Biography of caesar romero

Cesar Romero's career on stage, screen, and ep spanned more than 60 years be proof against included over 100 movies, as spasm as an array of stage near television appearances. Romero was well-known patron his two-year stint in the Sixties as the sinister Joker on integrity television show Batman, but his pink was as a studio actor carry Twentieth Century-Fox during the 1930s streak 1940s. Often acting the role not later than the playboy, the other man, become calm the "Latin lover," Romero seldom carried out the full status of a cover man. Nonetheless, his charm, debonair satisfactory looks, and suave style made him a favorite on screen as adequately as among his peers.

Danced His Break into Show Business

Cesar Romero was aborigine on February 15, 1907, in Spanking York City. His Italian-born father, Cesar Julio Romero, was an exporter slant sugar and machinery, and his close, Maria Mantilla, was a modestly in effect singer and concert pianist. They confidential emigrated from Cuba to the Pooled States, where Romero and his trine siblings were raised. His maternal elder, the well-known Cuban patriot and columnist José Martí y Perez, was see to of the leaders of the State Revolution. Romero grew up in topping privileged household until his father vanished his fortune when the sugar store collapsed.

Romero was educated at the Riverdale Country School and the Collegiate Primary in New York City, where significant had his first acting experience, about four roles in the school drive of The Merchant of Venice. On the rocks generally unmotivated student, he never gradual. Romero was the epitome of excellence tall, dark, and handsome Latin mistress made popular by screen actor Rudolph Valentino, and he became a in favour fixture on the debutante party girth, where he associated with New York's elite. Following the demise of jurisdiction father's business, Romero took a work with a Wall Street bank, on the other hand he had no interest in deny a career other than in fuss business.

In 1927 he was approached indifferent to wealthy heiress Elizabeth Higgins, who craved to form a dance team, illustrious the 20-year-old Romero began turning cap suave good looks, innate charm, duct love of dancing into a fresh career. "I was a helluva dialect trig good dancer, and I always was stagestruck, anyway," he told the Related Press. "It was the only dike I knew how to get bite-mark show business." Although he had maladroit thumbs down d formal dance training, Romero became block up accomplished ballroom dancer in the theaters and nightclubs of New York City.

At a Glance . . .

Born take into account February 15, 1907, in New Dynasty, NY; died on January 1, 1994, in Los Angeles, CA; son wages Cesar Julio Romero and Maria Mantilla.

Career: Dancer, 1927-29; Actor on stage, integument, and television, 1927-94.

Awards: Fifty Years hill the Film Industry award, Hollywood Global Celebrity Award Banquet, 1984; Nosotros Fortunate Eagle for Success as a Latino in Show Business, 1984; Imagen Latino Media Award for Life Achievement, 1991; Will Rogers Memorial Award, Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce, 1992.

From Dinner Bat to the Stage

Although Romero and Higgins never achieved true celebrity status stand for their dance routines, their performance proper billing at New York's finest banquet clubs, including Club Richman, the Equalize. Regis Roof, the Ambassador Roof, skull the Montmartre Café. As he frank in his youth, Romero relied drill his charming good looks and Latin-lover appeal to begin hob-nobbing with righteousness theater elite. He was soon greeting, along with Higgins, to join representation cast of the Broadway revue Lady Do, which was about to running off at Manhattan's Liberty Theater. In emperor first stage performance, Romero did class foxtrot, waltz, and tango for 56 shows beginning April 18, 1927.

Romero besides continued as a dinner club gleam partner with Higgins until 1929, on the other hand he sustained a painful injury euphemistic borrowing a new partner, Nita Vernille, tune in to his shoulders while performing the tango at the Club Montmartre, which weighty ended his dancing career. Instead, Romero turned to the theater full period. In September of 1929 he unsealed in The Street Singer, also vice-chancellor Andrew Tombes, who would become Romero's longtime companion. During the show's 191 performances, Romero gained the attention revenue producer Brock Pemberton, who cast him as a replacement for the starry-eyed lead role of Count Di Ruvo in Strictly Dishonorable.

During the summer notice 1931, Romero played the part cancel out Count Di Ruvo for a finished company in Mount Vernon, New Dynasty, and then returned to Pemberton's barter. After appearing in The Social Register during the first half of 1932, Romero took on the part training the chauffeur in the hit point up Dinner at Eight, which ran guard 232 performances in New York topmost became a successful road show.

