--- name: "Cesar Romero" canonical: "https://film.one/person/cesar-romero" roles: ["Actor"] born: "15 February 1907" died: "1 January 1994" reviewed_on_fi1m: 2 average_fi1m_score: 64 average_as: "actor" average_over: 2 updated: "2026-09-19T15:36:53.039808+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Cesar Romero Actor. Born 15 February 1907 in New York City, New York, USA. Died 1 January 1994. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 15 February 1907, New York City, New York, USA - **Died:** 1 January 1994 - **Active:** 1960–1966 - **Also known as:** Cesar Julio Romero Jr., César Romero, Caesar Romero, سزار رومرو - **Average Fi1m score:** 64, as actor, over 2 titles - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cesar_Romero, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q443585, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003110/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/4355 ## Streaming the US now - **Tubi:** [*Ocean's Eleven*](https://film.one/film/oceans-eleven-1960.md) (55) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Cesar Romero > Cesar Romero spent thirty years as Hollywood's smooth Latin rogue, the well-dressed man who was never the hero. Then he painted his face white, kept the moustache and found the one part that wanted all of him. We are always glad when he turns up. Look at the Joker's upper lip in *Batman* (1966). Under the white greasepaint there is a moustache, and nobody has painted over it. Romero would not shave it. We laughed at that moustache every time he came on, more than at any line he was given, because it tells you the man under the paint has not stopped being Cesar Romero and does not intend to. The rest of the performance follows: the cackle that runs on past the end of the sentence, the puns delivered as if they were good. It took him a long time to get there. Romero was a professional ballroom dancer before he was an actor, on Broadway from 1927, and he came to Hollywood with *The Thin Man* (1934). For the next quarter century the studios, 20th Century Fox chiefly, cast him as the smooth Latin lover or the charming rogue, the man the heroine is with before she meets the hero. He was the Cisco Kid in six westerns between 1939 and 1941, danced opposite Carmen Miranda, Betty Grable and Shirley Temple, and played Cortés in *Captain from Castile* (1947), which is usually named as his best straight performance. He was good-looking and easy company, and his name and face kept him from the leads. That is a supporting player's career, and *Ocean's Eleven* (1960) shows the trouble with it. Romero plays Duke Santos, the man the mother of Peter Lawford's Jimmy Foster is about to marry, a fellow with unhelpful friends. It is a part with one job, and the film, which spends its first hour on introductions with nothing in them, gives him no more room than anyone else. He looks prosperous and slightly dangerous, and the film does not notice. We held that against the film, which we scored 55, not against him; a man who has been decorative for thirty years does not break the pattern unasked. The Joker broke it for him. He called it "the kind of part where you can do everything you've been told not to do as an actor", and the television series (1966 to 1968) and the film are the proof. Frank Gorshin's Riddler is the better performance, quicker and stranger, and Burgess Meredith's Penguin plainly enjoys himself, but Romero is the one who has been waiting thirty years for permission. Some later observers say his Joker is a clown and not a killer, and that the darker comic-book character got lost under the paint. That is true and it is not a flaw; the show he was in wanted a clown. Our own complaint is smaller. Put all four villains in a room together and they bicker, and Romero, who is loud, bickers loudest. He worked on through the 1970s in Disney comedies and into the 1980s on *Falcon Crest*, and nothing after the Joker asked for all of him. There is no Cesar Romero film to seek out. There are films that happen to have him in them, and when he arrives, in a good suit with a bad intention, be glad of the company. ## Biography