Don Diamond

Donald Alan Diamond (June 4, 1921 – June 19, 2011) was an American radio, film, and television actor who portrayed "Crazy Cat", the sidekick and heir apparent to Chief Wild Eagle on the popular 1960s television sitcom, F Troop (1965–1967). He also co-starred as "El Toro", the sidekick of Bill Williams' main character of Kit Carson in 105 episodes of the popular early television series, The Adventures of Kit Carson, from 1951 to 1955 .

Don Diamond
Diamond in Raiders of Old California
Born	Donald Alan Diamond (1921-06-04)June 4, 1921 Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died	June 19, 2011(2011-06-19) (aged 90) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Michigan
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1949–1987
Spouse	Louisa Diamond ​ (m. 1966)​
Children	3

Career

Don Diamond's father, Benjamin, emigrated to the United States from Russia in 1906 with his parents. Benjamin Diamond served in the United States Army in World War I and then became a prosperous clothing merchant. Benjamin and Ruth Diamond had another son, Neal, three years younger than Don.^[1]

Diamond studied drama at the University of Michigan, graduating with a bachelor's degree in 1942. He then enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps, where he earned a commission. Already fluent in Yiddish, he learned to speak Spanish while he was stationed in New Mexico during World War II.^{[citation needed]}

Discharged in 1946 as a first lieutenant, he began acting on radio and became known for his dialect portrayals of Spaniards and Mexicans. This led to his playing the role of "El Toro" in The Adventures of Kit Carson syndicated television series (1951–1955). Diamond also played Corporal Reyes on the Walt Disney television series Zorro (1957–1959) alongside Henry Calvin, who portrayed Sergeant Garcia. In 1968, Diamond appeared as Diego on The Big Valley in the episode titled "Miranda."^{[citation needed]}

 

Diamond (center) with Bill Williams and Neyle Morrow in The Adventures of Kit Carson, 1951

He appeared on more than 100 television shows and in many feature films. He performed extensive voice-over work in commercials and cartoons, most notably as the voice of Toro in the DePatie-Freleng Enterprises cartoon series Tijuana Toads.

Death

Diamond died due to heart failure in Los Angeles, California, on June 19, 2011, at age 90.^[2]

Personal

His wife, Louisa, was a teacher.^{[citation needed]}

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1949	The Lone Ranger	Pedro	Episode #7, Pete and Pedro
1950	Borderline	Deusik
1957	Omar Khayyam	Trooper Captain	Uncredited
1957	Raiders of Old California	Pepe
1957	Mr. Adams and Eve		Episode: "Man with Raven"
1957-1959	Zorro	Corporal Reyes / Lancer Hivarro	52 episodes
1958	Fräulein	Russian Soldier	Uncredited
1958	The Old Man and the Sea	Cafe Proprietor
1959	Holiday for Lovers	Airplane Steward	Uncredited
1960	The Story of Ruth	Yomar
1961	Swingin' Along	Tony
1961	Man-Trap	Mexican Border Guard	Uncredited
1963	Irma la Douce	Man with Samples	Uncredited
1963	Fun in Acapulco	Waiter	Uncredited
1964	Rawhide	Tony
1964	The Carpetbaggers	Gambler	Uncredited
1965-1967	F Troop	Crazy Cat / Crazy Kat / Brave	50 episodes
1966	The Dick Van Dyke Show	Gonzales	Episode #147, Remember the Alimony^[3]
1968	How Sweet It Is!	Bartender
1969	Viva Max!	Hernandez
1969	Get Smart	Goldmouth	Episode #117, The Treasure of C. Errol Madre
1970	Mrs. Pollifax-Spy	DeGamez
1972	Pete 'n' Tillie	Policeman	Uncredited
1972	Hit Man	Nano Zito
1973	Breezy	Maitre'D
1978	The Toolbox Murders	Sgt. Cameron
1978	The Rockford Files	Coelho
1980	Herbie Goes Bananas	Local #2

References

1. U.S. Census 1930, Brooklyn, NY. Enumerator's district 24-1269, pg. 14B
2. Don Diamond, Character Actor, is dead at 90
3. Nick at Nite's Classic TV Companion, edited by Tom Hill, © 1996 by Viacom International, p. 174

External links

• Don Diamond at IMDb
• Obituary in Los Angeles Times
• Don Diamond at Find a Grave