Peter Mamakos

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Peter Mamakos
Mamakos in 1953
Born
Peter Mamakos

(1918-12-14)December 14, 1918
Somerville, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedApril 27, 2008(2008-04-27) (aged 89)
Paso Robles, California, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1949–1990

Peter Mamakos (December 14, 1918 – April 27, 2008) was an American film and television actor.

Early life

Mamakos was of Greek descent.[1] Mamakos' father owned Pilgrim restaurants in New England. Mamakos was sent to California to scout locations for restaurants, but he liked Hollywood so much that he decided to stay, declining his father's offers of $50,000 in cash and a $250,000 nightclub of his own if he returned to Boston. He told a reporter, "I feel right at home in Hollywood. A hot kitchen and a hot sound stage are alike -- you're surrounded by hams in both."[2]

Career

Peter Mamakos was perhaps best known for playing Greek, Indian, Hispanic, French, Italian and Middle Eastern villains[1] from the 1940s through the 1990s.

Film

Mamakos was in eight movies in his first seven months in Hollywood.[2] Mamakos appeared in Trail of the Yukon (1949), in which he and other supporting players offered what a Variety review called "stock performances".[3]

Television

He had a recurring role as Jean Lafitte on the ABC western The Adventures of Jim Bowie. He also appeared as a Lionian Henchman in Tarzan and the Slave Girl (1950) starring Lex Barker. Mamakos made three guest appearances on Perry Mason from 1962 to 1966, including the role of murderer Nick Paolo in the 1962 episode, "The Case of the Stand-in Sister", Juan Carlos Ramirez in the 1964 episode, "The Case of a Place Called Midnight" and murder victim Olaf Deering in the 1966 episode, "The Case of the Sausalito Sunrise". He also appeared in 1966 in episodes 41 and 42 of Batman. He appeared in several episodes of the TV show The Lone Ranger.

Mamakos is also remembered as Happy J. King, the Metropolis crime boss who engaged a European criminal scientist to invent "synthetic kryptonite". Kidnapping Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, King came closer than any other criminal in ridding the Earth of Superman (George Reeves). This event was recounted in "The Defeat of Superman", the sixth episode of the second season of The Adventures of Superman which first aired on October 24, 1953. He co-starred on Daniel Boone in 1970 as a Cherokee chief in episode 18 "A Run for the Money".

Personal life

Mamakos was married and had a daughter who was born in 1955 and a son born in 1957.[4]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1949 Bride of Vengeance Ferrara's Crossbowman Uncredited
1949 Tuna Clipper Capt. Manuel Pereira
1949 House of Strangers Bank Guard Uncredited
1949 Trail of the Yukon Henchman Rand
1950 Malaya Henchman Uncredited
1950 Cargo to Capetown Gomez Uncredited
1950 Tarzan and the Slave Girl Lionian Henchman Uncredited
1950 South Sea Sinner Man at Table Uncredited
1950 Between Midnight and Dawn 'Cootie' Adams
1950 Kim Conspirator Uncredited
1951 Flame of Stamboul Pierre Uncredited
1951 Pier 23 Nick Garrison
1951 Sirocco Merchant Businessman Uncredited
1951 China Corsair Juan (bartender) Uncredited
1951 Silver Canyon Laughing Jack
1951 Mask of the Avenger Sergeant Uncredited
1951 The Mark of the Renegade Pirate Uncredited
1951 Comin' Round the Mountain Gangster in Night Club
1951 Let's Go Navy! Chief Nuramo Uncredited
1951 The People Against O'Hara James Korvac Uncredited
1952 Harem Girl Sarab
1952 Viva Zapata! Soldier Uncredited
1952 Tarzan's Savage Fury Pilot Uncredited
1952 Captain Pirate Coulevain's First Mate Uncredited
1952 Horizons West Lt. Salazar Uncredited
1952 The Prisoner of Zenda De Gautet - Conspirator Uncredited
1953 City Beneath the Sea Captain Pedro Mendoza
1953 The Bandits of Corsica Diegas
1953 Fort Vengeance Broken Lance Uncredited
1953 The Glory Brigade Col. Kallicles Uncredited
1953 Forbidden Sam
1953 El Alaméin Cpl. Singh Das
1953 Private Eyes Chico
1954 The Miami Story Gangster Uncredited
1954 Captain Kidd and the Slave Girl Pirate Uncredited
1954 The Gambler from Natchez Etienne Uncredited
1954 The Adventures of Hajji Baba Chief Executioner Uncredited
1955 Pirates of Tripoli Keppa Uncredited
1955 The Prodigal Guard Uncredited
1955 A Bullet for Joey Ship Captain Uncredited
1955 I Cover the Underworld Charlie Green
1955 The Marauders Ramos
1955 Ain't Misbehavin' Andy, Greek Fisherman
1955 The Twinkle in God's Eye Cruishank Uncredited
1955 Desert Sands Pvt. Lucia Capella
1956 The Conqueror Bogurchi
1956 When Gangland Strikes Mr. Thorndyke Uncredited
1956 Miracle in the Rain Headwaiter Uncredited
1956 The Searchers Jerem Futterman Uncredited
1956 Quincannon, Frontier Scout Blackfoot Sam
1956 The Best Things in Life Are Free Henchman Uncredited
1956 The Ten Commandments Chief Driver
1957 Spook Chasers Snap Sizzolo
1957 My Gun Is Quick LaRoche - Smuggler Chief
1957 Looking for Danger Hassan
1957 The Crooked Circle Nick
1957 Sabu and the Magic Ring Mazufar
1958 Fort Bowie Sgt Kukas
1958 Merry Andrew Vittorio Gallini
1958 The Man Who Died Twice Deli Counterman Uncredited
1959 The Rabbit Trap Truck Driver Uncredited
1962 Terror at Black Falls Juan Avila
1963 The Virginian Walzchek Episode "The Final Hour"
1963 Drums of Africa Chavera
1963 Island of Love Nick
1964 Taggart Cantina Owner Uncredited
1965 Ship of Fools Religious Man Uncredited
1967 Catalina Caper Borman
1968 The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter Spirmonedes
1969 Justine Kawwass Uncredited
1969 A Dream of Kings Falconis
1970 Triangle
1971 The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler Premier Mabulla
1974 For Pete's Sake Dominic
1977 The Other Side of Midnight Cocyannis
1980 The Man with Bogart's Face Spoony Singh

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1958 Gunsmoke Art Carp S3:E38, "Overland Express"
1961 Rawhide Slade S3:E25, "Incident of the Running Man"

References

  1. ^ a b Maays, Stan (1969-11-30). "Greek Character Actor Makes Peace with His Ego". The Corpus Christi Caller-Times. p. 11G. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
  2. ^ a b McPherson, Virginia (1949-09-22). "Doing Hollywood". The Pomona Progress Bulletin. Retrieved 2020-05-20 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Film review: Trail of the Yukon". Variety. Vol. 175, no. 8. 1949-08-03. p. 16 – via Proquest.
  4. ^ "Births". Variety. Vol. 199, no. 8. 1955-07-27. p. 127 – via Proquest.

External links

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