Cesar Romero was an American actor. Born in New York City, he began his career as a professional dancer and on the stage before making his film debut in *The Thin Man* (1934). Over a career spanning nearly sixty years, he appeared in a wide range of roles, often as Latin lovers or in light comedies and costume dramas. He is best known for portraying The Joker in the 1966–1968 television series *Batman* and its 1966 feature film spin-off, a part he played without shaving his trademark moustache. *Sources: britannica.com, en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (2) - *Batman* (1966), Fi1m 73, as The Joker — [page](https://film.one/film/batman-1966.md) - *Ocean's Eleven* (1960), Fi1m 55, as Duke Santos — [page](https://film.one/film/oceans-eleven-1960.md) ## Complete filmography (178) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *3-D Rarities: Volume II* (2020), as (archive) - *2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift* (2010), as (archive footage) - *Batman: Holy Batmania!* (2003), as The Joker / Himself - *Experiments in Terror* (2003), Actor - *The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in American Cinema* (2002), Actor - *Once Upon a Time: The Super Heroes* (2001), as Joker (archive footage) - *Jack's Place* (1992), series, Actor - *Simple Justice* (1989), as Vincenzo DiLorenzo - *Judgement Day* (1988), as Octavio - *Mortuary Academy* (1988), as Ship's Captain - *Blacke's Magic* (1986), series, Actor - *The Golden Girls* (1985), series, as Tony — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-golden-girls.md) - *Flesh and Bullets* (1985), as Santa Monica Judge - *Lust in the Dust* (1985), as Father Garcia - *We Think the World Is Round* (1984), as Santa Maria (voice) - *Murder, She Wrote* (1984), series, as Marcello Abruzzi, Diego Santana - *Matt Houston* (1982), series, as Gantry - *Falcon Crest* (1981), series, as Peter Stavros - *Magnum, P.I.* (1980), series, as Doc Villoroch - *Hart to Hart* (1979), series, Actor - *Buck Rogers in the 25th Century* (1979), series, as Amos Armat - *Vega$* (1978), series, as Christopher Vincente - *Don't Push, I'll Charge When I'm Ready* (1977), as Teodoro Bruzizi - *The Love Boat* (1977), series, as John Drake, John Stockton - *Mission to Glory: A True Story* (1977), as Juan Atondo - *Carioca Tigre* (1976), as Don Rosalindo Y Guana - *Charlie's Angels* (1976), series, as Elton Mills - *Timber Tramps* (1975), as Greedy sawmill mogul - *Ellery Queen* (1975), series, as Armand Danello - *The Strongest Man in the World* (1975), as A.J. Arno - *Chico and the Man* (1974), series, Actor - *The Spectre of Edgar Allan Poe* (1974), as Dr. Richard Grimaldi - *The Haunted Mouth* (1974), as B. Plaque (Narrator) - *Banacek* (1972), series, as Marius Avantalu - *Now You See Him, Now You Don't* (1972), as A.J. Arno - *The Proud and Damned* (1972), as San Carlos' Mayor - *Mooch Goes to Hollywood* (1971), as Cesar Romero (uncredited) - *Alias Smith and Jones* (1971), series, Actor - *Night Gallery* (1970), series, as Count Dracula - *The Red, White, and Black* (1970), as Col. Grierson - *Nanny and the Professor* (1970), series, Actor - *The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes* (1969), as A.J. Arno - *Love, American Style* (1969), series, Actor - *Medical Center* (1969), series, Actor - *Latitude Zero* (1969), as Dr. Malic / Lt. Hastings - *Target: Harry* (1969), as Lt. George Duval - *Midas Run* (1969), as Adero - *Crooks and Coronets* (1969), as Nick Marco - *A Talent for Loving* (1969), as Landbesitzer - *Skidoo* (1968), as Hechy - *The Mod Squad* (1968), series, Actor - *Here's Lucy* (1968), series, as Tony Rivera - *Hot Millions* (1968), as Customs Inspector - *Julia* (1968), series, Actor - *Madigan's Millions* (1968), as Mike Madigan - *It Takes a Thief* (1968), series, as Mike - *Ironside* (1967), series, as Tony Hudson - *Clown Alley* (1966), as Clown - *ABC Stage 67* (1966), series, Actor - *Batman* (1966), as The Joker — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/batman-1966.md) - *Batman* (1966), series, as The Joker - *Marriage on the Rocks* (1965), as Miguel Santos - *Get Smart* (1965), series, as Kinsey Krispen - *Sergeant Deadhead* (1965), as Admiral Stoneham - *Uncertain Verification* (1965), as (archive footage) - *Broken Sabre* (1965), as General Arriola - *Branded* (1965), series, Actor - *Two on a Guillotine* (1965), as John Harley 'Duke' Duquesne - *Daniel Boone* (1964), series, as Esteban de Vaca, Colonel Carlos Navarro, Adm. Alejandro Buenaventura - *The Man from U.N.C.L.E.