Siddhesh Joshi (Editor)

Tony Martinez (Puerto Rican American actor)

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Name
  
Tony Martinez


Role
  
Television actor

Tony Martinez with a serious face while wearing a white long sleeve under a black necktie and black striped coat

Born
  
January 27, 1920 (
1920-01-27
)

Occupation
  
Actor, singer, bandleader

Spouse(s)
  
Myra Martinez (1981-2002, his death)

Children
  
David, Renee, Christian, Lessette, and Kimra

Movies and TV shows
  
Similar People
  
Kathleen Nolan, Lydia Reed, Richard Crenna

Died
  
2002 (aged 82), Las Vegas-Paradise, NV Metropolitan Statistical Area

Tony martinez bernie s tune


Tony Martínez (January 27, 1920 – September 16, 2002) was an actor, singer, and bandleader originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, best remembered for having played the Mexican farmhand Pepino García in the ABC and CBS situation comedy The Real McCoys from 1957 to 1963. Along with Leo Carrillo and Desi Arnaz, Sr., Martinez was among the earliest Latinos featured in regular television roles during the early years of the medium.

Contents

The tony martinez quintet with dorothy loudon bei mir bist du schon


Early years

Martínez came to New York City to study at the Juilliard School at the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts. He studied acting and gained small parts in several films in the late 1940s and early 1950s. In 1954, he made his first television appearance as himself on The Colgate Comedy Hour. He again appeared with his band, Tony Martinez and His Mambo, in the 1956 musical picture Rock Around the Clock.

Tony Martinez talking to someone with a worried face while wearing a polo

For his role on The Real McCoys, Martínez was discovered by the brother producer-writing team of Irving Pincus (1914–1984) and Norman Pincus (1906–1978) while Martínez was performing at a club in Hollywood, California. Martínez sang and played five instruments. Kathleen Nolan, as Kate McCoy, one of the last two surviving members of The Real McCoys cast, recalls that Martínez initially failed to contact the Pincus brothers because he thought their interest in his talent was merely a joke, but the producers pursued Martinez and signed him to the cast.

Nolan, who served as president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1975–1980, called Martínez's selection "a major breakthrough in terms of minority representation on television. It may not have been the representation that we are seeking now, but it certainly was a breakthrough to have a major character on television that was not white... He was just a natural, and he had this enormous sense of comedy timing." Nolan noted, too, that the Pepino character, despite the stereotype, was "wise" and often used common sense to help the McCoys resolve their family squabbles.

Later career

After The Real McCoys series ended, Martínez appeared as a guest star in only a few other television programs, such as The Man from U.N.C.L.E., F Troop, My Favorite Martian, and the 1970 series Storefront Lawyers, renamed Men at Law.

In the middle 1960s, Martínez appeared for almost 40 years and 2,245 performances in the role of Sancho Panza in Man of La Mancha on Broadway, based on Miguel de Cervantes's novel Don Quixote. He played opposite a dozen various actors in the role of Don Quixote, including Richard Kiley and Jose Ferrer. Beginning in 1967, Martínez participated in a national tour of the Tony Award-winning musical.

In the early 1980s, Martínez was the executive director of the Institute of Motion Pictures, the government film commission of Puerto Rico. In Nevada, where he spent his later years, Martínez used "PEPINO" for his vanity license plates.

His last television appearance was at age 80 in 2000 in The Real McCoys Reunion, broadcast by the former Nashville Network. Martínez died of natural causes, aged 82, in a hospital in Las Vegas. He had five children: David, Renee, Christian, Lisette, and Kimra. At the time of his death, he had been married for 21 years to Myra Martinez of Las Vegas.

Filmography

Actor
1987
Katalik
1987
Cabarlo
1986
Kristal
1970
Men at Law (TV Series)
- The Pastures of Hell (1970)
1967
Accidental Family (TV Series) as
Pancho
- The Treasure of San Fernando Valley (1967) - Pancho
1966
My Favorite Martian (TV Series) as
Glob
- Butterball (1966) - Glob
1966
F Troop (TV Series) as
Felipe
- El Diablo (1966) - Felipe
1965
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (TV Series) as
Clerk
- The Very Important Zombie Affair (1965) - Clerk
1957
The Real McCoys (TV Series) as
Pepino
- Pepino's Mama (1963) - Pepino
- Pals (1963) - Pepino
- Don't Be Nosey (1963) - Pepino
- The Auction (1963) - Pepino
- Luke Grows a Beard (1963) - Pepino
- The McCoy Sound (1963) - Pepino
- Up to Their Ears in Corn (1963) - Pepino
- Skeleton in the Closet (1963) - Pepino
- The McCoy Hex (1963) - Pepino
- Luke the Dog Catcher (1963) - Pepino
- How're You Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm? (1963) - Pepino
- Little Boy Blew (1963) - Pepino
- Sir Fergus McCoy (1963) - Pepino
- The Other Side of the Fence (1963) - Pepino
- Cupid Wore a Tail (1963) - Pepino
- The Crop Duster (1963) - Pepino
- Luke the Reporter (1962) - Pepino
- The Love Bug Bites Pepino (1962) - Pepino
- The Health Addict (1962) - Pepino
- The Girl Veterinarian (1962) - Pepino
- Pepino's Inheritance (1962) - Pepino
- The New Housekeeper (1962) - Pepino
- Actress in the House (1962) - Pepino
- Money from Heaven (1962) - Pepino
- Army Reunion (1962) - Pepino
- Three Strikes and Out (1962) - Pepino
- Grandpa Pygmalion (1962) - Pepino
- The Raffle Ticket (1962) - Pepino
- Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble (1962) - Pepino
- Pepino's Vacation (1962) - Pepino
- Pepino's Fortune (1962) - Pepino
- Allergies Anonymous (1962) - Pepino
- Never a Lender Be (1962) - Pepino
- In Grampa We Trust (1962) - Pepino
- You're as Young as You Feel (1962) - Pepino
- Who's Margie? (1962) - Pepino
- Made in Italy (1962) - Pepino
- Pepino McCoy, Citizen (1962) - Pepino
- The Washing Machine (1962) - Pepino
- You Can't Beat the Army (1961) - Pepino
- The Rival (1961) - Pepino
- The Good Neighbor Policy (1961) - Pepino
- The City Boy (1961) - Pepino
- The Marriage Counselor (1961) - Pepino
- The Diamond Ring (1961) - Pepino
- Honesty Is the Best Policy (1961) - Pepino
- The New Piano (1961) - Pepino
- Luke Leaves Home (1961) - Pepino
- The Trailer Camp (1961) - Pepino
- Excess Baggage (1961) - Pepino
- The Matador (1961) - Pepino
- Kate's Competition (1961) - Pepino
- Money in the Bank (1961) - Pepino
- Kate Comes Home (1961) - Pepino
- Sorority Girl (1961) - Pepino
- Pepino's Wedding (1961) - Pepino
- George Retires (1961) - Pepino
- Theatre in the Barn (1961) - Pepino
- The New Sunday School Teacher (1961) - Pepino
- If You Can't Lick'Em (1961) - Pepino
- The Investors (1961) - Pepino
- The Bazaar (1961) - Pepino
- The Horse Expert (1961) - Pepino
- Beware a Smart Woman (1960) - Pepino
- Smothered in Love (1960) - Pepino
- The New Librarian (1960) - Pepino
- Father and Son Day (1960) - Pepino
- Pepino McCoy (1960) - Pepino
- Executive Wife (1960) - Pepino
- The Gigolo (1960) - Pepino
- The Delegates (1960) - Pepino
- The Jinx (1960) - Pepino
- Where There's a Will (1960) - Pepino
- The Tycoon (1960) - Pepino
- That Was No Lady (1960) - Pepino
- How to Discover Oil (1960) - Pepino
- First Date (1960) - Pepino
- The Lawsuit (1959) - Pepino
- The Television Set (1959) - Pepino
- The Perfume Salesman (1959) - Pepino
- How to Build a Boat (1959) - Pepino
- The Marriage Broker (1959) - Pepino
- The Ghostbreakers (1959) - Pepino
- Pepino Takes a Bride (1959) - Pepino
- Grandpa Fights the Air Force (1959) - Pepino
- Gas Station (1959) - Pepino
- The Fighter and the Lady (1959) - Pepino
