Rodolfo Acosta

Mexican-American actor (1920–1974)

For the Colombian composer, see Rodolfo Acosta (composer).

Rodolfo Acosta

Acosta in One-Eyed Jacks (1961)

Born|

Rodolfo Acosta

(1920-07-29)July 29, 1920

El Paso, Texas, U.S.

Died| November 7, 1974(1974-11-07) (aged 54)

Woodland Hills, California, U.S.

Resting place| Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills
Occupation| Actor
Years active| 1946-1973
Spouses|

Jeanine Cohen

(m. 1945; div. 1957)​

Vera Martínez

(m. 1971; div. 1974)​

Children| 5

Rodolfo Pérez Acosta (July 29, 1920 - November 7, 1974)[1] was a Mexican-American character actor who became known for his roles as Mexican outlaws or American Indians in Hollywood western films. He was sometimes credited as Rudolph Acosta.[2]

## Early life and education

[edit]

Acosta was born to José Acosta and Alexandrina Pérez de Acosta on July 29, 1920 in the El Segundo Barrio of El Paso, Texas.[3][4] His father, a carpenter, moved the family to Los Angeles, where Acosta was raised and graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School.[3][5] Acosta studied drama at Los Angeles City College and UCLA and he appeared at the Pasadena Playhouse. At the age of 19, he received a scholarship to the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City where he studied for three years.[4] In 1943, during World War II, Acosta enlisted in the United States Navy, serving as a Yeoman[6] in Naval Intelligence.[3]

## Career

[edit]

After the war, Acosta worked on stage and in films which eventually led to a bit part in John Ford's 1947 film The Fugitive, directed by Emilio Fernández.[3] Fernandez wrote the role of the pimp Paco for Acosta in the 1949 film Salón México, for which Acosta earned a nomination as Best Supporting Actor at the 1950 Ariel Awards.[3] He then was placed on contract by Universal Studios, beginning with a small role in One Way Street (1950). Although Acosta was considered a romantic screen idol in Mexico and South America,[7] his burly body and strong features led to a long succession of roles as bandits, Native American warriors and outlaws in American films.[3] In The Tijuana Story (1957), he had a sympathetic leading role, but in general he spent his career as a familiar western antagonist.

Acosta was a regular as Vaquero on NBC's The High Chaparral from 1967–1969. Other television appearances included Cheyenne, Maverick, Zorro, Bonanza, and Daniel Boone. In 1959, Acosta played the Kiowa Chief Satanta in the third episode entitled "Yellow Hair" of the ABC western series The Rebel. In 1960 on Rawhide, he appeared as Ossolo, an Indian Medicine Man in "The Incident at Superstition Prairie". On the 1964 episode "A Book of Spanish Grammar" of Death Valley Days Acosta played Valdez, the traveling companion of Stephen F. Austin.

In 2013, Acosta along with Lee Marvin and Stuart Hamblen was inducted into Newhall, California's Walk of Western Stars during the annual Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival.[8]

## Personal life

[edit]

Acosta married Jeanine Cohen in 1945 in Casablanca while he was in the military.[9] In 1956, Cohen accused Acosta of adultery for sharing an apartment in Mexico City since 1953 with actress Ann Sheridan.[10] Acosta subsequently filed for divorce in 1959.[11] He later married Vera Martínez in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 18, 1971 and they divorced in October 1974.[12][13]

Acosta was the father of five children.[12] His son, Dante Acosta, is a politician in Santa Clarita, California[14]

On November 7, 1974, Acosta died of liver cancer at the Motion picture and Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, and was buried in Hollywood Hills at Forest Lawn Cemetery.[12]

## Filmography

[edit]

