Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez (May 24, 1925 â€" February 6, 2006) was an
American character actor best known for his appearances in a number of
John Wayne movies.Born Ramiro Gonzalez-Gonzalez in Aguilares, Texas to
a Mexican American father and a Mexican born mother with identical
surnames, Gonzalez Gonzalez grew up in a talent-filled home. His
father was a trumpet player, and his mother was a dancer. His brother
was actor Jose Gonzales-Gonzales (1922-2000). He left school at the
age of seven to join a family act called "Las Perlitas" that toured
southwest Texas. As a result, he was functionally illiterate for all
of his life. As a result of his illiteracy, he memorized scripts by
having his wife read them to him. Gonzalez Gonzalez married at the age
of seventeen and served in World War II as a driver in the United
States. After the war he performed stand-up comedy for
Spanish-speaking audiences.In 1953, he appeared on the Groucho Marx
NBC television quiz show You Bet Your Life under the name Ramiro G.
Gonzalez, where his banter with Marx attracted notice. Marx asked him:
"What does the 'G' stand for?" to which he replied "Gonzalez", and
explained that both his parents had been surnamed "Gonzalez" before
being married. So Marx asked: "What does your wife call you: Ramiro or
Gonzalez?" He replied "She calls me 'Pedro'", triggering rare laughter
from Marx. After Gonzalez performed a 15-second comic dance to strong
applause, Marx complimented his guest's comedic skill, saying: "Pedro,
we could do a great act together. We could make a fortune in
vaudeville, you and I. What -- what would we call our act, you know,
if we went out together? 'The Two Hot Tamales'?" After Pedro
deadpanned "Gonzalez Gonzalez and Marx", Marx made an aside: "That's
nice billing. Two people in the act, and I get third place!" John
Wayne saw his appearance on the program and cast him as comic relief
in a number of movies including The High and the Mighty, Rio Bravo and
Hellfighters. He also made guest appearances in shows such as The
Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, Gunsmoke and Wanted: Dead or Alive, as
well as the Jerry Lewis film, Hook, Line & Sinker. Wayne also had Burt
Kennedy write a TV series for Gonzalez Gonzalez that was never made.
American character actor best known for his appearances in a number of
John Wayne movies.Born Ramiro Gonzalez-Gonzalez in Aguilares, Texas to
a Mexican American father and a Mexican born mother with identical
surnames, Gonzalez Gonzalez grew up in a talent-filled home. His
father was a trumpet player, and his mother was a dancer. His brother
was actor Jose Gonzales-Gonzales (1922-2000). He left school at the
age of seven to join a family act called "Las Perlitas" that toured
southwest Texas. As a result, he was functionally illiterate for all
of his life. As a result of his illiteracy, he memorized scripts by
having his wife read them to him. Gonzalez Gonzalez married at the age
of seventeen and served in World War II as a driver in the United
States. After the war he performed stand-up comedy for
Spanish-speaking audiences.In 1953, he appeared on the Groucho Marx
NBC television quiz show You Bet Your Life under the name Ramiro G.
Gonzalez, where his banter with Marx attracted notice. Marx asked him:
"What does the 'G' stand for?" to which he replied "Gonzalez", and
explained that both his parents had been surnamed "Gonzalez" before
being married. So Marx asked: "What does your wife call you: Ramiro or
Gonzalez?" He replied "She calls me 'Pedro'", triggering rare laughter
from Marx. After Gonzalez performed a 15-second comic dance to strong
applause, Marx complimented his guest's comedic skill, saying: "Pedro,
we could do a great act together. We could make a fortune in
vaudeville, you and I. What -- what would we call our act, you know,
if we went out together? 'The Two Hot Tamales'?" After Pedro
deadpanned "Gonzalez Gonzalez and Marx", Marx made an aside: "That's
nice billing. Two people in the act, and I get third place!" John
Wayne saw his appearance on the program and cast him as comic relief
in a number of movies including The High and the Mighty, Rio Bravo and
Hellfighters. He also made guest appearances in shows such as The
Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, Gunsmoke and Wanted: Dead or Alive, as
well as the Jerry Lewis film, Hook, Line & Sinker. Wayne also had Burt
Kennedy write a TV series for Gonzalez Gonzalez that was never made.
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