Anthony Caruso (April 7, 1916 – April 4, 2003) was an American character actor in more than one hundred American films. He was known for his villains and gangsters, including the first season of Walt Disney's Zorro as Captain Juan Ortega, and in numerous films noirs.

Early life

Caruso was born in Frankfort, Indiana to Italian-American parents.

Career

While acting at the Pasadena Playhouse, he met Alan Ladd, beginning a friendship that continued as they made 11 films together.

Caruso's early acting experience included performing with The Hart Players, a stock theater company that presented tent shows. He also acted with the Federal Theatre Project and was a star in plays at the Hollywood Playhouse.

He made his film debut in Henry Hathaway's Johnny Apollo (1940) starring Tyrone Power. He is best known for his numerous portrayals of gangsters and villains in film noir, including Incident (1948), The Undercover Man (1949), Scene of the Crime (1949), and The Asphalt Jungle (1950).

Moving to television, Caruso played Tiburcio Vásquez in a 1954 episode of the Western series Stories of the Century. He appeared in the first Brian Keith series, Crusader. Among Caruso's other Western credits was 1954's Cattle Queen of Montana starring Barbara Stanwyck and Ronald Reagan. In 1957, he appeared in the fourth episode of the first season of the TV Western Have Gun – Will Travel starring Richard Boone titled "The Winchester Quarantine".

In 1956 Caruso appeared as Disalin with war hero Audie Murphy, Charles Drake and Anne Bancroft in Walk the Proud Land.

In 1957, Caruso appeared in episode "The Child" on NBC's The Restless Gun."The Child", The Restless Gun, DVD, Timeless Media Group. In 1959, he was cast as George Bradley in the episode "Annie's Old Beau" on the NBC children's Western series, Buckskin.

That same year, he portrayed Matt Cleary on CBS's Wanted: Dead or Alive episode "The Littlest Client", with Steve McQueen. Also 1959, he also guest-starred on the ABC/Warner Brothers Western series, Sugarfoot, in the episode "The Extra Hand", along with guest stars Karl Swenson and Jack Lambert as well as the series star, Will Hutchins. The same year he appeared in the 'Syndicate Sanctuary' episode of The Untouchables.

In 1960, Caruso played a Cherokee Indian, Chief White Bull, in the episode "The Long Trail" of the NBC Western series, Riverboat, starring Darren McGavin.

Caruso played a cowboy named Gurney on Gunsmoke in "Shooting Stopover" in 1960. He also played "Lone Wolf" in a 1961 episode entitled "Indian Ford". He returned in 1962, playing Cody Durham in "Cody's Code". In 1963 he played the title character "Ash Farior", in a performance outside of his normal roles, partnering with & befriending "Ben" (John Dehner), where the latter has an accident that disrupts his brain, and Caruso shows his friend sympathy, love, patience, care & loyalty.

In 1961, he appeared twice on the ABC/Warner Brothers drama series, The Roaring 20s, including the role of Lucky Lombardi in "The Maestro". He was also cast with Will Hutchins in a second The Roaring 20s episode entitled, "Pie in the Sky." Early in 1961, he was cast as Velde in the episode "Willy's Millionaire" of the short-lived ABC adventure series, The Islanders, with Diane Brewster.

Caruso guest-starred in an episode of the ABC Western series, The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, based on a Robert Lewis Taylor novel of the same name. Caruso guest-starred three times on CBS's Perry Mason. In 1962, he played Keith Lombard in "The Case of the Playboy Pugilist." In 1965, he made two Perry Mason appearances, both times as the murder victim: first as title character Enrico Bacio in "The Case of the Sad Sicilian," then as Harvey Rettig in "The Case of the Runaway Racer."

In 1964, he guest-starred in the Bonanza episode "The Saga of Squaw Charlie" playing a Native American man shunned by almost everybody and with only two friends, Ben Cartwright and a little girl named Angela. In 1964 he played "Sims", a surly cowboy in "Father's Love", as well as "Bull Foot" in a semi-comedic role in the episode "The Warden". In 1969 he starred alongside Ricardo Montalbán in The Desperate Mission, a fictionalized telling of the life of Joaquin Murrieta. From 1966 to 1970 he guest-starred three times on the long-running NBC Western The Virginian, starring James Drury. In 1965 he guest-starred on ABC's The Addams Family as Don Xavier Molinas.

Some of his other roles were that of the alien gangster "Bela Oxmyx" in the classic Star Trek episode "A Piece of the Action", Chief Blackfish on the NBC series Daniel Boone, Mongo in the film Tarzan and the Leopard Woman, Sengo in Tarzan and the Slave Girl, and Louis Ciavelli (the "box man" or safecracker) in The Asphalt Jungle. Caruso played the comical character of the Native American "Red Cloud" on the 1965 Get Smart episode "Washington 4, Indians 3," and Chief Angry Bear in the episode "You Can't Scalp a Bald Indian" of Rango.

In 1970, Caruso made a guest appearance on the ABC crime drama The Silent Force in the episode "A Family Tradition." In 1974, he appeared in the final episode, entitled "The Fire Dancer," of the ABC police drama Nakia. Caruso also had a recurring roll as El Lobo on The High Chaparral.

Personal life and death Caruso met his future wife, Tonia at the Alcazar Theater in 1939 in San Francisco, when the play she was in was closing and the play he was in was opening. Caruso was married for 63 years. He enjoyed gardening and cooking.

On April 4, 2003, Caruso died at age 86 at his home in Los Angeles, California, three days before his 87th birthday.

Selected filmography

Johnny Apollo (1940) as Joe – Henchman The Bride Wore Crutches (1940) as Max North West Mounted Police (1940) as Half-breed at Riel's HQ (uncredited) The Devil's Pipeline (1940) as Natoni – Henchman (uncredited) Tall, Dark and Handsome (1941) as Gunman The Corsican Brothers (1941) as Baron's Henchman (uncredited) You're in the Army Now (1941) as Apache Dancer (uncredited) Always in My Heart (1942) as Frank Sunday Punch (1942) as Nat Cucci Across the Pacific (1942) as Taxi Driver (uncredited) Lucky Jordan (1942) as Hired Gun The Ghost and the Guest (1943) as Henchman Ted Above Suspicion (1943) as Italian Border Sentry (uncredited) Jitterbugs (1943) as Mike (uncredited) Watch on the Rhine (1943) as Italian Man The Girl from Monterrey (1943) as Alberto 'Baby' Valdez The Phantom (1943, Serial) as Count Silento (uncredited) Whistling in Brooklyn (1943) as Henchman Fingers (uncredited) The Racket Man (1944) as Tony Ciccardi (uncredited) The Story of Dr. Wassell (1944) as Pharmacist's Mate on 'Marblehead' (uncredited) U-Boat Prisoner (1944) as Benny, Seaman's Union Hall Man (uncredited) Maisie Goes to Reno (1944) as George – Blackjack Dealer (uncredited) The Conspirators (1944) as Fisherman (uncredited) And Now Tomorrow (1944) as Peter Gallo (uncredited) Objective, Burma! (1945) as Miggleori (uncredited) The Crime Doctor's Courage (1945) as Miguel Bragga Don Juan Quilligan (1945) as One Eyed Barton (uncredited) Pride of the Marines (1945) as Johnny Rivers Star in the Night (1945) Jas osé Santos (as Tony Caruso) I Love a Bandleader (1945) as Tony Ramon, Bandleader at El Caro (uncredited) That Night with You (1945) as Tenor (uncredited) The Stork Club (1945) as Joe – Fisherman (uncredited) Tarzan and the Leopard Woman (1946) as Mongo To Each His Own (1946) as Mobster (uncredited) Night Editor (1946) as Tusco (uncredited) The Blue Dahlia (1946) as Marine Corporal Playing Jukebox (uncredited) The Catman of Paris (1946) as Raoul Don't Gamble with Strangers (1946) as Pinky Luiz The Last Crooked Mile (1946) as Charlie – Gang Member Monsieur Beaucaire (1946) as Masked Horseman (uncredited) My Favorite Brunette (1947) as First Man on Death Row (uncredited) They Won't Believe Me (1947) as Tough Patient (uncredited) News Hounds (1947) as Dapper Dan Greco Wild Harvest (1947) as Pete