{{Short description|American actor (1917–1994)}}{{More citations needed|date=November 2025}}{{about|the American actor|the British actor|Richard Martin (British director)}}{{Infobox person | birth_date = December 12, 1917 | birth_place = [[Spokane, Washington]] | death_date = September 4, 1994 | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1942 - 1960 | known_for = Chito Rafferty character | spouse = [[Elaine Riley]] (1946 - 1994) }} '''Richard Martin''' (December 12, 1917 – September 4, 1994) was an American actor. He was best known for his role as Chito Rafferty, the Irish-Mexican [[Western (genre)|western]] [[comedy relief]] [[sidekick]] of [[Tim Holt]] and [[Robert Mitchum]], among others. Before their pairing, Martin originated the role in the 1943 film ''[[Bombardier (film)|Bombardier]]''.
==Early life== Martin was born in [[Spokane, Washington]]. His family moved to a Mexican neighbourhood in [[West Hollywood, California]], where he learned to imitate his friends.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Richard Martin | Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos |url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/richard-martin-101481 |website=www.allmovie.com}}</ref> He began in films by working as a [[receptionist]] for [[MGM]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0552955/bio|title=Richard Martin|website=[[IMDb]] }}</ref> When a friend made a bet with his [[theatrical agent|agent]] that the agent couldn't get Martin an actor's contract, Martin's agent won the bet.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/07/obituaries/richard-martin-75-actor-in-westerns.html|title = Richard Martin, 75, Actor in Westerns|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 7 September 1994}}</ref> He became a prolific contract player for [[RKO Pictures]] in 1942, often appearing unbilled. It was there his Chito Rafferty character was born.
== Career == Hollywood's [[World War II]] films often featured many ethnic American enlisted men, and Martin first played Rafferty as a contemporary air crewman in ''[[Bombardier (film)|Bombardier]]''. He soon repeated the role in the western ''[[Nevada (1944 film)|Nevada]]'' opposite [[Robert Mitchum]]. He appeared opposite a few other stars in RKO westerns.<ref name="stempel">{{Cite web|url=http://offscreen.com/view/tim-holt-and-the-b-western|title = Tim Holt and the B Western}}</ref>
=== Post-WWII === After the war, Martin left RKO and essayed the main role in the last [[Universal Pictures]] film serial ''[[The Mysterious Mr. M]],'' as well as the title role in the [[1947 in film|1947]] [[Cinecolor]] western ''[[The Adventures of Don Coyote (film)|The Adventures of Don Coyote]]''. When Tim Holt, back from the war, was hired by producer [[Herman Schlom]] to star in a western series, the two pondered whom they could get for a sidekick, and Schlom recalled Martin's Rafferty character from ''Nevada''.<ref>p.187 Rothel, David ''Those Great Cowboy Sidekicks'' 1984 Scarecrow Press</ref> Martin returned to RKO in the same year in his first appearance alongside Holt in ''[[Under the Tonto Rim (1947 film)|Under the Tonto Rim]]'', the first of 29 films they did together that were initially based on stories by [[Zane Grey]].
As B westerns and exclusive studio contracts gradually ended in the 1950s, Martin found himself out of work and unable to find any due to his ethnic characterisation. He became an insurance salesman, coming back for one last western, ''[[Four Fast Guns]]'', in 1960.
===Chito Rafferty=== Martin originated the Mexican-Irish character of Chito Rafferty, whose full name was "Chito Jose Gonzales Bustamonte Rafferty", in 1943's [[war film]] ''[[Bombardier (film)|Bombardier]]''.
