Richard Martin (actor)

Richard Martin (December 12, 1917 – September 4, 1994) was a prolific RKO contract actor. He was most known for his role as Chito Rafferty, the Irish-Mexican western comedy relief sidekick of Tim Holt. Before their pairing, Martin originated the role in the 1943 film Bombardier.

Biography

Though born in Spokane, Washington, Martin's family moved to a Mexican neighbourhood in West Hollywood, California, where he learned to imitate his friends.[1] He began in films by working as a receptionist for MGM.[2] When a friend made a bet with his agent that the agent couldn't get Martin an actor's contract, Martin's agent won the bet.[3] He became a prolific contract player for RKO Pictures in 1942 often appearing unbilled.

Hollywood's World War II films often featured many ethnic American enlisted men, and Martin first played Chito Rafferty as a contemporary air crewman in Bombardier. He soon repeated the role in the western Nevada opposite Robert Mitchum. He appeared opposite a few other stars in RKO Westerns.[4]

After the war, Martin left RKO and had the main role in the last Universal Pictures film serial The Mysterious Mr. M as well as the title role in a 1947 Cinecolor Western The Adventures of Don Coyote. When Tim Holt, back from the war, was hired by producer Herman Schlom to star in a western series, the two pondered whom they could get for a sidekick. Schlom recalled Martin's Rafferty character from Nevada.[5] Martin returned to RKO in the same year in his first appearance alongside Holt in Under the Tonto Rim, the first of 29 films together that were initially based on stories by Zane Grey.

As B westerns and exclusive studio contracts gradually ended in the 1950s, Martin found himself out of work and unable to find any due to his ethnic characterisation. He became an insurance salesman, then came back for one last western, Four Fast Guns in 1960.

Chito Rafferty

Martin originated the Mexican-Irish character of Chito Rafferty, whose full name was "Chito Jose Gonzales Bustamonte Rafferty" in 1943's war film Bombardier. The character went on to appear in a further thirty-four films, all of them Westerns: 1944's Nevada and 1945's West of the Pecos, both of which starred Robert Mitchum; 1945's Wanderer of the Wasteland, which starred James Warren; 1946's Sunset Pass and 1947's Code of the West, in which the role was not played by Martin but by John Laurenz; then a further 29 films, all of which featured Chito Rafferty as the sidekick to a different hero, always played by Tim Holt: Thunder Mountain, Under the Tonto Rim and Wild Horse Mesa in 1947, Western Heritage, The Arizona Ranger, Guns of Hate, Indian Agent and Gun Smugglers in 1948, Brothers in the Saddle, Riders of the Range, Rustlers, Stagecoach Kid, The Mysterious Desperado and Masked Raiders in 1949, Storm Over Wyoming, Rider from Tucson, Dynamite Pass, Border Treasure, Rio Grande Patrol and Law of the Badlands in 1950, Saddle Legion, Gunplay, Pistol Harvest, Hot Lead and Overland Telegraph in 1951, and Trail Guide, Road Agent, Target and Desert Passage in 1952.

Personal life

Martin met his wife, former fashion model and actress Elaine Riley, on a film set in Carmel, where a scheduled four-day shoot stretched to three weeks because of fog[6] He was married to Elaine Riley from 1946 until his death. They worked together only once, in Rider from Tucson (1950), but were regarded as one of Hollywood’s happiest couples.[7] When Howard Hughes cancelled Martin’s contract at RKO in 1953, he left Hollywood to set up an insurance business. The couple had no children.

Quotes

The Irish in me is for fight; the Mexican for love

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1942Call Out the MarinesMarine Corporal in CaféUncredited
1942Mexican Spitfire at SeaStewardUncredited
1942My Favorite SpyNightclub PatronUncredited
1942The Mayor of 44th StreetOffice ClerkUncredited
1942Mexican Spitfire Sees a GhostEpping's ChauffeurUncredited
1942Thundering HoofsMan at DanceUncredited
1942The Big StreetMinor RoleUncredited
1942The Falcon's BrotherSteamship OfficialUncredited
1942Army SurgeonSoldier-PatientUncredited
1942Seven Days' LeaveSoldierUncredited
1942Seven Miles from AlcatrazSecond Radio OperatorUncredited
1942Red River Robin HoodRobbed Rancher's SonUncredited
1943Hitler's ChildrenGestapo ManUncredited
1943Ladies' DaySox PlayerUncredited
1943BombardierChito Rafferty
1943The Leopard ManRaoul BelmonteUncredited
1943The Falcon in DangerGeorge Morley
1943The Adventures of a RookieBob Prescott
1943The Iron MajorDavid 'Davie' Cavanaugh
1943Gangway for TomorrowJulesUncredited
1943Tender ComradeMike Dumbrowski
1944Marine RaidersPfc. Jimmy Fowler
1944NevadaChito Rafferty
1945Having Wonderful CrimeLance Richards
1945Wanderer of the WastelandChito Rafferty
1945West of the Pecos
1946The Bamboo BlondeJim Wilson
1946The Mysterious Mr. MDetective Lieutenant Kirby Walsh
1947The Adventures of Don CoyoteDon Coyote
1947Thunder MountainChito Rafferty
1947Under the Tonto RimChito Rafferty
1947Wild Horse MesaChito Rafferty
1948Western HeritageChito Rafferty
1948The Arizona RangerChito Rafferty
1948Guns of HateChito Rafferty
1948Indian AgentChito Rafferty
1948Gun SmugglersChito Rafferty
1949Brothers in the SaddleChito Rafferty
1949RustlersChito Rafferty
1949Stagecoach KidChito Rafferty
1949Masked RaidersChito Rafferty
1949The Mysterious DesperadoChito Rafferty
1950Riders of the RangeChito Rafferty
1950Dynamite PassChito Rafferty
1950Storm Over WyomingChito Rafferty
1950Rider from TucsonChito Rafferty
1950Border TreasureChito Rafferty
1950Rio Grande PatrolChito Rafferty
1951Law of the BadlandsChito Rafferty
1951Saddle LegionChito Rafferty
1951GunplayChito Rafferty
1951Pistol HarvestChito Rafferty
1951Hot LeadChito Rafferty
1951Overland TelegraphChito Rafferty
1952Trail GuideChito Rafferty
1952Road AgentChito Rafferty
1952TargetChito Rafferty
1952Desert PassageChito Rafferty
1952The RaidersFelipe de Ortega
1957Hell BoundDock WorkerUncredited
1960Four Fast GunsQuijano(final film role)

Notes
  1. https://www.allmovie.com/artist/richard-martin-101481
  2. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0552955/bio
  3. https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/07/obituaries/richard-martin-75-actor-in-westerns.html
  4. http://offscreen.com/view/tim-holt-and-the-b-western
  5. p.187 Rothel, David Those Great Cowboy Sidekicks 1984 Scarecrow Press
  6. https://articles.latimes.com/1994-09-05/local/me-34929_1_richard-martin
  7. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/12076279/Elaine-Riley-actress-obituary.html
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