken
The A-Team Knights of the Road Zuniga
1986 Dynasty The Arraignment Judge J. Thebom
1987 Magnum, P.I. Tigers Fan Grady Walker
1988 Days of Our Lives Episode of Sept 7, 1988 Mr. Kent
1989 L.A. Law Urine Trouble Now Alfredo Perez This was Carlos final US television appearance
1997 La casa de los líos La boda de Arturo Valdés Guijarro His final television appearance was on this comedy series in Spain

References edit

  1. ^ a b c US Social Security Applications and Claim Index 1936-2007, for Carlos Romero Jr, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  2. ^ a b c , U.S. Naturalization Records, 1847-1957, for Geronimo Quiroga, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  3. ^ Cronin, Ned (September 18, 1947). "(Column)". Daily News. Los Angeles, California. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Cinderella Roof (Ad)". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. March 21, 1924. p. 31 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Barthelmess Is Featured in T. & D. Film". Oakland Tribune. Oakland, California. October 15, 1928. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Fox-Oakland Will Present 'Locked Door'". Oakland Tribune. Oakland, California. February 20, 1930. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Van Nuys Junior High School Awards Diplomas". The Van Nuys News. Van Nuys, California. June 26, 1941. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Laughrey, Pat (October 17, 1947). "Comedy On Ice Number Features Valley Modern". The Valley Times. Van Nuys, California. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Ice Stars to Bedazzle at Polarink Opening". The Independent. Long Beach, California. March 9, 1939. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Ice Skating Rink Opening Due Tonight". Long Beach Press-Telegram. Long Beach, California. March 17, 1939. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Carl Romero Dance Director". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. April 13, 1944. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "In Our Country's Service". The Shipstads & Johnson Ice Follies of 1944. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Printing, Inc. September 1943.
  13. ^ "Program". The Shipstads & Johnson Ice Follies of 1944. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Printing, Inc. September 1943.
  14. ^ "'Ice Follies of 1944' Here Sunday For Nine Performances At Forum". The Gazette. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. February 6, 1944. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ a b "How The Ice Follies Travels". The Shipstads & Johnson Ice Follies of 1950. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Printing, Inc. September 1950.
  16. ^ a b , World War II Draft Cards for Young Men, 1940-1947, for Carlos Romero Jr, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  17. ^ a b U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946, for Carlos Romero Jr, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  18. ^ "Comics Head Ice Follies". San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. August 19, 1945. p. 109 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ a b "Married In East". San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. December 20, 1947. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Director's Son in 'Ice Follies'". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. September 5, 1947. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Follies Skater Born To Theater". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. August 9, 1949. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ a b "Personality Sketches of the Ice Follies Cast". The Shipstads & Johnson Original and Finest Ice Follies of 1949 13th Annual Edition. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Wisconsin Cuneo Press. September 1949.
  23. ^ a b "Program and Cast". The Shipstads & Johnson Original and Finest Ice Follies of 1948 Twelfth Annual Edition. Minneapolis, Minnesota: (none listed). October 1948.
  24. ^ "National Broadcast, Television and Movie Stars Mark Ice Follies Premiere". The Shipstads & Johnson Original and Finest Ice Follies of 1948 Twelfth Annual Edition. Minneapolis, Minnesota: (none listed). October 1948.
  25. ^ a b Pennsylvania, US, Marriages 1852-1968 for Carlos Jr Romero, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  26. ^ a b "Ice Follies Stars Wed During Show". Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. Hollywood, California. December 19, 1947. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ "Drama and Film". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. December 20, 1947. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ "Marriage License Applications". The Minneapolis Star. Minneapolis, Minnesota. April 12, 1951. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ "A Bouncing Son Directs Pat Shanahan Retirement". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minnesota. April 21, 1957. p. 31 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ a b "Looking at Hollywood". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. July 11, 1957. p. Section F Part 4 Page 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ "Marines See Hollywood Comedy Hit". Barstow Printer Review. Barstow, California. November 22, 1951. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ "The Talent Parade". Los Angeles Citizen News. Hollywood, California. October 17, 1953. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ^ Carlos Romero in the US, Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  34. ^ a b Cossi, Olga (August 14, 1964). "Barnacles 'Round the Bay". Mendocino Beacon. Mendocino, California. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ^ California, US, Marriage Index, 1949-1959, for Carlos Romero, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  36. ^ California Birth Index, 1905-1995, for Christian P. Romero, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  37. ^ California, US, Divorce Index, 1966-1984, for Carlos Romero, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  38. ^ "Television KTLA Channel 5 Thursday Night". Pasadena Star-News. Pasadena, California. September 18, 1947. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.

External links edit