### Film

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

1946  | Soy un prófugo | Esbirro del jefe  |
1947  | The Fugitive | Policeman  | Uncredited
1948  | Song of the Siren |  |
Rosenda | Salustio Hernández (el tejón)  |
El gallero | El Meco  |
Beau Ideal | German Foreign Legionnaire  | Uncredited
1949  | Salón México | Paco  | Ariel Award nomination - Best Supporting Actor
Felipe de Jesús | Principe Chokozabe  |
La malquerida |  |
Prisión de sueños |  |
1950  | Vuelve Pancho Villa | Martín Corona  |
One Way Street | Francisco Morales  |
Pancho Villa Returns | Martín Corona  |
Between Your Love and Heaven | Miguel Ramírez  |
1951  | Victims of Sin | Rodolfo  |
Pecado | Arregui  |
Bullfighter and the Lady | Juan  |
The Lovers | Alejandro / Alex Montez  |
Sensuality | el Rizos  |
Las Islas Marías | El Silencio (The Silence)  |
Retorno al quinto patio | Don Pancho  |
La bienamada |  |
1952  | Acapulco | Alfredo  |
El puerto de los siete vicios | El falcón  |
El mar y tú | Don Rufino  |
El dinero no es la vida | Martín  |
Yo soy Mexicano de acá de este lado | Freddy Miranda  |
Yankee Buccaneer | Poulini  |
Horizons West | General José Escobar Lopez  |
Victims of Divorce | Antonio  |
1953  | El billetero | Marcos Aguirre Torres  |
San Antone | Chino Figueroa  |
Destination Gobi | Tomec  |
Wings of the Hawk | Arturo Torres  |
City of Bad Men | Joe Mendoza  |
Appointment in Honduras | Reyes  |
Hondo | Silva  |
1954  | Llévame en tus brazos | Agustín  |
Passion | Salvador Sandro  |
Drum Beat | Scarface Charlie  |
1955  | A Life in the Balance | Lt. Fernando  |
The Littlest Outlaw | Chato  |
1956  | The Proud Ones | Chico  |
Bandido! | Sebastian  |
1957  | Trooper Hook | Apache chief Nanchez  | Credited as Rudolfo Acosta
Apache Warrior | Marteen  |
The Tijuana Story | Manuel Acosta Mesa  |
1958  | The Last Rebel | 'Three Fingers' Jack  | credited as Rudolph Acosta
From Hell to Texas | Bayliss  |
1960  | Walk Like a Dragon | Sheriff Marguelez  | credited as Rudolph Acosta
Let No Man Write My Epitaph | Max  | credited as Rudolph Acosta
Flaming Star | Buffalo Horn  | credited as Rudolph Acosta
1961  | Posse from Hell | Johnny Caddo  | credited as Rudolph Acosta
One-Eyed Jacks | Mexican Rurale Captain  | credited as Rudolph Acosta
The Second Time Around | Rodriguez  | credited as Rudolph Acosta
1962  | How the West Was Won | Gant Gang Member  | Uncredited
1963  | Savage Sam | Bandy Legs  |
The Raiders | Cherokee Policeman  | Uncredited
1964  | Rio Conchos | Bloodshirt  |
1965  | The Greatest Story Ever Told | Captain of Lancers  |
The Sons of Katie Elder | Bondie Adams  |
Río Hondo | Camargo  |
The Reward | Patron  |
1966  | Return of the Seven | Lopez  | Credited as Rudy Acosta
And Should We Die | Gen. Rodolfo Fierro  |
1967  | The Violent Ones | Estevez  |
1968  | Dayton's Devils | Fishing Boat Captain  |
1969  | Impasse | Draco  |
Che! | Monje  | Uncredited
Young Billy Young | Mexican Officer  |
1970  | The Great White Hope | El Jefe  |
Flap | Storekeeper  |
1971  | Will to Die | Sheriff Dan Garcia  | Final film role

### Television

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

1956  | The Sheriff of Cochise | Jose Perado  | Episode: "Question of Honor"
1957  | Lux Video Theatre | Vorbeck  | Episode: "The Undesirable"
Playhouse 90 |  | Episode: "Without Incident"; credited as Rudolfo Acosta
Whirlybirds | Don Miguel Cordoba  | Episode: "Incident in Del Rio"
1957–1961  | Have Gun - Will Travel | Sanchez / John Wildhorse / Pedro Valdez  | 3 episodes
1958  | The Walter Winchell File | El Gato  | Episode: "The Stop-over"
Jefferson Drum | Mendoza  | Episode: "Bandidos"
1958–1960  | Zorro | Carancho / Perico  | 3 episodes; credited as Rudolph Acosta
1958  | Cheyenne | Lobos  | Season 3/Episode 17 - "Standoff"
1959  | Cheyenne | Luis Cardenas  | Season 4/Episode 3 - "The Rebellion"
1959  | U.S. Marshal | Captain Joe Silva  | Episode: "Gold Is Where You Find It"
Sugarfoot | Rafael  | Episode: "Small Hostage"
The Rebel | Satanta  | Episode: "Yellow Hair"
The Texan |  | Episode: "The Reluctant Bridegroom"
1959–1964  | Rawhide | Del Latigo / Arapahoe Leader / Ossolo / Chisera  | 4 episodes
1960 | Rawhide | Ossolo | S3:E7, "Incident at Superstition Prairie"
1959–1965  | Death Valley Days | Bandit Leader / Tony Alvado / Tall Rock / Valdez / Don Diego Archeluta / Chief Spotted Tail  | 6 episodes
1960  | The Gambler, the Nun and the Radio | Killer  | TV movie
Buick-Electra Playhouse | Killer  | Episode: "The Gambler, the Nun and the Radio"
The Magical World of Disney | Carancho  | 2 episodes
O'Conner's Ocean |  | TV movie
Rogue for Hire | El Tigre  | Episode: "Operation Jaguar"
1960–1962  | Bronco | Juan Rodriguez / Tomas Fierro  | 2 episodes
1961  | Cheyenne | Luis Boladas  | Season 6/Episode 5 - "Day's Pay"
1961  | One Step Beyond | Colonel Ferrero  | Episode: "Person Unknown"
The Barbara Stanwyck Show | Porfiro  | Episode: "Yanqui Go Home"
Tales of Wells Fargo | Red Knife  | Episode: "Tanoa"
1962  | Maverick | Sebastian Bolanes  | Episode: "Poker Face"
The Gallant Men | Lupo  | Episode: "Signals for an End Run"
1963  | The Virginian | Yaqui Leader  | Episode: "The Mountain of the Sun"
The Great Adventure | Lt. Bullhead  | 2 episodes
Young Men in a Hurry | Jose Rodriguez  | TV movie
1963–1964  | Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre | Colonel Lu / Tartar  | 2 episodes
1964  | The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters | Joe Oswego  | Episode: "The Day of the Tin Trumpet"
The Farmer's Daughter | Pedro Perez  | Episode: "Katy Gets Arrested"
1964–1970  | Bonanza | Sheriff Vincente Aranda / Matar / Lijah / Juan  | 4 episodes
1965  | The Big Valley | Rico  | Episode: "The Way to Kill a Killer"
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. | Captain Ramirez  | Episode: "The Very Important Zombie Affair"
1965–1966  | Daniel Boone | Running Fox / Gabriel  | 2 episodes
1966  | Iron Horse | Corporal  | Episode: "Cougar Man"
The Fugitive | First Mexican  | Episode: "Wine Is a Traitor"
1967  | Laredo | Luis Canzano  | Episode: "Scourge of San Rosa"
Valley of Mystery | Manuel Sanchez  | TV movie
Custer | Satanta  | Episode: "Sabers in the Sun"
Stranger on the Run | Mercurio  | TV movie
1967–1969  | The High Chaparral | Vaquero  | 22 episodes
1969  | Mission: Impossible | Presidente Miguel De Varo  | Episode: "The Vault"
The Outcasts | Chief Frente  | Episode: "The Stalking Devil"
1970  | Run, Simon, Run | Manuel  | TV movie
1971  | The Bold Ones: The Lawyers | Pablo Delgado  | Episode: "The Search for Leslie Grey"
Cade's County | Nacho Gutierrez  | Episode: "Crisscross"
O'Hara, U.S. Treasury | Caesar Dominguez  | Episode: "Operation: Heroin"
1971–1973  | Ironside | Sgt. Ramirez / The Police Chief  | 2 episodes; final role
1972  | Hec Ramsey | Kitami  | Episode: "Mystery of the Green Feather"