The character went on to appear in a further 34 films, all of them westerns: 1944's ''[[Nevada (1944 film)|Nevada]]'' and 1945's ''[[West of the Pecos (1945 film)|West of the Pecos]]'', both of which starred [[Robert Mitchum]]; 1945's ''[[Wanderer of the Wasteland (1945 film)|Wanderer of the Wasteland]]'', which starred James Warren; 1946's ''[[Sunset Pass (1946 film)|Sunset Pass]]'' and 1947's ''[[Code of the West (1947 film)|Code of the West]]'', in which the role was not played by Martin but by John Laurenz; then a further 29 films, all of which featured Chito Rafferty as the sidekick to a different hero, always played by Tim Holt: ''[[Thunder Mountain (1947 film)|Thunder Mountain]]'', ''[[Under the Tonto Rim (1947 film)|Under the Tonto Rim]]'' and ''[[Wild Horse Mesa (1947 film)|Wild Horse Mesa]]'' in 1947, ''[[Western Heritage]]'', ''[[The Arizona Ranger]]'', ''[[Guns of Hate]]'', ''[[Indian Agent (film)|Indian Agent]]'' and ''[[Gun Smugglers]]'' in 1948, ''[[Brothers in the Saddle]]'', ''[[Riders of the Range (1949 film)|Riders of the Range]]'', ''[[Rustlers (1949 film)|Rustlers]]'', ''[[Stagecoach Kid]]'', ''[[The Mysterious Desperado]]'' and ''[[Masked Raiders]]'' in 1949, ''[[Storm Over Wyoming]]'', ''[[Rider from Tucson]]'', ''[[Dynamite Pass]]'', ''[[Border Treasure]]'', ''[[Rio Grande Patrol]]'' and ''[[Law of the Badlands]]'' in 1950, ''[[Saddle Legion]]'', ''[[Gunplay (film)|Gunplay]]'', ''[[Pistol Harvest]]'', ''[[Hot Lead]]'' and ''[[Overland Telegraph (film)|Overland Telegraph]]'' in 1951, and ''[[Trail Guide]]'', ''[[Road Agent (1952 film)|Road Agent]]'', ''[[Target (1952 film)|Target]]'' and ''[[Desert Passage (film)|Desert Passage]]'' in 1952.
The character, particularly in the films with Tim Holt's character, was presented as a loyal sidekick and ladies' man who was afraid to commit to long term relationships with the women to whom he was attracted. Typical plot lines showed Chito flirting with either the female lead character, or supporting character, at the beginning of the film, only to run away from a romantic commitment at the end.
==Personal life== Martin met his wife, former fashion model and actress [[Elaine Riley]], on a film set in Carmel, where a scheduled four-day shoot stretched to three weeks because of fog.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-09-05-me-34929-story.html|title = Archives| website=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=5 September 1994 }}</ref> He was married to Riley from 1946 until his death. They worked together only once, in ''[[Rider from Tucson]]'' (1950), but were regarded as one of Hollywood's happiest couples.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/12076279/Elaine-Riley-actress-obituary.html|title=Elaine Riley, actress - obituary|date=31 December 2015 }}</ref> When Howard Hughes cancelled Martin's contract at RKO in 1953, he left Hollywood to set up an insurance business. The couple had no children.
==Quotes== ''The Irish in me is for fight; the Mexican for love''
==Filmography== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- |1942|| ''[[Call Out the Marines]]'' || Marine Corporal in Café || Uncredited |- |1942|| ''[[Mexican Spitfire at Sea]]'' || Steward || Uncredited |- |1942|| ''[[My Favorite Spy (1942 film)|My Favorite Spy]]'' || Nightclub Patron || Uncredited |- |1942|| ''[[The Mayor of 44th Street]]'' || Office Clerk || Uncredited |- |1942|| ''[[Mexican Spitfire Sees a Ghost]]'' || Epping's Chauffeur || Uncredited |- |1942|| ''[[Thundering Hoofs (1942 film)|Thundering Hoofs]]'' || Man at Dance || Uncredited |- |1942|| ''[[The Big Street]]'' || Minor Role || Uncredited |- |1942|| ''[[The Falcon's Brother]]'' || Steamship Official || Uncredited |- |1942|| ''[[Army Surgeon]]'' || Soldier-Patient || Uncredited |- |1942|| ''[[Seven Days' Leave (1942 film)|Seven Days' Leave]]'' || Soldier || Uncredited |- |1942|| ''[[Seven Miles from Alcatraz]]'' || Second Radio Operator || Uncredited |- |1942|| ''[[Red River Robin Hood]]'' || Robbed Rancher's Son || Uncredited |- |1943|| ''[[Hitler's Children (1943 film)|Hitler's Children]]'' || Gestapo Man || Uncredited |- |1943|| ''[[Ladies' Day (film)|Ladies' Day]]'' || Sox Player || Uncredited |- |1943|| ''[[Bombardier (film)|Bombardier]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1943|| ''[[The