Duncan Renaldo – The Cisco Kid

Renault Renaldo Duncan (April 23, 1904 – September 3, 1980), better known as Duncan Renaldo, portrayed the Cisco Kid in films and on the 1950-1956 American TV series, The Cisco Kid.

I was a faithful fan of his TV show. He also was my Cub Scouts Scout Master so I saw him at all the meetings.

From Wikipedia:
“An orphan, Renaldo never knew his biological parents and was raised in several European countries. He said he was not sure himself where he had been born, though his earliest memories were of Spain. At other times, the actor claimed to have been born in New Jersey and some said Romania. At any rate, Renaldo never had a real Spanish accent, even while portraying the Cisco Kid. He emigrated to America in the 1920s. Failing to support himself as a portrait painter, he tried producing short films. He eventually took up acting and signed with MGM in 1928. In 1934 he was arrested for illegal entry into the United States, but eventually was pardoned by President Franklin Roosevelt [his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, had bought one of Renaldo’s paintings, looked into his case and persuaded her husband to pardon him] and returned to acting.

“Though he starred mostly in B-films, for example Tiger Fangs (1943), Renaldo played roles in mainstream films as well, including in Spawn of the North (1938) with George Raft, Henry Fonda and John Barrymore; and For Whom the Bell Tolls with Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman. He was also a producer, writer and director.

“In the late 1940s, Renaldo starred in several Hollywood westerns as the Cisco Kid, and in 1950, he began playing the role in a popular television series that ran until 1956. In the age of black and white television, the show was filmed in color. As Cisco, Renaldo roamed the Old West on a black and white horse named Diablo, accompanied by his constant companion, Pancho, played by Leo Carrillo, who was twenty-four years Renaldo’s senior. The Cisco Kid always helped where needed, and unlike most western heroes, never killed anyone.”

For his contributions to the television industry, Renaldo has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1680 Vine Street.

He died of lung cancer in 1980 at age 76 in Goleta, California. I believe his wife’s name was Audrey although he had been married to, but divorced, Suzette in the early 1940s.

The IMDB database lists 74 films and 156 episodes of the Cisco Kid. Plus 6 that he produced. Prolific for a B player!

You can get more information at the b-westerns website HERE.