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Duncan Renaldo

Duncan Renaldo

Actor, also writer and producer · Died September 3, 1980, aged 76 · Oancea, Galați, Romania

To most audiences, Duncan Renaldo will always be identified as film and TV's "The Cisco Kid." However, this role occurred late in his career, which consisted of much more than just this western character. Not much is known about Renaldo's early life. In fact, his date and place of birth is still questioned. The usual given birth date is April 23, 1904. His birthplace has been generally stated as Spain--he has said that his first memories as a child were in Spain--although Romania and even New Jersey have been mentioned as well. An orphan, he never knew his actual parents and was never able to ascertain the exact date and place of his birth. He was raised and educated in various European countries and arrived in the US in the early 1920s as a stoker on a Brazilian coal ship. Entering the country on a 90-day seaman's permit, he stayed when his ship caught fire at the dock and burned to the waterline. A paltry existence as a portrait painter forced him to seek other work, and he somehow found his way into films as a producer of short features, which in turn led to on-camera work as an actor with MGM in 1928. The studio capitalized on his dashing Hispanic looks and initially typed him as a "Latin lover", but it didn't last long. In the early 1930s his career was interrupted when he was arrested and faced deportation due to his illegal immigrant status. The actor was eventually pardoned by President Franklin D. Roosevelt--his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, had bought one of Renaldo's paintings, looked into his case and persuaded her husband to pardon him. He returned to minor films for both Republic and Monogram, alternating as heroic sidekick and villain. He co-starred as one of the Three Mesquiteers in the revamped film series, and showed up regularly in 1930s and 1940s cliffhangers, including The Painted Stallion (1937), Jungle Menace (1937), Zorro Rides Again (1937), King of the Mounties (1942), Secret Service in Darkest Africa (1943) The Tiger Woman (1944). In 1945 he began the Cisco Kid film series and transferred the character successfully to TV in the early 1950s, with Leo Carrillo as faithful sidekick Pancho. Renaldo made the character clean-shaven and more of a do-gooder than the roguish bandit who actually was in the books. Renaldo retired soon after the series' demise and died years later at Goleta Valley Community Hospital in California of lung cancer in 1980.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 23, 1904
Died
September 3, 1980 (aged 76)
From
Oancea, Galați, Romania
Works as
Actor, also writer and producer
Titles
30 on MovieCove · 72 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 46% in 30 days

What are Duncan Renaldo's films like?

Across their 23 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama15 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 38th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 22nd percentile
: browse their Action movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
59%
Bonds
18%
Power
9%
Society
7%
Survival
4%
Self
1%
Ideas
1%
Justice17 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 22 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 17 · Serious 4 · Dark 1

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 19 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 7 · Charged 13 · Intense 2

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 17 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 10 · Some laughs 12 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 10 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 3

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 17 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 21 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

10 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 3 of 10 analyzed roles.

Ally
3 of 10
Hero
2 of 10
Mentor
1 of 10
Shapeshifter
1 of 10
Shadow
1 of 10
Trickster
1 of 10
Herald
1 of 10
Show the 10 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Thrilling
15
Tense
12
Hopeful
9
Warm
6
Romantic
5
Other
11

How their films linger

Fun15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy18
  • Bittersweet4
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Duncan Renaldo's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 18 of their 30 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (14).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Duncan Renaldo's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

72 credits, 30 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Western von gestern (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 2 episodes · as Renaldo

  • The Lady and the Bandit(1951)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • The Highwayman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Screenstory

  • The Cisco Kid(1950)

    Show 156 episodes · as The Cisco Kid

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows

  • The Capture(1950)

    as Carlos

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • The Girl from San Lorenzo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as The Cisco Kid

  • Satan's Cradle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Associate Producer · as The Cisco Kid

  • The Daring Caballero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as The Cisco Kid

  • The Gay Amigo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as The Cisco Kid

  • The Valiant Hombre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as The Cisco Kid

  • Sword of the Avenger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Fernando

  • Jungle Flight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Police Captain Costa

  • Bells of San Fernando(1947)

    Producer · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Don Ricardo Returns(1946)

    Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Jungle Terror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Armand Roget

  • South of the Rio Grande(1945)

    as The Cisco Kid

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • In Old New Mexico (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as The Cisco Kid

  • The Cisco Kid Returns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as The Cisco Kid

  • Sheriff of Sundown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Chihuahua Ramírez

