Armando Joseph Catalano, known artistically as Guy Williams, was born in Manhattan, New York, on January 14, 1924. Guy Williams was an actor in film and television from the United States of Italian descent. He became famous in South American countries for playing the character of Zorro in the classic Disney series, just like other heroes from the 1950s and 1960s. In the United States, he is primarily remembered for his role in the famous series Lost in Space.
During the latter half of his career, he lived and worked most days in Argentina, where he was considered a popular idol and one of the heartthrobs who captivated Argentine women. In the 1960s, many Argentine mothers named their sons Diego due to the strong attraction his character Zorro sparked in them. He spent his last years in the Recoleta neighborhood, an exclusive area of Buenos Aires, where he unexpectedly passed away at the age of 65.
Guy Williams was born in Washington Heights on the island of Manhattan. His parents, Attilio and Clara, had migrated from Messina, a city in Sicily, Italy, due to poverty. Attilio was the son of a lumberjack; working as an insurance salesman, he managed to buy a war lot in New Jersey. Guy Williams grew up in the Little Italy neighborhood of Manhattan. At the age of seven, he began learning fencing from his father, who was a specialist due to a tradition inherited from his Italian ancestors.
At Public School 189 in New York City, Guy Williams excelled in mathematics. He completed the second grade at George Washington High School, where he occasionally worked in the cafeteria. Later, he attended the Peeskill military academy but never showed much interest in studying. His interests were American football and chess, and he always worked hard to find jobs during summer vacations.
When Guy Williams decided to leave the academy, his mother, who was an executive at a foreign film company, felt disheartened, as she had hoped her son would become an insurance salesman—a traditional career in the United States.
After working as a welder, bookstore clerk, and airplane parts inspector, Williams became a salesman in the luggage department at Wanamaker's. Meanwhile, he sent his photos to a modeling agency. He found relative success in print media: his photos appeared in magazines such as Harper's Bazaar and True Romance, newspapers, book covers, and commercial advertisements for Simmons Beautyrest mattresses, showing him sleeping peacefully, as well as Heisey glassware and Jergens lotions. He began receiving good pay and became quite famous.
When a director refused to accept him for his Latin appearance, his agent at the time, Henry Wilson, changed his name from Armand Catalano to Guy Williams. In 1946, at the age of 22, he secured a one-year contract with MGM and moved to Hollywood. He only landed small roles, and at the end of the period, he returned to New York.
In 1948, to shoot a cigarette commercial, Guy Williams undertook an extensive filming trip where he had to ski alongside Janice Cooper, a beautiful advertising model for Powers. During the long photo sessions, they fell in love and married shortly after returning to New York on September 8, 1948. They had two children: Guy Steve Catalano (1952) and Anthony Tony Catalano (1956).
In 1950, Guy Williams began filming his first television commercials, becoming very popular. His father passed away in 1951, not being able to witness his son’s rise to fame. William secured another one-year contract with Universal Studios in 1952 and moved back to Hollywood with his family.
**THE BEGINNING IN HOLLYWOOD FROM 1952 TO 1957 AT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS**
Bonzo Goes to College, as Ronald Calkins
The Mississippi Gambler, as André
The Golden Blade, as a character in Damascus Sword
The Man from The Alamo, as a sergeant
Take Me to Town, as a little hero.
In 1953, Guy Williams suffered a serious accident: he fell from a horse and was dragged for over 200 meters, leaving him with a large scar on his right shoulder. Due to this, he returned to New York, acting and modeling there, already contemplating quitting his career. That same year, he left Universal and became an independent actor for films produced by Allied Artists and Warner Brothers.
It took nearly a decade for his big opportunity as the star of Disney's classic series Zorro (1957-1959). This role earned him a famous status as a romantic hero and swordsman. The origin of the show came when Disney held auditions for a new television series based on the character created by Johnston McCulley. Zorro was famous on screen due to the film starring Douglas Fairbanks as well as the Tyrone Power movie.
To fulfill the role of Zorro, it was necessary for the actor to be attractive, have a Latin flair, and possess some fencing experience. Walt Disney himself interviewed Guy Williams when he was 33 years old and immediately asked him (jokingly) to grow "a mustache that was neither too big nor too thick." The payment Williams requested was relatively high ($2,500 per week), and the amount was accepted. Williams resumed his professional fencing training with Belgian champion Fred Cavens (who had also trained Douglas Fairbanks, Errol Flynn, and Tyrone Power), as, according to Walt Disney's request, the program used swords without protection.
Disney instructed him that to portray Zorro perfectly, he should take guitar classes with the famous Vicente Gomez, but Williams never learned to play the instrument.
The series, with half-hour episodes, finally premiered on the American Broadcasting Company network on October 10, 1957. It achieved instant success in the United States, achieving the highest ratings for a television program up to that point. Williams rode a black horse named Tornado (in the comic stories), but during a filming with gunfire, the animal fell into a ravine and suffered several fractures; consequently, the horse had to be put down. After the accident with the original Tornado, he worked with two other horses. One was fantastic in racing scenes but wouldn't jump. The horse also did not cooperate during close-ups when Zorro spoke with Sergeant Garcia, as Tornado would hide his head. Therefore, they had to use another more photogenic black horse.
