In Memoriam: PEDRO GONZALEZ GONZALEZ (1925-2006)

[AaronHandy3]

This just in from The Big Cartoon Forum:

Ebullient Mexican-American comedic actor Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez, who voiced several 1960s Speedy Gonzales cartoons from DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, died February 6 at 80.

He died of natural causes at his Culver City, California home, his grandson, actor Clifton Collins Jr., told the Los Angeles Times. Funeral services were held Friday morning at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Culver City.

A Texas native, Gonzalez Gonzalez appeared in dozens of movies, including The High and the Mighty and Rio Bravo. He frequently was the "comic relief" in Westerns, playing a Mexican in a service job, such as a barber or bartender.

In various incarnations of the live-action TV series Disneyland, he portrayed Bandido (as Pedro Gonzales) in The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1971) and the Mexican Driver (as Pedro Gonzalez-Gonzalez) in The Love Bug (1979). He was also featured in the EPCOT Mexico ride at Disney World.

The diminutive Gonzalez Gonzalez came to fame in 1953, when quizmaster Groucho Marx had him as a guest on You Bet Your Life. Gonzalez Gonzalez stole the show, singing part of "El Rancho Grande," showing off comedic dance skills and mugging wildly for the camera.

Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez is survived by his wife of 62 years, Leandra; son Ramiro; daughters Yolanda and Rosie; seven grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and brother Jose Gonzales- Gonzales, also an actor.



Of course, we Monkees fans will cherish the memory of Gonzalez Gonzalez in his guest role as Lupe the mechanic in Episode No. 33 of The Monkees TV series, "It's A Nice Place To Visit...", its second-season debut.

To absent friends...

[tv star collector]

Yes, I remember him from many, many movies and TV shows. An excellent
character actor.