Biography
Of Cuban and Italian descent, Romero proved himself a dependable movie exotic, as Marlene Dietrich's Spanish lover in "The Devil is a Woman" (1935), an East Indian rebel chief in "Wee Willie Winkie" (1937) with Shirley Temple, and Mexican pistolero The Cisco Kid in a string of Westerns. Popular before World War II in such Technicolor musicals as "Springtime in the Rockies" (1942) and "Coney Island" (1943) with Betty Grable, Romero transitioned …
Latest Tv Credits
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The Castilian
Simple Justice
A Gentleman at Heart
Tall, Dark and Handsome
Career Milestones
| Acted in other Broadway plays including "Social Register", "Stella Brady", "All Points West" and "Dinner at Eight" (date approximate) | ||
| Appeared as a panelist on the ABC game show, "Take a Good Look" | ||
| Hosted the ABC variety show, "Your Chevrolet Showroom" | ||
| Played Peter Stavros on primetime soap, "Falcon Crest" | ||
| Played four roles in a production of "The Merchant of Venice" while at boarding school | ||
| Played leads in a number of low-budget actioners made by Lippert Pictures | ||
| Played the recurring role of Chico's (Freddie Prinze) father on the NBC comedy series, "Chico and the Man" in the mid-70s | ||
| Played the recurring role of the Joker in the ABC adventure series, "Batman" | ||
| Recorded an album in the early 1960s, "Songs from a Spanish Lover" | ||
| Romero's father found him a job at a bank on Wall Street after the family lost its fortune with the collapse of the sugar market in the early Depression years | ||
| Served in the Coast Guard during WWII; was stationed in the Pacific and involved in military action during the invasions of Tinian and Saipan (dates approximate) | ||
| Under contract to 20th Century-Fox | ||
| Under contract to Universal | ||
1926 | Met heiress Lisbeth Higgins at a fancy party; after dating and dancing together regularly, she suggested they form a dance team (date approximate) | |
1927 | Danced with Higgins in the musical comedy, "Lady Do"; also danced with her and other partners in nightclubs and vaudeville (date approximate) | |
1930 | Discovered dancing in the Montmartre Nightclub in Manhattan by producer Brock Pemberton; hired as a replacement for the leading actor in the hit stage comedy "Strictly Dishonorable", written by Preston Sturges | |
1934 | Film debut, "The Thin Man" | |
1934 | MGM lent Romero out a bit (e.g. To Warner Brothers for "British Agent" 1934) before cancelling his contract | |
1937 | Had been lent out to 20th Century-Fox for several films; when Universal refused to raise his salary, Romero signed with Fox | |
1939 | Made the first of half a dozen pictures over the next three years as the Cisco Kid, "The Cisco Kid and the Lady" | |
1943 | Last film before enlisting in the military, "Wintertime", opposite skating star Sonja Henie | |
1947 | First films after wartime service, "Carnival in Costa Rica" and "The Captain from Castile" | |
1950 | Last film for Fox, "Love That Brute"; began freelancing | |
1951 | Went to England to act in support of David Niven and Vera-Ellen in "Happy Go Lovely" | |
1954 | Starred as Steve McQuinn in the syndicated TV adventure series, "Passport to Danger" | |
1963 | Played leading role in the U.S.-Spanish co-production, "El valle de las espadas/The Castilian" | |
1968 | Hosted the syndicated documentary TV special, "Cesar's World" | |
1989 | Last feature films, "Judgment Day" and "Simple Justice" | |
Awards
1962 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in If a Man Answers |