Escape Me Never (1947) as Dino Carbatto (uncredited) Where There's Life (1947) as John Fulda Devil Ship (1947) as Venetti To the Victor (1948) as Nikki Incident (1948) as Nails Song of India (1949) as Major Doraj Bride of Vengeance (1949) as Captain of the Guard The Undercover Man (1949) as Salvatore Rocco Illegal Entry (1949) as Teague Anna Lucasta (1949) as Eddie Scene of the Crime (1949) as Tony Rutzo The Threat (1949) as Nick Damon The Asphalt Jungle (1950) as Louis Ciavelli Tarzan and the Slave Girl (1950) as Sengo Prisoners in Petticoats (1950) as Nicky Bowman According to Mrs. Hoyle (1951) as Morganti His Kind of Woman (1951) as Tony (uncredited) Pals of the Golden West (1951) as Lucky Grillo aka Jim Bradford Boots Malone (1952) as Joe Desert Pursuit (1952) as Hassan The Iron Mistress (1952) as Black Jack Sturdevant Blackbeard the Pirate (1952) as Pierre La Garde Adventures of Superman (1953) as Luigi Dinelli The Man Behind the Gun (1953) as Vic Sutro Desert Legion (1953) as Lt. Massaoud Raiders of the Seven Seas (1953) as Renzo Fort Algiers (1953) as Chavez The Steel Lady (1953) as Zagora Fighter Attack (1953) as Aldo The Boy from Oklahoma (1954) as Barney Turlock Saskatchewan (1954) as Spotted Eagle Phantom of the Rue Morgue (1954) as Jacques the One-Eyed Passion (1954) as Sergeant Muñoz Drum Beat (1954) as Manok Cattle Queen of Montana (1954) as Natchakoa Santa Fe Passage (1955) as Chavez The Magnificent Matador (1955) as Emiliano City of Shadows (1955) as Tony Finetti Jail Busters (1955) as Percival P. Lannigan Tennessee's Partner (1955) as Turner Toughest Man Alive (1955) as Pete Gore Hell on Frisco Bay (1956) as Sebastian Pasmonick When Gangland Strikes (1956) as Duke Martella Walk the Proud Land (1956) as Disalin A Cry in the Night (1956) as Tony Chavez The Big Land (1957) as Brog Have Gun - Will Travel (1957, Episode: "Winchester Quarantine") as Joseph Whitehorse The Oklahoman (1957) as Jim Hawk The Lawless Eighties (1957) as Wolf Chief Omar Khayyam (1957) as Shah's Guard (uncredited) Joe Dakota (1957) as Marcus Vizzini Baby Face Nelson (1957) as John Hamilton The Restless Gun (1957) as Father Basilico in "The Child" (Christmas episode) Fort Massacre (1958) as Pawnee The Badlanders (1958) as Comanche Legion of the Doomed (1958) as Sgt. Calvelli Never Steal Anything Small (1959) as Lt. Tevis The Wonderful Country (1959) as Santiago Santos Bonanza (1959, Episode: "The Paiute War") as Chief Winnemucca Have Gun - Will Travel (1960, Episode: "Return to Fort Benjamin") as Gimp Most Dangerous Man Alive (1961) as Andy Damon Gunsmoke (1962, S7E17: "Cody's Code") as CodyGunsmoke (1963, S8E23: "Ash" as Ash) Escape from Zahrain (1964) as Tahar Where Love Has Gone (1964) as Rafael Sylvia (1965) as Muscles Young Dillinger (1965) as Rocco Perry Mason (1965, Episode: "The Sad Sicilian") as Enrico Bacio Star Trek (1968, Episode: "A Piece of the Action") as Bela Okmyx Never a Dull Moment (1968) as Tony Preston (uncredited) Flap (1970) as Silver Dollar Brother, Cry for Me (1970) Eye for an Eye (1970) Mission Impossible (1971) as Leonard Morgan The Legend of Earl Durand (1974) as Sheriff Trask Mean Johnny Barrows (1975) as Don Da Vince Zebra Force (1976) as Salvatore Moreno Mission to Glory: A True Story (1977) as Father Rodriguez Claws (1977) as Henry Hawaii Five-O (1978) "Invitation to Murder" as David Thorpe Tierra sangrienta (1979) Savage Harbor (1987) as Harry The Legend of Grizzly Adams (1990) as Don Carlos (final film role)

References

External links