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The 'brains' and 'action' heavies who had meaty roles and lots of dialog ... and the players who were fathers, ranch owners, lawman, mayors, judges, lawyers, storekeepers, newspaper editors, wardens, etc.



(Courtesy of Jack Tillmany)




(Courtesy of Ed Tabor)

Above clip on Julian Rivero is from a 1932 edition of the Standard Casting Directory. At that time, the Bill and Sabel Dunn Agency also handled Bob Steele.
Julian Rivero

Full name: Frederick Julian B. Rivero

1890 - 1976


Julian Rivero was born in San Francisco or Texas, depending on the source.

He started his Hollywood film career doing bit parts and supporting roles in 1920s silent films. By the 1930s, he was typecast in low budget sagebrush adventures, and I recall him working on both sides of the law. Some examples follow:

•  he was a 'Mexican bandido' or Mexican Army or military officer. Examples: he was a gang leader in the Bob Steele MAN FROM HELL'S EDGES (Sono Art-World Wide, 1932) and the Kermit Maynard PHANTOM PATROL (Ambassador, 1936); he was Mexican General Santa Anna in the weak HEROES OF THE ALAMO (Sunset, 1937); in Tim McCoy's ARIZONA GANG BUSTERS (PRC, 1940), Rivero plays a character nicknamed "Gringo" who turns out to be an undercover Mexican Rurales officer.

•  he portrayed a Spanish or Mexican owner of a ranch or mine or whatever that was being harassed by the local no-goods. Examples: he was Don Carlos Alvarado, Fay McKenzie's father, in one of Gene Autry's best, DOWN MEXICO WAY (Republic, 1941); Julian portrayed one of the Mexican ranchers being threatened by no-goods Walter Miller and Joseph Crehan in another fine Autry, GAUCHO SERENADE (Republic, 1940); he was the owner of a gold mine in the Jimmy Wakely TRAIL TO MEXICO (Monogram, 1946); and in Tim Holt's BORDER TREASURE (RKO, 1950), Rivero (minus his customary moustache) leads a mule train carrying donations to aid Mexican earthquake victims.

•  he did occasional sidekick duties (but not consistently with any one hero or in any series). Examples: he was a saddle pal to Tom Keene in BEYOND THE ROCKIES (RKO, 1932); with Jack Hoxie in LAW AND LAWLESS (Majestic, 1932); with Harry Carey Sr. in NIGHT RIDER (Artclass, 1932); with Tim McCoy in MAN OF ACTION (Columbia, 1933); with Tom Tyler in BORN TO BATTLE (Reliable, 1935); with Dick Foran in SONG OF THE SADDLE (Warner Bros., 1936); and with Ken Maynard in DEATH RIDES THE RANGE (Colony, 1940).

Some may recall a grim and vengeful Julian Rivero in the Bob Steele WESTERN JUSTICE (Supreme, 1935). Julian, Steele and lawman Lafe McKee wind up together on the trail of Arthur Loft. Loft and Rivero have a fight in the closing minutes ... and there's a knife ... and the scene changes and we learn that Loft has been skinned alive.

Not all of Rivero's film work was in B-western programmers. In one of my favorites serials, BURN 'EM UP BARNES (Mascot, 1934), he goes offbeat and comical as Italian car mechanic "Tony". And in A grade films, he turns up as a peasant, a barber, a diplomat, a Mexican or Spanish soldier, etc. For example, he's a barber trimming Humphrey Bogart's hair in THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1948) and a servant in CAPTAIN FROM CASTILLE (1947) which starred Tyrone Power. And in the Cary Grant and Sophia Loren romantic comedy HOUSEBOAT (1958), guess who pops up in a small part - Julian Rivero!

Les Adams ran his trusty database, and Rivero's total sound screen performances number about 150 films of all varieties. Of that total, about 80 are westerns and a few serials. Rivero has about 20 film credits at Republic Pictures for the period 1935-1956, and most are B westerns.

Ed Tabor adds: "I met Julian Rivero about 1967. I was working at a company in Van Nuys, California and so did his daughter, Yvonne Preble. She arranged for a meeting at her home in Granada Hills, California. Unfortunately, Julian had been in a serious auto accident and was totally deaf, so there was little communication possible. I showed 16mm movies of several westerns in which he had good parts."

Ed also sent me a couple articles about Rivero and his two daughters, Lorraine and Yvonne. Both daughters did some small movie roles but settled on other careers.

The March 18, 1976 issue of the Santa Ana (California) Register newspaper had some celebrity death announcements: "... veteran of western films spanning 62 years was Julian Rivero, who died Feb. 24 (1976) at age 86. One of his better known films was 'The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.' His last performance was in 1975 as Gitano in the Bell Telephone Hour's 'The Red Pony'."

You may want to go to the In Search Of ... page on the Old Corral and then to the California Death Index. There you will find a record for Julian Rivero, born 7/25/1890 in California, and he passed away on 2/24/1976. There is a corresponding record in the Social Security Death Index (SSDI).

  Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Julian Rivero ... and very limited info on his daughters Lorraine and Yvonne:

          Julian Rivero: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0729480/
          Lorraine Rivero: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0729483/
          Yvonne Preble: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2349940/

The Family Search website has the 1942 World War II draft registration for Frederick Julian B. Rivero. His birth date and location are July 25, 1890 and San Francisco, California. He and wife Isabell reside at 1345 Miller Drive, West Hollywood, California, and his occupation is "Motion Pictures Free Lance": https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-16387-44611-51?cc=1861144

Find A Grave website has a photo of the marker for Julian (1890 - 1976) and Isobel Rivero (1904 - 1948) who are interred together at San Fernando Mission Cemetery, Mission Hills, Los Angeles County, California: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/76607616/julian-rivero





(From Old Corral collection)

In BEYOND THE ROCKIES (RKO, 1932), Tom Keene battles rustlers and is assisted by three helpers. The quartet of heroes are, from left to right, Ernie Adams, Julian Rivero, Tom Keene, and Hank Bell (and they called themselves "the roamin' rovers"). They even serenade us with some tunes around a campfire and at the ranch.



(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above - Julian Rivero doing sidekick duty with Tim McCoy in McCoy's MAN OF ACTION (Columbia, 1933).



(From Old Corral collection)

Above - Julian Rivero is the Spanish-garbed gent on the far left. William Desmond and Earl Dwire are in the darkened doorway. Blackie Whiteford is restraining hero Tom Tyler, and burly Dick Alexander has the butt of his six-shooter aimed at Tom's head. The heroine is Jean Carmen, who would later change her screen name to Julia Thayer and become the rider of the titled horse in Republic's cliffhanger, THE PAINTED STALLION (Republic, 1937). Prone on the step is Hank Bell, minus his usual moustache. From Tyler's BORN TO BATTLE (Reliable, 1935).



(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Left to right are Bob Steele, Julian Rivero and Lew Meehan in a lobby card from RIDIN' THE LONE TRAIL (A. W. Hackel/Republic, 1937). Rivero and Meehan were henchmen in this.



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