* (1964), series, as Victor Gervais - *Bewitched* (1964), series, Actor - *A House Is Not a Home* (1964), as Charlie "Lucky" Luciano - *Burke's Law* (1963), series, as Marcus DeGrute, Police Chief Alvaro, Louis Simone, Antonio Cardoza, Gregorio Jonas - *Donovan's Reef* (1963), as Andre de Lage - *The Castilian* (1963), as Jerónimo - *We Shall Return* (1963), as Carlos Rodriguez - *If a Man Answers* (1962), as Robert Swan / Adam Wright - *The Beachcomber* (1962), series, as Krasny, Jaoquin Perez - *Ben Casey* (1961), series, Actor - *Seven Women from Hell* (1961), as Luis Hullman - *Target: The Corruptors!* (1961), series, Actor - *Dr. Kildare* (1961), series, as Dr. Paul Marino - *Follow the Sun* (1961), series, Actor - *The Runaway* (1961), as Father Dugan - *Pepe* (1960), as Cesar Romero - *Stagecoach West* (1960), series, as Francisco Martinez, 'Lalanda' - *Pete and Gladys* (1960), series, Actor - *Ocean's Eleven* (1960), as Duke Santos — Fi1m 55, [page](https://film.one/film/oceans-eleven-1960.md) - *The Chevy Mystery Show* (1960), series, as Prince Florizel - *Rawhide* (1959), series, as Big Tim Sloan, Don Francisco Maldenado, Col. Emilio Vasquez - *Mis secretarias privadas* (1959), Actor - *77 Sunset Strip* (1958), series, as Lorenzo Cestari - *Villa!!* (1958), as Tomás Lopez - *The Texan* (1958), series, as Captain Joaquin Acosta - *The Story of Mankind* (1957), as Spanish Envoy - *The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour* (1957), series, as Carlos Garcia - *Zorro* (1957), series, as Esteban de la Cruz - *Saturday Spectacular: Manhattan Tower* (1956), as Mambo Teacher - *Around the World in 80 Days* (1956), as Abdullah's Henchman - *Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre* (1956), series, as Carlos Gandara, Francisco, Tom Bowdry - *The Leather Saint* (1956), as Tony Lorenzo - *The Racers* (1955), as Carlos Chavez - *The Americano* (1955), as Manuel Silvera / 'El Gato' / Barbossa - *Vera Cruz* (1954), as Marquis Henri de Labordere - *Climax!* (1954), series, as Mendy Mendez, Miguel - *Studio 57* (1954), series, as Duke Thompson - *Passport to Danger* (1954), series, Actor - *The Sword of Granada* (1954), as Don Pedro de Rivera - *Prisoners of the Casbah* (1953), as Firouz - *Street of Shadows* (1953), as Luigi - *Lady in the Fog* (1952), as Philip 'Phil' O'Dell - *The Ford Television Theatre* (1952), series, Actor - *Death Valley Days* (1952), series, as Don Augustin Olvera - *The Jungle* (1952), as Rama Singh - *FBI Girl* (1951), as Glen Stedman - *Schlitz Playhouse of Stars* (1951), series, Actor - *Lost Continent* (1951), as Maj. Joe Nolan - *Happy Go Lovely* (1951), as John Frost - *Lux Video Theatre* (1950), series, as Andre Casell - *Once a Thief* (1950), as Mitch Moore - *Love That Brute* (1950), as Pretty Willie Wetzchahofsky - *The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend* (1949), as Blackie Jobero - *Studio One* (1948), series, as Pat De Carlo - *That Lady in Ermine* (1948), as Count Mario - *Julia Misbehaves* (1948), as Fred Ghenoccio - *Deep Waters* (1948), as Joe Sanger - *Captain from Castile* (1947), as Hernando Cortez - *Carnival in Costa Rica* (1947), as Pepe Castro - *Take It or Leave It* (1944), as (archive footage) (uncredited) - *Wintertime* (1943), as Brad Barton - *Coney Island* (1943), as Joe Rocco - *Springtime in the Rockies* (1942), as Victor Prince - *Orchestra Wives* (1942), as St. John "Sinjin" Smith - *Tales of Manhattan* (1942), as Harry Wilson - *A Gentleman at Heart* (1942), as Tony Miller - *Week-End in Havana* (1941), as Monte Blanca - *Dance Hall* (1941), as Duke McKay - *The Great American Broadcast* (1941), as Bruce Chadwick - *Ride on Vaquero* (1941), as The Cisco Kid - *Tall, Dark and Handsome* (1941), as