Henry Calvin

Infobox actor
name = Henry Calvin


imagesize = 250px
caption = Henry Calvin as Sergeant Garcia in "Zorro"
birthdate = birth date|1918|5|25
location = Dallas, Texas
deathdate = death date and age|1975|10|6|1918|5|25
birthname = Wimberly Calvin Goodman
othername =
notable role = Sergeant Garcia

Henry Calvin (May 25,1918-October 6,1975) was an American comic actor best known for his role as Sergeant Garcia on Walt Disney's live-action television series "Zorro" (1957-1959).

Life and career

Born Wimberly Calvin Goodman on May 25, 1918 in Dallas, Texas,cite web
last =
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title = Henry Calvin
work = Internet Broadway Database
publisher =
date =
url = http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=79059
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accessdate = 2008-02-08] cite web
last = Cotter
first = Bill
title = Zorro - A History of the Series
work = Walt Disney's Zorro tribute site
publisher =
date = 1998-2004
url = http://www.billcotter.com/zorro/history-of-series.htm
accessmonthday=7 February | accessyear=2008] the future actor sang in the choir of his local Baptist church as a child; he was often the featured soloist. After graduating from public school he attended Southern Methodist University before pursuing a career as an actor and singer.cite web
last =
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coauthors =
title = Henry Calvin
work = Zorro Fanz Central
publisher =
date = 2007
url = http://www.zorrofanzcentral.com/henry.html
format =
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accessdate = 2008-02-08] Calvin hosted a 1950 NBC radio show and appeared on Broadway (most notably in "Kismet" as the The Wazir of Police). In 1952, he portrayed Big Ben on the children's TV series "Howdy Doody".fact|date=March 2008 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 alter ego, 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 drink. 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 in one episode. After the series ended due to a contract dispute with ABC, he reprised the role of Garcia in all four "Zorro" stories that aired as part of "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color" in 1960 and 1961.

He also appeared in the 1960 film "Toby Tyler" as gruff 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, who co-starred in "Zorro" as Bernardo. Toby Tyler was played by Kevin Corcoran, a prolific child actor 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" for Disneyland Records, a recording that was later reissued as part of a "Peter Pan" soundtrack CD. He also sang "We Won't Be Happy Till We Get It" with Ray Bolger 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 an episode of "The Dick Van Dyke Show", his character performed a comedy sketch as Oliver Hardy, opposite Dick Van Dyke's Rob Petrie character as Stan Laurel. [cite video
people = Calvin, Henry and Van Dyke, Dick
date2 = 1963-02-05
month2 =
year2 =
title = "The Sam Pomerantz Scandals", The Dick Van Dyke Show
url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0559842/
format = black and white
medium = DVD
publisher = Image Entertainment
location =
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accessyear = 2008
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quote = ]

He also kept in touch with other members of the "Zorro" cast, even traveling with Guy Williams to Argentina in 1973 to attend a charity event. He died in Dallas from throat cancer in 1975, at the age of 57; his burial was located at its cemetery Grove Hill Memorial Park. There is a Mexican cuisine restaurant in Forest Hills, New York named after Calvin's famous television role.

elected credits

# "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." (in "The Monks of St. Thomas Affair", 1966) as Brother Peter
# "The Girl from U.N.C.L.E." (in "The Prisoner of Zalamar Affair", 1966) as Sheikh Ali Hassen
# "Ship of Fools" (1965) as Fat Man
# "The Dick Van Dyke Show" (in "The Sam Pomerantz Scandals", 1963) as Sam Pomerantz
# "Babes in Toyland" (1961) as Gonzorgo
# "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color" (in four "Zorro" episodes, 1960-1961) as Sergeant Garcia
# "Toby Tyler, or Ten Weeks with a Circus" (1960) as Ben Cotter
# "Zorro" (1957-1959) as Sgt. Demetrio Lopez Garcia
# "The Yeomen of the Guard" ("Hallmark Hall of Fame") (1957) (TV) as Wilfred Shadbolt
# "The Broken Star" (1956) as Thornton W. Wills
# "Crime Against Joe" (1956) as Red Waller

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0130886|name=Henry Calvin
* [http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=79059 Henry Calvin in the Internet Broadway Database (IBDB)]