Leopard Man]]'' || Raoul Belmonte || Uncredited |- |1943|| ''[[The Falcon in Danger]]'' || George Morley || |- |1943|| ''[[The Adventures of a Rookie]]'' || Bob Prescott || |- |1943|| ''[[The Iron Major]]'' || David 'Davie' Cavanaugh || |- |1943|| ''[[Gangway for Tomorrow]]'' || Jules || Uncredited |- |1943|| ''[[Tender Comrade]]'' || Mike Dumbrowski || |- |1944|| ''[[Marine Raiders (film)|Marine Raiders]]'' || Pfc. Jimmy Fowler || |- |1944|| ''[[Nevada (1944 film)|Nevada]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1945|| ''[[Having Wonderful Crime]]'' || Lance Richards || |- |1945|| ''[[Wanderer of the Wasteland (1945 film)|Wanderer of the Wasteland]]'' || rowspan="2"|Chito Rafferty || |- |1945|| ''[[West of the Pecos (1945 film)|West of the Pecos]]'' || |- |1946|| ''[[The Bamboo Blonde]]'' || Jim Wilson || |- |1946|| ''[[The Mysterious Mr. M]]'' || Detective Lieutenant Kirby Walsh || |- |1947|| ''[[The Adventures of Don Coyote (film)|The Adventures of Don Coyote]]'' || Don Coyote || |- |1947|| ''[[Thunder Mountain (1947 film)|Thunder Mountain]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1947|| ''[[Under the Tonto Rim (1947 film)|Under the Tonto Rim]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1947|| ''[[Wild Horse Mesa (1947 film)|Wild Horse Mesa]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1948|| ''[[Western Heritage]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1948|| ''[[The Arizona Ranger]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1948|| ''[[Guns of Hate]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1948|| ''[[Indian Agent (film)|Indian Agent]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1948|| ''[[Gun Smugglers]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1949|| ''[[Brothers in the Saddle]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1949|| ''[[Rustlers (1949 film)|Rustlers]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1949|| ''[[Stagecoach Kid]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1949|| ''[[Masked Raiders]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1949|| ''[[The Mysterious Desperado]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1950|| ''[[Riders of the Range (1949 film)|Riders of the Range]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1950|| ''[[Dynamite Pass]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1950|| ''[[Storm Over Wyoming]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1950|| ''[[Rider from Tucson]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1950|| ''[[Border Treasure]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1950|| ''[[Rio Grande Patrol]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1951|| ''[[Law of the Badlands]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1951|| ''[[Saddle Legion]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1951|| ''[[Gunplay (film)|Gunplay]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1951|| ''[[Pistol Harvest]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1951|| ''[[Hot Lead]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1951|| ''[[Overland Telegraph (film)|Overland Telegraph]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1952|| ''[[Trail Guide]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1952|| ''[[Road Agent (1952 film)|Road Agent]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1952|| ''[[Target (1952 film)|Target]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1952|| ''[[Desert Passage (film)|Desert Passage]]'' || Chito Rafferty || |- |1952|| ''[[The Raiders (1952 film)|The Raiders]]'' || Felipe de Ortega || |- |1957|| ''[[Hell Bound (1957 film)|Hell Bound]]'' || Dock Worker || Uncredited |- |1960|| ''[[Four Fast Guns]]'' || Quijano || (final film role) |}
==Notes== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Portal|Biography}} *{{IMDb name | id=0552955 | name=Richard Martin}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Richard}} [[Category:1917 births]] [[Category:1994 deaths]] [[Category:American male film actors]] [[Category:Male Western (genre) film actors]] [[Category:American male television actors]] [[Category:RKO Pictures contract players]] [[Category:20th-century American male actors]]