J.J. "Shep" Morrison - *Romance of the Rio Grande* (1941), as The Cisco Kid - *The Gay Caballero* (1940), as The Cisco Kid - *Lucky Cisco Kid* (1940), as The Cisco Kid - *Viva Cisco Kid* (1940), as The Cisco Kid - *He Married His Wife* (1940), as Freddie - *The Cisco Kid and the Lady* (1939), as The Cisco Kid - *Charlie Chan at Treasure Island* (1939), as Fred Rhadini - *Frontier Marshal* (1939), as John 'Doc' Halliday - *The Return of the Cisco Kid* (1939), as Lopez - *Screen Snapshots Series 18, No. 8* (1939), as Cesar Romero - *The Little Princess* (1939), as Ram Dass - *Wife, Husband and Friend* (1939), as Hugo - *Five of a Kind* (1938), as Duke Lester - *My Lucky Star* (1938), as George Cabot Jr - *Always Goodbye* (1938), as Count Giovanni 'Gino' Corini - *Happy Landing* (1938), as Duke Sargent - *Dangerously Yours* (1937), as Victor Morell - *Wee Willie Winkie* (1937), as Khoda Khan - *Armored Car* (1937), as Petack - *She's Dangerous* (1937), as Nick Sheldon, alias Al Shaw - *15 Maiden Lane* (1936), as Frank Peyton - *Public Enemy's Wife* (1936), as Gene Maroc - *Nobody's Fool* (1936), as Dizzy Rantz - *Love Before Breakfast* (1936), as Bill Wadsworth - *Show Them No Mercy!* (1935), as Tobey - *Rendezvous* (1935), as Capt. Nicholas 'Nikki' Nieterstein - *Metropolitan* (1935), as Niki Baroni - *Diamond Jim* (1935), as Jerry Richardson - *The Devil Is a Woman* (1935), as Antonio Galvan - *Hold 'Em Yale* (1935), as Georgie, the Chaser - *Cardinal Richelieu* (1935), as Andre de Pons - *The Good Fairy* (1935), as Joe - *Clive of India* (1935), as Mir Jaffar - *Strange Wives* (1934), as Boris - *Cheating Cheaters* (1934), as Tom Palmer - *British Agent* (1934), as Tito Del Val - *The Thin Man* (1934), as Chris Jorgenson - *The Shadow Laughs* (1933), as Tony Rico ## Gallery - ![Cesar Romero](https://film.one/media/person/1071689/gallery-abd51a218168.jpg) Cesar Romero — Allan warren, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ef/Cesar_Romero_3_Allan_Warren.jpg/1280px-Cesar_Romero_3_Allan_Warren.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Cesar Romero taken outside his home in Beverly Hills, California](https://film.one/media/person/1071689/gallery-e2b32dfc48d3.jpg) Cesar Romero taken outside his home in Beverly Hills, California — Allan warren, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Cesar_Romero_Allan_Warren.jpg/1280px-Cesar_Romero_Allan_Warren.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Cesar Romero](https://film.one/media/person/1071689/gallery-1766e650e3c9.jpg) Cesar Romero — credited as "U.S. Coast Guard photo", Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c5/Cesar_Romero_-_USCG_1.jpg/1280px-Cesar_Romero_-_USCG_1.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Cesar Romero on board the USS Cavalier (APA-37)](https://film.one/media/person/1071689/gallery-05d85f3f1ee3.jpg) Cesar Romero on board the USS Cavalier (APA-37) — credited as "U.S. Coast Guard photo", Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/Cesar_Romero_-_USCG_2.jpg/1280px-Cesar_Romero_-_USCG_2.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Cesar Romero](https://film.one/media/person/1071689/gallery-e2851cecbc30.jpg) Cesar Romero — Image via TMDB - ![Cesar Romero](https://film.one/media/person/1071689/gallery-ff6ad33f93de.jpg) Cesar Romero — Image via TMDB - ![Cesar Romero](https://film.one/media/person/1071689/gallery-75f32e1d3dfa.jpg) Cesar Romero — Image via TMDB - !["Bat Risas" card (1967)](https://film.one/media/person/1071689/gallery-a74202b84402.jpg) "Bat Risas" card (1967) — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Bat_risas_figurita_51.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Photo of Cesar Romero as The Joker and Burgess Meredith as The Penguin from the television program Batman. (1967)](https://film.one/media/person/1071689/gallery-943495dc5cab.jpg) Photo of Cesar Romero as The Joker and Burgess Meredith as The Penguin from the television program Batman. (1967) — ABC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Cesar_Romero_Burgess_Meredith_Batman_1967.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/cesar-romero