The John Wayne-Groucho Marx-Pedro Gonzales Gonzalez Connection

Located on Vine Street-near Sunset

Pedro was discovered by John Wayne on this episode of You Bet Your Life. Google this episode -it’s priceless!

Rio Bravo–Pedro costarred 7 times with John Wayne,who has visited his home.

John Wayne was so many things, he spotted talent, developed it, owned The Legendary Culver Hotel which he reportedly won in a game of poker from Charlie Chaplin, and played football for USC.

Publicity Photos-Talk about a shooting star, this man became a super Nova, overnight…

“Hostile Guns” 1967. Tab Hunter, Robert Emhardt, and Pedro.

Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood,– “Come back boy, you’re needed more than ever!”

A little known, golden nugget on a spoof of Hollywood. Pedro played a Mexican projectionist in his cameo. King Kong took up much of the Paramount Lot at this time. Kong, a movie so big, it took over most of MGM also. Dino De Laurentiis occupied Louis B. Mayer’s office during this period. Pedro Gonzalez’ house was a fence hop away from the Skull Island/Shea Stadium sets at MGM. “The Uninvited Visitor” will take you there.

Pedro, working with The Monkees on the Columbia Ranch… Music fact: David Bowie’s real name is Davey Jones. He changed it to Bowie because Davy Jones from The Monkees “owned it.” My friends and I loved the Monkees! We would play their albums and pretend we were them. As a result, I like to think that I can play a pretty mean tambourine. Let us never forget the music that accompanies this generation of TV. The Partridge Family was also on this backlot.

These two character actors are side by side in a previous picture with Tab Hunter. Two of the all time best character players ever in film. In Adam-12, Pedro sees everything, he’s driving a Taxi on this episode. “Did you see any kids run by here?”-“MGM just called us.”

Pedro as a farmer in -The Flying Nun

A legend, he will live on forever! Seen here with his wife Leandra. He is buried in Culver City.

Actor Clifton Collins Jr. Grandson of Pedro Gonzales Gonzales, Pedro’s wife Leandra and Samuel Jackson. Pedro sadly already deceased before this well earned star was cemented in.

Pedro owned this entire corner, a main house with a pool, and four stone covered rentals. This was his casa across from the MGM Backlot. I was often chased down this street by Studio Security, chases didn’t always end just by jumping the fence. They came outside and continued down public streets since I was like ‘Big Game”

Backlot, trespassers entering (actors playing the part of… me!) Pedro owns the orange home other side of fence. How it was in- 1973.

This picture is the public side of the studio fence those kids are climbing over. ” Reverse Angle” Taken at Maureen’s apartment, that’s her sister’s car. Popular hangout for Our Gang of trespassers, that’s why the film used this entrance- across from Pedro’s property.

The front entrance of Pedro’s old place as it stands today. Very little has changed.

This light was Pedro’s, given to him by John Wayne. This was from and used in one of John’s films, not sure which film…Magnifico! A Special Thanks to Alex and Bethannie for opening up their home to me. They are well aware of the history preceding their ownership and help history live on. Alex is a lawyer at NBC Universal and his office is in the famous Black Tower.

“Trick or Treat Pedro“…Maureen and I wore similar costumes in 1973, We always stopped here on Halloween. I was Caesar. She was a Partridge. The following year, ironically, I wore the real deal on the set of Planet of the Apes at the MGM Backlot. Didn’t see that coming. One of the funnest sets I’ve ever been part of… Roddy McDowall, who plays the role of Caesar, befriended me and several other kids visiting the set. Read more in “Hole in the Fence,” come on the set with me. “A little bit -too much lipstick here Caesar!”

This statue was Pedro’s, it sat outside the back door of his home facing MGM Lot 2. He owned property directly across from the backlot I snuck into everyday. This sat next to a sidewalk for decades, I would touch its head for “Good Luck” before trespassing into a backlot, which had its own Lion Logo looking down over all things MGM. My own lucky Lion. This stone fella saw me run home while being chased by MGM security- regularly. A MGM guard named George Barner lived a few houses down from Pedro. Every story has a villain and George was the neighborhood villain. I cherish my history with Pedro’s “Good Luck” statue.