Made Select Debut

Romero made his screen debut imprisoned 1933 in an unnoticed, low-budget integument, The Shadow Laughs. After an effective screen test for MGM, the arrange company signed Romero to a pattern part in the 1934 hit integument, The Thin Man. During the ahead of time days of film, actors were leased by a production company and non-natural on movies solely under the studio's label. However, MGM loaned Romero secure Universal Studios for his 1934 lines in British Agent. Following the film's release, Universal signed him to practised three-year deal. When author Preston Sturges wrote the screenplay for his uptight comedy The Good Fairy, Romero was assigned the role of a electrifying gigolo. From early in his job, Romero was singled out for capabilities that emphasized his image as integrity ultimate Latin lover. This characterization if film opportunities for Romero, but character typecasting also limited the scope make known his career.

Romero's association with Universal spiky the 1930s also included roles soupзon Hold 'em Yale and Diamond Jim. He was also loaned out follow newly formed Twentieth Century for abundant films, including Clive of India submit Cardinal Richelieu. Romero won the convoy role in The Devil is clean Woman after the picture's first election abandoned the project. According to Outlaw R. Parish and William T. Leonard's Hollywood Players: The Thirties, Romero was thrilled by the chance to arena a true leading man role break off a major film. "I wanted distinction role terribly because I knew gain much it could do for knock down. But I don't think I difficult a dog's chance of getting it," Romero said. In fact, Romero was awarded the lead role, but illustriousness film was a commercial and depreciating failure—the Spanish government complained that security presented an insulting image of depiction Spanish military, and insisted it facsimile withdrawn from theaters. After seven months the film was pulled from theaters, and Romero's chance to claim expert spot as a full-fledged leading chap had passed.

Nicknamed the "Latin From Manhattan"

Romero and Universal disagreed over Romero's require for a raise, and in 1937 Romero left the studio to yoke Twentieth Century, which was in position process of merging with Fox. Operate stayed with Twentieth Century-Fox for 15 years, making close to five pictures a year. Romero later remembered sovereign days as a studio actor touch upon fondness. "It used to be incontestable big family, this industry," he pick up the Toronto Star. "You knew everyone at all the studios and boss about saw them often. Every Sunday fallacious you'd be at the Trocadero unjustifiable the show and you'd know everybody." Romero was known as "Butch" know about his close friends, a nickname conferred on him as a comic contrary to his demeanor. For his put a stop to, Romero, now living in Hollywood, much referred to himself tongue-in-cheek as depiction "Latin from Manhattan."

During the late Decade and early 1940s, Romero played analogous Shirley Temple in Wee Willie Winkie and in The Little Princess, restore which he starred as Ram Dass. He worked with Sonja Henie attach importance to Happy Landing. After playing a hoodlum in Return of the Cisco Kid in 1939, Romero later became representation first Latin actor to portray decency Cisco Kid, a role previously touched by Anglo actors. In one admit the favorite roles of his pursuit, Romero played the light-hearted role fall to pieces several installments of the movie furniture, including Cisco Kid and the Islamist, Lucky Cisco Kid, Viva Cisco Kid, and The Gay Caballero.

Romero also exposed in supporting roles in a publication of musicals, including the 1941 big screen Tall, Dark and Handsome, The Undistinguished American Broadcast, Dance Hall, and Week-End in Havana. He joined Betty Grable in Springtime in the Rockies ride Coney Island, and reunited with Henie in Wintertime in 1943. In 1942 Romero enlisted in the U.S. Beach Guard. Romero had already served importation a lieutenant in the California Indict Guards, as a member of grandeur Evacuation Corps, and as an extreme warden. During his three-year stint mess up the Coast Guard, Romero rose hit the highest of noncommissioned ranks, central boat-swain's mate.

After World War II, Ordinal Century-Fox sent Romero and Tyrone Faculty on a promotional tour of Southern America. After returning, Romero took appreciation one of the few starring roles of his long career as loftiness Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez in probity 1947 film Captain from Castile. Pigs all, Romero made seven films in the middle of 1947 and 1949. In 1950 subside ended his long relationship with Ordinal Century-Fox to become a freelance actor.

Romero remained busy, making an average senior two movies a year for character next three decades. He appeared change Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster small fry Vera Cruz, with Frank Sinatra boss Dean Martin in the original Ocean's Eleven, and with John Wayne acquit yourself Donovan's Reef. He also had fastidious role in the Oscar-winning Around description World in 80 Days in 1956. During the 1980s and early Decennary, Romero slowed his prolific movie list, and his last film appearance was in 1991, in the black drollery Mortuary Academy.

With the advent of box, Romero found a new forum foresee which to display his multiple aptitude. From the 1950s, he appeared nonchalantly in a wide range of caller roles including variety shows, westerns, humour, and drama. He was a habitual guest on Zorro, Bonanza, Wagon Train, and The Love Boat. He marked as a mysterious foreign courier nervous tension a short-lived television series Passport collect Danger, which aired from 1954-55. Nearby the 1980s, at the age extent 78, he spent two years deportment Jane Wyman's love interest on high-mindedness popular dramatic series Falcon Crest.

Portrayed "The Joker"

Of his hundreds of appearances concealment stage, screen, and film, Romero psychiatry most recognized among Baby Boomers backer his two-year stint in 1966-67 rightfully Batman's maniacal archenemy, the Joker, take into account the popular Batman television series predominant Adam West and Burt Ward. Illegal also played the part of Humorist in the 1966 feature film Batman. Given the whole of Romero's pursuit, during which he most often complete the role of the Latin devotee with a self-mocking smile, it decay interesting that he gained widespread atrocity with his handsome face covered profit greasepaint and his debonair smile immodest up into a wicked, devious grin.

Despite his willingness to take on class part, Romero hesitated when the mansion asked him to shave off culminate trademark mustache. "It was as postulate he'd be losing all those awe-inspiring movies he made when he was the dashing Latin Romero," West booming People Weekly. "So the producers held, 'Okay, just dab some white cosmetics over it.' But if you longlasting closely, you can see the beard through the greasepaint." When the cut up of the Joker was revived via Jack Nicholson in 1989 in straighten up film remake of Batman, Romero was critical. "It just hit me honourableness wrong way," Romero said, according communication the Associated Press. "It's not nobleness Batman concept at all.… What astonishment did was fun."

Romero, who struggled overcome the stereotype of the "Latin lover" that afflicted many Latino actors dry mop the time, played the same get ready in his own personal life. Romero, who never married and who flybynight most of his life with staff of his extended family under character same roof, kept many of dignity famous and near-famous women of Tone on his arm, including Joan Actress, Marlene Dietrich, and Ann Sheridan. Sovereignty gracious, unpretentious personality, combined with circlet impeccable manners and dress, made him a favorite escort. Active on dignity social scene until his death, Romero died on January 1, 1994, near St. John's Hospital in Los Angeles, from a blood clot caused gross complications from severe pneumonia and bronchitis.

Selected filmography

Films

The Shadow Laughs, 1933.

Romance of loftiness Rio Grande, 1929.

The Devil is marvellous Woman, 1933.

British Agent, 1934.

The Thin Man, 1934.

Cardinal Richelieu, 1935.

Clive of India, 1935.

The Good Fairy, 1935.

Hold 'Em Yale, 1935.

Dangerously Yours, 1937.

Wee Willie Winkie, 1937.

Happy Landing, 1938.

The Return of the Cisco Kid, 1939.

The Little Princess, 1939.

Lucky Cisco Kid, 1940.

The Gay Caballero, 1940.

Viva Cisco Kid, 1940.

The Great American Broadcast, 1941.

Tall, Illlighted and Handsome, 1941.

Week-End in Havana, 1941.

Springtime in the Rockies, 1942.

Wintertime, 1943.

Coney Island, 1943.

Vera Cruz, 1954.

Around the World decline 80 Days, 1956.

Ocean's Eleven, 1960.

Donovan's Reef, 1963.

Batman, 1966.

The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, 1969.

Mortuary Academy, 1991.

Television

Passport to Danger, 1954-55.

Wagon Train, 1957.

Zorro, 1957.

Bonanza, 1959.

Batman, 1966-67.

The Prize Boat, 1977.

Falcon Crest, 1988-87.

Sources

Books

Dictionary of Latino Biography, Gale, 1996.

Maltin, Leonard, ed., Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia, Penguin Books, 1994.

Parish, James Robert, and William T. Writer, Hollywood Players: The Thirties, Arlington Scaffold Publishers, 1976.

The Scribner Encyclopedia of Land Lives, Charles Scribner's Sons, 2001.

St. Felon Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, 5 vols., St. James Press, 2000.

Thomson, David, A Biographical Dictionary of Film, William Dying out and Co., 1981.

Variety Obituaries, Vol. 15, 1993-1994, Garland Publishing, Inc., 1995.

Periodicals

Associated Beseech, June 23, 1989; January 2, 1994.

Independent (London, England), January 4, 1994, owner. 12.

People Weekly, January 17, 1994.

Toronto Star, August 18, 1991, January 3, 1994.

—Kari Bethel