Richard Edward Botiller (October 26, 1896 – March 24, 1953) was an American character actor of the 1930s and 1940s. While most of his roles were un-credited, many of them nameless as well, he was given more substantial roles occasionally.
Dick Botiller | |
|---|---|
 Screen capture of Botiller | |
| Born | Richard Edward Botiller October 26, 1896 Bakersfield, California, U.S. |
| Died | March 24, 1953 (aged 56) Ridgecrest, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1933–52 |
Life and career
editBotiller was born on October 26, 1896, in Bakersfield, California. He entered the film industry in 1933, debuting with an unnamed, un-credited role in the western, Silent Men.[1] During the 1930s and 1940s Botiller appeared in over 150 films, film shorts, and film serials. He frequently played a henchman, and sometimes an Indian. Some of his more notable roles include: as Little Feather in Range Warfare (1934);[2] as Felipe Farley in the 1935 western Cheyenne Tornado;[3] as Bald Eagle in 1936's West of Nevada;[4] as Hernandez in Torrid Zone (1940);[5] as Nardo in the 1940 crime drama Dark Streets of Cairo;[6] and as Indian Pete in The Yellow Rose of Texas;[7]
Other notable films in which Botiller appeared include: the classic war drama, The Charge of the Light Brigade, starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland, in which he played a native;[8] as an Indian in Cecil B. DeMille's historical drama, Union Pacific, starring Barbara Stanwyck and Joel McCrea;[9] as a tourist in the 1939 drama, Only Angels Have Wings, starring Cary Grant and Jean Arthur, which is considered to be one of Howard Hawks' finest films;[10][11] as a warrior in the Bob Hope and Bing Crosby comedy classic, Road to Morocco (1942);[12] in the classic World War I drama, For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943), starring Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman, in which he played a sergeant;[13] as a native officer in the classic World War II romance, Casablanca, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman;[14] as an aide in the 1944 version of Kismet, starring Ronald Colman;[15] and in as an unnamed character in one of his final roles in Humphrey Bogart's 1951 drama, Sirocco.[16] Botiller's final appearance was as a cattleman (un-credited) in the 1952 western Smoky Canyon, one of Charles Starrett's Durango Kid films.[17] In addition to his feature work, Botiller also appeared in numerous film serials, including: in several different roles in 1934's The Return of Chandu, starring Béla Lugosi; as Cottonwood in The Miracle Rider (1935), starring Tom Mix; as a phantom raider in The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (1938), starring Bill Elliott; as Yellow Snake in The Oregon Trail (1939), starring Johnny Mack Brown; as Krause in the 1942 serial Captain Midnight, starring Dave O'Brien.[18]
Botiller died on March 24, 1953, in Ridgecrest, California.
Selected filmography
edit- The Man Trailer (1934)
- Wild Mustang (1935)
- Lightning Triggers (1935)
- Outlaw Rule (1935)
- Gun Play (1935)
- Million Dollar Haul (1935)
- The Cheyenne Tornado (1935)
- Arizona Bad Man (1935)
- The Traitor (1936)
- Gun Smoke (1936)
- South of Arizona (1938)
- Pioneer Trail (1938)
- The Pinto Kid (1941)
- Dizzy Detectives (1943)
- The Return of the Durango Kid (1945)
- Smoky Canyon (1952)
References
edit- ^ "Silent Men (1933)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
- ^ "Range Warfare: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ^ "Cheyenne Tornado: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ^ "West of Nevada: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ^ "Torrid Zone: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ^ "Dark Streets of Cairo: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ^ "The Yellow Rose of Texas: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ^ "The Charge of the Light Brigade: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ^ "Union Pacific: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ^ "Only Angels Have Wings: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ^ McCarthy, Todd (1997). Howard Hawks: The Grey Fox of Hollywood. New York: Grove Press. p. 276. ISBN 0-8021-1598-5.
- ^ "Road to Morocco: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ^ "For Whom the Bell Tolls: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ^ "Casablanca: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ^ "Kismet: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ^ "Sirocco: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ^ "Smoky Canyon (1952): Full Cast & Crew". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
- ^ "Dick Botiller (1896–1953)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved July 31, 2015.