Monday, December 13, 2021

Who Are Those Guys? Robert Johnson Jr. & Miguel Angel Hidalgo

 Robert Johnson, Jr. was born in Spain, of Italian origin. Made up name that was used for multiple actors. Made his debut in 1964. For the most part he acted in westerns. Appeared at least once in a non-western, a spy vehicle called "The Man on The Flying Trapzee" (5/12/66), that starred Wayde Preston. The name was retired in 1966. A short career.


[Maria De La Cinta & Miguel Angel Hidalgo in La Muerte Cumple Condena aka 100,000 Dollars for Lassiter 1966]

 


JOHNSON, Robert, Jr. [Spain/Italy] - film actor

Seven Hours of Gunfire (12/31/64)

The Son of Jesse James (4/23/65)

The Relentless Four (12/03/65)

One Hundred Thousand Dollars for Lassiter (3/12/66)

-Actor Robert Johnson, Jr. had a short career. A very short career.

Robert Johnson Jr. name only appeared in a handful of films. Five to be exact. The name was a useful pseudonym, that added American color to a overly European cast. The name may not have been intended to represent the same person each time it was used.

The name truth be told, was an Italian invention, that was used only Alberto Grimaldi's company [P.E.A. - Produzioni Europee Associate]. On the four westerns that they added the name "Robert Johnson, Jr" too, P.E.A. had used multiple Spanish production partners. So, it wasn't a name the Spaniards had made up, or needed use to sell a film.

It also appears that there were maybe three different actors that were christened Robert Johnson Jr. by P.E.A. Both Carlos R Marchent [?] & Jaime Blanch are well known, and said to have used the name, and I believe Miguel Ángel Hidalgo name can 'be added to the list.

Hidalgo was a Spanish born child actor (mid 50's) who not surprizingly had a short career, but more on him in a moment.

As for the other two Spanish actors, Carlos Romero Marchent & Jaime Blanch, both were credited at different times as beiing Robert Johnson, Jr.


 

[Carlos is listed as himself La muerte cumple condena aka “100,000 Dollars for Lassiter”].

 

 

Some sites credit Marchent as being Johnson Jr, at least once, but a source hasn't been found to confirm this.

Blanch on the other hand, used the name twice, on "The Relentless Four" & "The Son of Jesse James" (both for P.E.A).

The other two films that list the name 'Johnson, Jr'. in their casts, were "One Hundred Thousand Dollars for Lassiter" & "Seven Hours of Gunfire" (again both made by P.E.A.), in which Marchent appears in both, but Blanch doesn't. On the Spanish print of 'Lassiter', 'Johnson, Jr.' is not listed, but Hidalgo is. Which lends credence that 'Johnson, Jr.' was indeed an Italian invention. Here actor Carlos Marchent is credited. Thus the name 'Johnson, Jr.' wasn't meant for him. As Jaime Blanch isn't in either 'Lassiter' nor 'Seven Hours', he wasn't 'Johnson, Jr' either.  So the 'Johnson Jr.', on these two pictures was played by a third actor. Probably Miguel Hidalgo. Not much is known of him. He appears to have been ten in 1965-1966. He may still live Madrid and be in his mid sixties.

Young Hidalgo 'may' also have appeared as a childhood friend to boyish cub-scout Cody, played by Louis Nelson, in "Seven Hours of Gunfire", but went uncredited.

P.E.A. also made "The Man on the Spying Trapeze" with a Robert Johnson Jr in the cast, but in this case it appears to have been Blanch, and not either of the other two actors.

Too muddy things even more actor Lucio De Santis, used the name Bob Johnson, and appeared in "The Son of Jesse James" (for P.E.A.), along with Blanch. Two Johnson's in the same film, with only one Johnson name on the poster. Interesting.

De Santis then played a character named "Bob Johnson", under his given name on the Italian/Spanish actioner "Trap for Seven Spies" (1967).

And now the hunt for Robert Johnson, Jr. & Miguel Angel Hidalgo continues.


 

 

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