Today we Salute a Dear Neighbor and Friend and begin in the Mid Sixties;

We all know this man if you own a television. His career took off overnight, thanks to a guest appearance on You Bet Your Life. Mr. John Wayne was captivated by this guest, as was Groucho. This appearance turned out to be a screen test. His innocence could melt your heart. Soft spoken with wit and charm, yet not trying to be anything other than the man he is …Pedro Gonzalez Gonzales.

Following Mexican tradition of the time, he was given not only his father’s last name but also his mother’s maiden name. Coincidentally, they were the same. At age 7, he left school to join his family act called “Las Perlitas”. He married his wife Leandra in San Antonio. They were both performers and they met while playing on the same bill. She was a fifteen year old dancer, he was 17 and only death separated them. Nothing like teenage love affairs that last a lifetime.

Pedro became a stock player in John Wayne’s company for nearly two decades, until 1974. His first film was Wings of the Hawk, 1953. Pedro often played comic relief roles in Westerns. Hollywood would type cast him and he would almost always play a Mexican in a service job. I’m in no way saying this with disrespect, but Hollywood tends to categorize. Pedro was an extremely talented entertainer and one of the best loved character actors. He played the roles that were available to him and he played them well. This “branding” translated into characters that fit in almost every show for however brief the role may be. His best parts were big roles side by side with the legends of film.

He became one of the era’s few recognized Mexican Americans on the big screen and television. Pedro has been credited with influencing stars like Cheech Marin and Cuba Gooding Jr. to pursue a career in acting. Latino actors as well as African Americans were up against a wall in trying to break into Hollywood. It would seem you needed to have something Hollywood could exploit to command interest. Rudolph Valentino was known as “The Latin Lover”, but he was Italian. This title was invented by Hollywood moguls, just for him.

As a teenager at MGM, I saw two major breakthroughs. The first was “Shaft” the television series starring Richard Roundtree. It filmed on the MGM backlot, and was one of the first times an African American carried a gun and badge to bust bad guys, rather than being the “Bad Guy.” Well acted, you have to wonder why it took this long to represent a culture in a positive way. Shaft was a smashing success and revolutionized how blacks should be perceived and respected.

The second series involved a a Latin cast, starring Hector Elizondo. I’ll take you on that set in my next book. Hector played a Puerto Rican widower raising his kids in a Brownstone on the backlot. The composer was Carlos Santana…” Now we’re talking.” Only ten episodes were produced before MGM- Television pulled the cord. The series was gaining a good following, but the time slot competed with “Happy Days”. Yet “Popi” can be credited as being ahead of the curve and MGM had a role in shifting the cultural tide on T.V.

My experience with Pedro was usually just a “Hello, Nice to see you today Mr. Gonzalez” as we would pass his house on the way to MGM’s backlot. He owned an entire corner of housing. His house has a pool. The only one around this neighborhood. The next closest pool was Esther Williams’, located across the street in MGM. Two pools, two legendary actors.

Pedro had the coolest statue of a Lion, it stared toward MGM. I loved it so much I would tap it on the head for “Good Luck” on my way to another trespassing adventure. This became a custom of mine, I would sit on a tiny wall alongside and talk to it, telling it MGM stories. Something about this statue, who owns it, and how it looks toward MGM. Pedro always said “Hi” politely as we passed him to begin our backlot escapades, but we had no-time for chit chat often on return trips home, because we were often being chased. He stayed busy on his property and was always out front.

Pedro saw more than once a Red Bronco speed down his street, chasing me. The guard also lived down the street, “Hey Pedro, did you see some teenagers just run by?” would be the question of the day. Luckily Pedro knew us and liked us, instead of answering their question, he went straight into character “No hablo Ingles Senor.” Pedro never ratted us out, no one liked Big George anyway…

“Gracias Pedro!”

Pedro was like a costar in my adventures too, and Maureen lived directly across the street, my other costar and forever friend. We enjoyed “trick or treating” at his house on Halloween night in vintage costumes over the years. I remember appearing in his doorway in a Planet of the Apes mask. The kind that makes you sweat but you leave it on to stay in character. Every kid knew this well decorated house where a movie legend and his wife would politely greet you and give out a whole hand full of candy and a freshly made tamale!

Thanks for the memories you two, we will never forget your graciousness…

Written and lived by…Donnie Norden and Maureen Miller.