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Ellenberger, Allan R. (2001). Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory. McFarland & Company. p. 79.
2. ^ Hoffman, Henryk (2000). "A" Western Filmmakers A Biographical Dictionary of Writers, Directors, Cinematographers, Composers, Actors and Actresses. McFarland. p. 447\. ISBN 9780786406968.
3. ^ a b c d e f Reyes, Luis; Rubie, Peter (October 1, 2000). Hispanics in Hollywood. Lone Eagle. p. 412\. ISBN 978-1580650250.
4. ^ a b "Rodolfo Acosta in "Apache Warrior" : About Rodolfo Acosta". SCTVHistory.com. Santa Clarita Valley Public Television. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
5. ^ Lincolnian. Los Angeles: Abraham Lincoln High School. 1939. p. 28.
6. ^ Burial plot for Rodolph Acosta Perez (gravestone). Forest Lawn Memorial Park. c. 1974. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
7. ^ "Focus on Rodolfo Acosta". The High Chaparral News. January 14, 2009. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
8. ^ Mooney, Luke (April 19, 2013). "Three inducted into Walk of Western Stars". The Santa Clarita Valley Signal. p. A10.
9. ^ "Three's a Crowd". The Argus. Mexico City. November 2, 1956. p. 3.
10. ^ "Actress Named in Adultery Action". News-Pilot. Mexico City. November 1, 1956. p. 1.
11. ^ "Mexican Actor Seeks to Use Wife's Charge to Obtain Divorce". The Sacramento Bee. January 5, 1957. p. 3.
12. ^ a b c Aaker, Everett (2017). Television Western Players, 1960–1975: A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland. p. 5.
13. ^ "Actor linked to Ann Sheridan seeks divorce". Los Angeles Times. May 21, 1959. p. 2.
14. ^ Money, Luke (April 22, 2014). "Acosta to be officially seated during special City Council meeting today". Santa Clarita Valley Signal. p. A6.

## Further reading

[edit]

* De la Mora, Sergio (January 28, 2009). Cinemachismo: Masculinities and Sexuality in Mexican Film. Austin: University of Texas Press. pp. 48–57\. ISBN 978-0-292-71296-6. Analysis of Acosta's performances in Víctimas del Pecado and Salon Mexico.

## External links

[edit]

* Biography portal
* Mexico portal
* California portal
* Los Angeles portal
* Film portal
* Television portal

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rodolfo Acosta.

* Rodolfo Acosta at IMDb
* Rodolfo Acosta at Find a Grave

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Israel

Other|

* IdRef
* Yale LUX

*[m.]: married
*[div.]: divorced