- The Weaker Sex (1959) - Pepino
- The Garden Club (1959) - Pepino
- Work No More, My Lady (1959) - Pepino
- Fire When Ready, Grandpa (1959) - Pepino
- The Actor (1959) - Pepino
- Grandpa's New Job (1959) - Pepino
- The Big Skeet Shoot (1959) - Pepino
- How to Paint a House (1959) - Pepino
- The Insurance Policy (1959) - Pepino
- The Tax Man Cometh (1959) - Pepino
- Two's Company (1959) - Pepino
- Go Fight City Hall (1959) - Pepino
- Sweet Fifteen (1959) - Pepino
- Batter Up (1959) - Pepino
- What's Family For? (1959) - Pepino
- Kate's Diet (1959) - Pepino
- The Wedding (1959) - Pepino
- The Rainmaker (1959) - Pepino
- Kate Learns to Drive (1959) - Pepino
- Son of the Mystic Nile (1959) - Pepino
- The Great Discovery (1959) - Pepino
- The Bank Loan (1959) - Pepino
- Luke Gets a Job (1959) - Pepino
- The New Hired Hand (1958) - Pepino
- The Gift (1958) - Pepino
- The Perfect Swine (1958) - Pepino
- Do You Kiss Your Wife? (1958) - Pepino
- Sing for Your Supper (1958) - Pepino
- The New Well (1958) - Pepino
- The Dancin' Fool (1958) - Pepino
- Blow the House Down (1958) - Pepino
- Grampa Learns About Teenagers (1958) - Pepino
- The New Car (1958) - Pepino
- The Corn-Eating Contest (1958) - Pepino
- Her Flaming Youth (1958) - Pepino
- The Homely Boy (1958) - Pepino
- You Can't Always Be a Hero (1958) - Pepino
- The Volunteer Fire Department (1958) - Pepino
- The New Look (1958) - Pepino
- Three Is a Crowd (1958) - Pepino
- When a Fellow Needs a Friend (1958) - Pepino
- Kate's Career (1958) - Pepino
- For Love or Money (1958) - Pepino
- Grampa's Birthday (1958) - Pepino
- My Favorite Uncle (1958) - Pepino
- The Honeymoon (1958) - Pepino
- Grampa's Proposal (1958) - Pepino
- Time to Retire (1958) - Pepino
- Little Luke's Education (1958) - Pepino
- The Goodys Come to Town (1958) - Pepino
- The Matchmaker (1958) - Pepino
- The Lady's Man (1958) - Pepino
- Grandpa and the Driver's License (1958) - Pepino
- Let's Be Buddies (1957) - Pepino
- Gambling Is a Sin (1957) - Pepino
- The Bigger They Are (1957) - Pepino
- It's a Woman's World (1957) - Pepino
- The Fishing Contest (1957) - Pepino
- Grandpa's Date (1957) - Pepino
- Luke Gets His Freedom (1957) - Pepino
- You Can't Cheat an Honest Man (1957) - Pepino
- Grampa Sells His Gun (1957) - Pepino
- Kate's Dress (1957) - Pepino (credit only)
- The Egg War (1957) - Pepino
- Californy, Here We Come (1957) - Pepino
1956
You Can't Run Away from It as
Gas Station Attendant (uncredited)
1956
Rock Around the Clock as
Tony Martinez
1955
The Naked Dawn as
Vicente
1954
The Lone Wolf (TV Series) as
Muggy
- The Savage (1954) - Muggy
1954
The Colgate Comedy Hour (TV Series) as
Actor
- Episode #4.28 (1954) - Actor
1953
Second Chance (uncredited)
1952
The Ring as
Go-Go
1950
El ciclón del Caribe
1950
Barricade as
Peso
1948
Angel on the Amazon as
Bellhop (uncredited)
Soundtrack
1958
The Real McCoys (TV Series) (performer - 2 episodes)
- Pepino McCoy (1960) - (performer: "Cuanto La Gusta", "Pepino" - uncredited)
- Grampa's Birthday (1958) - (performer: "Happy Birthday To You" - uncredited)
1956
Rock Around the Clock (performer: "Sad and Lonely (Solo Y Triste)", "Cueros (Skins)", "Mambo Capri", "Codfish and Potatoes" (aka "Bacalao Con Papa")) / (writer: "Mambo Rock", "Sad and Lonely (Solo Y Triste)", "Cueros (Skins)", "Mambo Capri", "Codfish and Potatoes" (aka "Bacalao Con Papa"))
Self
2000
The Real McCoys Reunion (TV Special) as
Self
1969
Della (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode #1.53 (1969) - Self
1954
The Spike Jones Show (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode #1.18 (1954) - Self

References

Tony Martinez (actor) Wikipedia


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