Henry Calvin (born Wimberly Calvin Goodman; May 25, 1918 – October 6, 1975) was an American actor known for his role as the Spanish soldier Sergeant Demetrio Lopez Garcia on

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

's live-action television series ''

Zorro Zorro (Spanish language, Spanish for 'fox') is a fictional character created in 1919 by American pulp magazine, pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo of Los Angeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed a ...

'' (1957–1959).

Early life

Born in

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, he sang in the choir of his local

Baptist church Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

as a child; he was often the featured soloist. Calvin attended Winnetka Grade School during his childhood. After graduating from Sunset High School in Dallas, Texas, he attended

Southern Methodist University , mottoeng = "The truth will make you free" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = SACS , academic_affiliations = , religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church , president = R. Gerald Turner , prov ...

before pursuing a career as an actor and singer.

Career

Calvin hosted a 1950 NBC radio show and appeared on Broadway (most notably in '' Kismet'' as the Wazir of Police). In 1952, he portrayed Big Ben on the children's TV series ''

Howdy Doody ''Howdy Doody'' is an American Children's television series, children's television program (with circus and Western (genre), Western frontier themes) that was created and produced by Victor F Campbell

''. and made his film debut in ''Crime Against Joe'' as Red Waller four years later. His character in ''Zorro'', Sergeant Demetrio Lopez Garcia, was a comedic foil for Zorro and his

secret identity A secret identity is a person's alter ego which is not known to the general populace, most often used in fiction. Brought into popular culture by the Scarlet Pimpernel in 1903, the concept was widespread in pulp heroes and is particularly prevalent ...

, Don Diego de la Vega ( Guy Williams). Sometimes a friend (especially to Diego), sometimes a reluctant foe, Garcia is constantly outwitted by other characters, and is often his own worst enemy due to his weakness for food and wine. Calvin also sang and released a version of the "Zorro" theme song. Calvin's rich baritone voice also contributed to a number of musical interludes over the course of the series, singing everything from drinking songs to a serenade, and even a duet with

Annette Funicello Annette Joanne Funicello (October 22, 1942 – April 8, 2013) was an American actress and singer. Funicello began her professional career as a child performer at the age of twelve. She was one of the most popular Mouseketeers on the orig ...

in one episode. After the series ended due to a contract dispute with

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

, he reprised the role of Garcia in all four ''Zorro'' stories that aired as part of ''

Walt Disney Presents The Walt Disney Company has produced an anthology television series since 1954 under several titles and formats. The program's current title, ''The Wonderful World of Disney'', was used from 1969 to 1979 and again from 1991 to the present. The pr ...

'' in 1960 and 1961. He appeared in Disney's 1960 film ''

Toby Tyler ''Toby Tyler or 10 Weeks with a Circus'', also known simply as ''Toby Tyler'', is a 1960 American drama film directed by Charles Barton and starring Kevin Corcoran, Henry Calvin, Gene Sheldon, and Richard Eastham. It was produced by Walt Dis ...

'' as gruff circus wagon driver Ben Cotter, Toby's friend and protector. Toby's other mentor in the film, clown and animal trainer Sam Treat, was played by

Gene Sheldon Gene Sheldon (born Eugene Hume; February 1, 1908 – May 1, 1982) was an American actor, mime artist, and musician. He is remembered as the mute servant Bernardo in Walt Disney's live-action Spanish Western series ''Zorro'' (1957-1959). Biograph ...

, who co-starred in ''Zorro'' as Bernardo. Toby Tyler was played by Kevin Corcoran, a prolific

child actor The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in film, movies or television. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associ ...

at the studio in that era. All three actors also appeared in another Disney film, '' Babes in Toyland'' (1961). Calvin sang the children's song "

Never Smile at a Crocodile "Never Smile at a Crocodile" is a comic song with music by Frank Churchill and lyrics by Jack Lawrence. The music, without the lyrics, was first heard in the Walt Disney Animation Studios film ''Peter Pan''. History Churchill, who had composed ...

" for Disneyland Records, a recording that was later reissued as part of a ''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by List of Scottish novelists, Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and Puer aeternus, never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending ...