  • San Antonio Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Johnny Bennett

  • The Tiger Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as José Delgado

  • Call of the South Seas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Commissioner Charcot

  • The Fighting Seabees(1944)

    as Construction Worker at Party

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Hands Across the Border(1943)

    as Juan Morales

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Around the World(1943)

    as Dragoman

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Tiger Fangs(1943)

    as Peter Jeremy

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Secret Service In Darkest Africa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Capt. Pierre LaSalle

  • For Whom the Bell Tolls(1943)

    as Lt. Berrendo

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Mission to Moscow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Italian Reporter (uncredited)

  • Border Patrol(1943)

    as Commandante

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • King of the Mounties(1942)

    as Pierre (Ch. 1, 11-12)

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • A Yank in Libya(1942)

    as Sheik David

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Outlaws of the Desert(1941)

    as Sheik Suleiman

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Gauchos of El Dorado (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Gaucho / José Ojara

  • Down Mexico Way(1941)

    as Juan

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • King of the Texas Rangers(1941)

    as Lt. Pedro Garcia

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Bad Men of Missouri(1941)

    as Dan

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • South of Panama (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Captain of Police

  • Heroes of the Saddle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Rico

  • Oklahoma Renegades (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Rico Rinaldo

  • Rocky Mountain Rangers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Rico

  • Gaucho Serenade(1940)

    as Gaucho Don José

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Covered Wagon Days (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Rico Rinaldo

  • Pioneers of the West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Rico

  • The Mad Empress (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Col. Miguel López

  • South of the Border(1939)

    as Andreo Mendoza

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Cowboys from Texas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Rico Rinaldo

  • The Kansas Terrors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Renaldo

  • Rough Riders' Round-up(1939)

    as Alcalde Don Enriguez

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Lone Ranger Rides Again(1939)

    as Juan Vasquez

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Spawn of the North(1938)

    as Ivan

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Tropic Holiday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Young Blood (uncredited)

  • Rose of the Rio Grande(1938)

    as Sebastian

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Zorro Rides Again(1937)

    as Renaldo

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Sky Racket(1937)

    as Count Barksi

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Jungle Menace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Armand Roget

  • The Painted Stallion(1937)

    as Zamorro

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Mile a Minute Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Story · as Count Ribalto

  • Ten Laps to Go (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Eddie DeSylva

  • Two Minutes to Play(1936)

    as Lew Ashley

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Rebellion(1936)

    as Ricardo Castillo

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Lady Luck (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Tony Morelli

  • Special Agent K-7 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Tony Blank

  • Moonlight Murder(1936)

    as Pedro

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Moth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Don Pedro

  • Public Stenographer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Henchman Orsini

  • Trapped in Tia Juana (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Lt. Kenneth Holbert / El Zorro

  • Trader Horn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Peru

  • Pals of the Prairie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Francisco Valencia

  • The Bridge of San Luis Rey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Esteban

  • The Love Charm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Writer

  • Clothes Make the Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 48th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 72 titles from 1928 to 1978.

Highest rated

Spawn of the North (1938)

Midcredits 66th

Most popular right now

The Cisco Kid (1950)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting67 of 72: 65 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score38thWriting6 of 72: 4 only writing, 2 with another roleProducing2 of 72: 0 only producing, 2 with another role

72 titles, 3 with more than one role — acting and writing overlap on 1 of them.

By decade

1920s4 · 3 acting · 1 crew1930s24 · 24 acting · 1 crew1940s38 · 36 acting · 3 crew1950s5 · 3 acting · 2 crew1970s1 · acting

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Duncan Renaldo's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 34th percentile, the median of all 29; across their 22 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 45th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

45thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 22

Approval · how many liked their films

34thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 22

Reach · how many have seen their films

13thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 22

Midcredits score across 30 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up1
  • 50th to 74th10
  • 25th to 49th11
  • Below 25th8

Shape of the crowd

14 of their 30 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Panned1
  • Cult Classic3
  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed14

Most divisive · actor

Rose of the Rio Grande (1938)

84th percentile spread · 63% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

King of the Texas Rangers (1941)

Midcredits 79th · 65% liked

Reviewers score the acting 50/100 in their films, across 20 reviewed titles; fans 68, detractors 38. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Duncan Renaldo work with?

People who share at least 2 of Duncan Renaldo's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; William Witney shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles