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'Fantasy Island' Star Montalban Dies at 88

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LOS ANGELES (Jan. 14) - Ricardo Montalban, the Mexican-born actor who became a star in splashy MGM musicals and later as the wish-fulfilling Mr. Roarke in TV's "Fantasy Island," died Wednesday morning at his home, a city councilman said. He was 88.

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Montalban's death was announced at a meeting of the city council by president Eric Garcetti, who represents the district where the actor lived. Garcetti did not give a cause of death.

According to Radar, the 88-year-old died of "natural causes" surrounded by his daughter and nurse.

"What you saw on the screen and on television and on talk shows, this very courtly, modest, dignified individual, that's exactly who he was," said Montalban's longtime friend and publicist David Brokaw.

Montalban had been a star in Mexican movies when MGM brought him to Hollywood in 1946. He was cast in the leading role opposite Esther Williams in "Fiesta," and starred again with the swimming beauty in "On an Island with You" and "Neptune's Daughter."

But Montalban was best known as the faintly mysterious, white-suited Mr. Roarke, who presided over a tropical island resort where visitors were able to fulfill their lifelong dreams - usually at the unexpected expense of a difficult life lesson. Following a floatplane landing and lei ceremony, he greeted each guest with the line: "I am Mr. Roarke, your host. Welcome to Fantasy Island."

The show ran from 1978 to 1984.

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Ricardo Montalban Photos

** FILE ** In this June 7, 1995 file photo, Ricardo Montalban arrives at a luncheon in Beverly Hills, Calif. Montalban, the Mexican-born actor who became a star in splashy MGM musicals and later as the wish-fulfilling Mr. Roarke in TV's "Fantasy Island," died Wednesday morning Jan. 14, 2009 at his home, a city councilman said. He was 88. (AP Photo/Lois Bernstein)

Actor Ricardo Montalban gives an interview as he arrives for the Multicultural Motion Picture Association's Diversity Awards in Beverly Hills in this October 2, 1997 file photo. Montalban died in his Los Angeles home January 14, 2009 at the age of 88, a Los Angeles city official said. REUTERS/Fred Prouser/Files (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

HOLLYWOOD, CA - MAY 8: (FILE PHOTO) Actor Ricardo Montalban attends the Unveiling and Gala Inauguration of the Ricardo Montalban Theatre on May 8, 2004 in Hollywood, California. It was reported that actor Ricardo Montalban died at age 88 January 14, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ricardo Montalban

Getty Images

In this May 27, 1983 file photo, actors Ricardo Montalban, seated, and Christopher Hewitt are shown on the set of the television series "Fantasy Island," in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. The Mexican-born actor, who became a star in splashy MGM musicals and later the wish-fulfilling Mr. Roarke in TV's "Fantasy Island," died at his home in Los Angeles, City Council President Eric Garcetti said Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009. He was 88. (AP Photo/Wally Fong, file)

Actor Ricardo Montalban, arrives at the premiere of "Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams," in Hollywood in this July 28, 2002 file photo. Montalban died in his Los Angeles home January 14, 2009 at the age of 88, a Los Angeles city official said. REUTERS/Jim Ruymen/Files (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

** FILE ** In this Aug. 10, 1994 file photo, actor Ricardo Montalban is shown in Los Angeles. The Mexican-born actor, who became a star in splashy MGM musicals and later the wish-fulfilling Mr. Roarke in TV's "Fantasy Island," died at his home in Los Angeles, City Council President Eric Garcetti said Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009. He was 88. (AP Photo/Tara Farrell, file)

* FILE ** In this June 15, 1978 file photo, actor Ricardo Montalban of the television series "Fantasy Island" is shown in Los Angeles. The Mexican-born actor, who became a star in splashy MGM musicals and later the wish-fulfilling Mr. Roarke in TV's "Fantasy Island," died at his home in Los Angeles, City Council President Eric Garcetti said Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009. He was 88. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, file)

More recently, he appeared as villains in two hits of the 1980s: "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan" and the farcical "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad."

Between movie and TV roles, Montalban was active in the theater. He starred on Broadway in the 1957 musical "Jamaica" opposite Lena Horne, picking up a Tony nomination for best actor in a musical.

He toured in Shaw's "Don Juan in Hell," playing Don Juan, a performance critic John Simon later recalled as "irresistible." In 1965 he appeared on tour in the Yul Brynner role in "The King and I."

"The Ricardo Montalban Theatre in my Council District - where the next generations of performers participate in plays, musicals, and concerts - stands as a fitting tribute to this consummate performer," Garcetti said later in a written statement.

"Fantasy Island" received high ratings for most of its run on ABC, and still appears in reruns. Mr. Roarke and his sidekick, Tattoo, played by the 3-foot, 11-inch Herve Villechaize, reached the state of TV icons. Villechaize died in 1993.

In a 1978 interview, Montalban analyzed the series's success:

"What is appealing is the idea of attaining the unattainable and learning from it. Once you obtain a fantasy, it becomes a reality, and that reality is not as exciting as your fantasy. Through the fantasies you learn to appreciate your own realities."

As for Mr. Roarke: "Was he a magician? A hypnotist? Did he use hallucinogenic drugs? I finally came across a character that works for me. He has the essence of mystery, but I need a point of view so that my performance is consistent. I now play him 95 percent believable and 5 percent mystery. He doesn't have to behave mysteriously; only what he does is mysterious."

In 1970, Montalban organized fellow Latino actors into an organization called Nosotros ("We"), and he became the first president. Their aim: to improve the image of Spanish-speaking Americans on the screen; to assure that Latin-American actors were not discriminated against; to stimulate Latino actors to study their profession.

Montalban commented in a 1970 interview:

"The Spanish-speaking American boy sees Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid wipe out a regiment of Bolivian soldiers. He sees `The Wild Bunch' annihilate the Mexican army. It's only natural for him to say, `Gee, I wish I were an Anglo."'

Montalban was no stranger to prejudice. He was born Nov. 25, 1920, in Mexico City, the son of parents who had emigrated from Spain. The boy was brought up to speak the Castilian Spanish of his forebears. To Mexican ears that sounded strange and effeminate, and young Ricardo was jeered by his schoolmates.

His mother also dressed him with old-country formality, and he wore lace collars and short pants "long after my legs had grown long and hairy," he wrote in his 1980 autobiography, "Reflections: A Life in Two Worlds."

"It is not easy to grow up in a country that has different customs from your own family's."

While driving through Texas with his brother, Montalban recalled seeing a sign on a diner: "No Dogs or Mexicans Allowed." In Los Angeles, where he attended Fairfax High School, he and a friend were refused entrance to a dance hall because they were Mexicans.

Rather than seek a career in Hollywood, Montalban played summer stock in New York. He returned to Mexico City and played leading roles in movies from 1941 to 1945. That led to an MGM contract.

Besides the Williams spectacles, the handsome actor appeared in "Sombrero" (opposite Pier Angeli), "Two Weeks With Love" (Jane Powell) and "Latin Lovers" (Lana Turner).

He also appeared in dramatic roles in such films as "Border Incident," "Battleground," "Mystery Street" and "Right Cross."

"Movies were never kind to me; I had to fight for every inch of film," he reflected in 1970. "Usually my best scenes would end up on the cutting-room floor."

Montalban had better luck after leaving MGM in 1953, though he was usually cast in ethnic roles. He appeared as a Japanese kabuki actor in "Sayonara" and an Indian in "Cheyenne Autumn." His other films included: "Madame X," "The Singing Nun," "Sweet Charity," "Escape from the Planet of the Apes" and "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes."

Montalban was sometimes said to be the source of Billy Crystal's "you look MAHvelous" character on "Saturday Night Live," though the inspiration was really Argentinian-born actor Fernando Lamas.

In 1944, Montalban married Georgiana Young, actress and model and younger sister of actress Loretta Young. Both Roman Catholics, they remained one of Hollywood's most devoted couples. She died in 2007. They had four children: Laura, Mark, Anita and Victor.

Montalban suffered a spinal injury in a horse fall while making a 1951 Clark Gable Western, "Across the Wide Missouri," and thereafter walked with a limp he managed to mask during his performances.

In 1993, Montalban lost the feeling in his leg, and exhaustive tests showed that he had suffered a small hemorrhage in his neck, similar to the injury decades earlier. He underwent 9 1/2 hours of spinal surgery at UCLA Medical Center.

Despite the constant pain, the actor was able to take a role in an Aaron Spelling TV series, "Heaven Help Us." Twice a month in 1994, he flew to San Antonio for two or three days of filming as an angel who watched over a young couple.

In an interview at the time, Montalban remarked: "I've never given up hope. But I have to be realistic. I gave my tennis rackets to my son, figuring I'll never play again. But my doctor said, `Don't say that. Strange things happen. You never know."'

2009-01-14 16:21:25

Dan Steinberg, AP

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HossVik

07:14 PMJan 16 2009

His true fame professional fame, which earned near Hollywood immortality was as "Khan" from the Star Trek. He first appeared as the "superman" in the episode "Space Seed" and latter again in "The Wrath of Khan". He was a classic.

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MAWats

04:54 PMJan 15 2009

Never has there been a star as sexy, sophisticated and sensual as Ricardo. He's a true star.

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RobinsonMules

03:32 PMJan 15 2009

My condolences to the Montalban family. May Ricardo rest in peace in all eternity. One of my favorite actors. He was a great actor and will be sorrily missed by the whole community and his fans.

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Hemlok1939

12:35 PMJan 15 2009

i have seen every movie he appeared in. along with his tv career, he was a gifted actor. he was also a constant complainer about the way hollywood treated him and his fellow latin actor's. when i saw white actor's trying to play the role of mexican's or latin's, i had to agree with his view's. vivid in my memory is when burt lancaster was chosen to play geronimo in a big movie. jean peters played his indian wife which was just as bad. i don't think geronimo had blue eye's. chuck connors was cast in a similar role which was almost laughable. however, hollywood is a business dictated by star power which equals money, big money. i never saw charlie chan played by a chinese or mr. moto played by a japanese actor. same reason, star power. when bruce lee was not chosen to play the lead and david carridine got the part in the kung foo series, i was shocked. salma heyek and antonio bandaras have made great inroad's in getting that changed. mr. lamas was before his time and will be missed. GOD'...

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Leonzealot

11:41 AMJan 15 2009

"Genesis" What's that.(Kirk) Don't insult my intelligence Admiral. (Khan).I deprived your ship of power. When I swing around I shall deprive you of your life.(Khan).Adios Amigo you gave Captain Kirk a run for his money! leonzealot.

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LadyChaz1998

11:34 AMJan 15 2009

May he rest in peace. You will be missed.

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Jones Crusher 66

10:42 AMJan 15 2009

Ricardo Montalban mixed machismo and class. God never short changed him on talent. R.I.P. Khan.You gave Captain Kirk all he could handle.

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NurseMGoodbody

10:24 AMJan 15 2009

KHAAAN !!!

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RodSalaz

10:21 AMJan 15 2009

Via con Dios Senior Montalban. You were always an inspiration to me. Please give my regards to Desi Arnaz, Fernando Lamas, Cesar Romero, Gilbert Roland..... Hollywood's current crops could learn much from their class & elegance. Gracias por todo.

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RodSalaz

10:20 AMJan 15 2009

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