'' soundtrack CD. He also sang "We Won't Be Happy Till We Get It" with

Ray Bolger Raymond Wallace Bolger (January 10, 1904 – January 15, 1987) was an American actor, dancer, singer, vaudevillian and stage performer (particularly musical theatre) who started in the silent-film era. Bolger was a major Broadway performer in ...

and "Slowly He Sank To The Bottom of the Sea" on the ''Babes in Toyland'' soundtrack. After ''Zorro'' and his Disney contract ended, Calvin guest starred in numerous television series during the 1960s. In his appearance on a 1963 episode of ''

The Dick Van Dyke Show ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961 to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. It was produced by Calvada Product ...

'', his character performed a comedy sketch as

Oliver Hardy Oliver Norvell Hardy (born Norvell Hardy; January 18, 1892 – August 7, 1957) was an American comic actor and one half of Laurel and Hardy, the double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted from 1926 to 1957. He appeared with his c ...

, opposite

Dick Van Dyke Richard Wayne Van Dyke (born December 13, 1925) is an American actor, entertainer and comedian. His award-winning career has spanned seven decades in film, television, and stage. Van Dyke began his career as an entertainer on radio and telev ...

's Rob Petrie character as

Stan Laurel Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; 16 June 1890 – 23 February 1965) was an English comic actor, writer, and film director who was one half of the comedy double act, duo Laurel and Hardy. He appeared with his comedy partner Oliver Ha ...

. He also kept in touch with other members of the ''Zorro'' cast, even traveling with Guy Williams in 1973 to attend a charity event. He died in Dallas from throat cancer in 1975.

Selected credits

* '' Crime Against Joe'' (1956) as Red Waller * ''

The Broken Star ''The Broken Star'' is a 1956 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and written by John C. Higgins. The film stars Howard Duff, Lita Baron, Bill Williams, Douglas Fowley, Henry Calvin, Addison Richards, Joel Ashley and John Pi ...

'' (1956) as Thornton W. Wills * ''

The Yeomen of the Guard ''The Yeomen of the Guard; or, The Merryman and His Maid'', is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 3 October 1888 and ran for 423 performances. This was the eleventh ...

'' (''

Hallmark Hall of Fame ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City-based greeting card company. The longest-running prime-time series in t ...

'') (1957) (TV) as Wilfred Shadbolt * ''

'' (1957–1959) as Sgt. Demetrio Lopez Garcia * ''

, or Ten Weeks with a Circus'' (1960) as Ben Cotter * ''

'' (in four ''Zorro'' episodes, 1960–1961) as Sergeant Garcia * '' Babes in Toyland'' (1961) as Gonzorgo * ''

'' (in "The Sam Pomerantz Scandals", 1963) as Sam Pomerantz * ''

Petticoat Junction ''Petticoat Junction'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 1963 to April 1970. The series takes place at the Shady Rest Hotel, which is run by Kate Bradley; her three daughters Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo, and B ...

'' (in "The Ringer", 1963) as Pixley Fats * ''

Ship of Fools The ship of fools is an allegory, originating from Book VI of Plato's ''Republic'', about a ship with a dysfunctional crew. The allegory is intended to represent the problems of governance prevailing in a political system not based on expert kn ...

'' (1965) as Gregorio (Fat Man) * '' The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.'' (in "The Prisoner of Zalamar Affair", 1966) as Sheikh Ali Hassen * ''

Run, Buddy, Run ''Run, Buddy, Run'' was an American comedy TV series that aired on CBS for one season of 16 episodes in 1966-1967. The series was created by Leonard B. Stern, and starred jazz trumpeter, singer, and actor Jack Sheldon. Description At a steambath ...

'' (in "Grand Mexican Hotel", 1966) as Jose * ''

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by MGM Television, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who wo ...

'' (in "The Monks of St. Thomas Affair", 1966) as Brother Peter * ''

Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that ran from 1967 to 1975 on CBS. It was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller. The title character, Joe Mannix, is a private inves ...

'' (in "The Cost of a Vacation", 1967) as Lazaro Figueroa

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Calvin, Henry 1918 births 1975 deaths Male actors from Dallas American male television actors 20th-century American male actors Southern Methodist University alumni Deaths from throat cancer Deaths from cancer in Texas