There was also a horse named Phantom, as the director thought that for scenes in dim light, the black Tornado would practically become invisible. However, this Phantom didn't last long, and they returned to the black Tornado. The series lasted 78 episodes (two seasons, from 1957 to 1959) and included a film edited from the television episodes: The Mark of Zorro (1958). The musical theme composed by Norman Foster and George Burns was performed by The Chordettes and reached number 17 on the hit charts.
Williams did not perform dangerous stunts, as in case of injury, production of the series would have been delayed. Thus, while he filmed at the studio, his stunt double performed the riding scenes in the mountains. This series created a true epidemic of the Z mark on students’ desks across the United States. You could see examples of the Z on desks and tables of that era. Contractual issues between Disney and the television network led to the cancellation of the successful series.
Damon and Pythias (a 1962 MGM production in Italy, directed by Curtis Bernhardt), with him playing Damon, who offers his life as a guarantee for the word of his friend Pythias, who had been sentenced to death for political reasons. Captain Sindbad (an MGM blockbuster filmed in Germany in 1962, directed by American adventure director Byron Haskin), based on the classic tale of One Thousand and One Nights, where Williams plays the sailor Sinbad. Williams would later describe this period as "one of the best moments of my life."
**BONANZA (1964)**
In 1964, back in the United States, he took on some minor roles, such as appearing in several episodes of the television series Bonanza (1959-1973) as the Mexican cousin Will Cartwright. Williams left the series at the end of his contract after five episodes.
The five episodes of Bonanza in which Guy Williams appeared were:
Return to Honor
The Roper
The Companions
The Pressure Games
Triangle
**Lost in Space (1965-1968)**
In 1965, he was offered the role of Professor John Robinson in the science fiction television program Lost In Space (1965-1968) on CBS. Professor Robinson was an expert in astrophysics, geology, and a religious minister who commanded the mission of the Jupiter 2 spacecraft with his family on a journey to colonize the Alpha Centauri planetary system (the closest star system to the solar system). The series presented a great amount and quality of artistic production, although it had no scientific pretensions. It was primarily based on fun family adventures (including space hippies and intelligent carrots). The series catapulted and ranked Jonathan Harris, the memorable Dr. Smith.
Two memorable elements of the series were the danger warnings "Danger, Will Robinson!" from the Model-B9 android and the classic series music composed by John Williams (who also composed the background music for the episodes). Williams' performance in this series was quite superficial, not fully projecting his character.
**THE FIRST VISIT TO ARGENTINA (1973)**
Williams always had a frank and open temperament; he was a great wine connoisseur, an enthusiast of chess and fencing, and a great traveler. By 1959, at the end of the series, he was disappointed to see that no job offers materialized. So, he decided to retire to enjoy his small fortune made from investments in various businesses. Since January 2, 1968, Buenos Aires Channel 13 has aired Zorro every day from 7:00 to 7:30 PM, achieving great success. In 1970, in toy stores and kiosks across all provinces of Argentina, Zorro dolls, costumes, and all kinds of related items were sold. The channel had the idea to gift Guy Williams, proposing to make a special program and have him participate in various children's shows.
The Buenos Aires journalist Leo Gleizer was tasked with traveling to the United States to make the contacts: "When I arrived in New York, it was very difficult to know where Williams lived. After several unsuccessful investigations, it occurred to me to look in the phone book. To my surprise, I saw that my Guy Williams lived in California. I called him, and a woman answered (Janice, Williams' wife). I spoke with him, telling him I had come from Argentina to look for him and that it seemed like the idea would please him. He told me to meet him at his home in California. He picked me up at the airport. When I saw him without a mustache, I suggested he grow it back. Fifteen days after that first call, we flew to Buenos Aires."
His arrival at Ministro Pistarini International Airport in Ezeiza on Sunday, April 1, 1973, was tremendous. Several thousand children with their parents greeted the actor. Guy agreed to dress up as Zorro on various Channel 13 shows (something he had emphatically rejected in the U.S.) and performed a small fencing display on the program Teleshow (Channel 13, Monday to Friday from 2:30 PM to 5 PM) hosted by Víctor Sueiro.
The success of his appearance on Sueiro's show was so great that the channel's wardrobe department made a costume similar to that of the popular series, with which Williams also appeared in Porcelândia (Wednesdays from 9:30 PM to 10:30 PM), where Jorge Porcel had a sketch called "El Sorro con S"; in this show, they needed to recreate a fencing scene. Williams' opponent was the very young Argentine fencing champion Fernando Lupiz (who in 2005 hosted a daily television show teaching fencing and showcasing Zorro cartoons), who was only 20 years old at the time.
Each program in which Williams appeared garnered over 40 rating points, which led to another trip being planned for the same year.
**THE SECOND VISIT TO ARGENTINA (1973)**
On Saturday, July 14, 1973, Guy Williams made his second visit to Argentina. Around 3,000 people (including children and adults) crowded the runway of Ezeiza International Airport, shouting "Zorro, Zorro!", awaiting the arrival of Pan Am Flight 201. Williams and his wife Janice were the first to descend, greeted by Leo Gleizer, the journalist who facilitated Williams' first trip to Argentina. Suddenly, a roar erupted from the crowd: the door of the plane opened, revealing the lyric baritone and actor Henry Calvin—the overweight Sergeant Demetrio Lopez Garcia from the Zorro series—who was recognized despite his frail appearance (he had undiagnosed throat cancer). When asked how he had stopped being overweight, Calvin said he had aimed to lose 80 pounds and had succeeded. He had begun his career in the thirties as a singer (he had a baritone voice, which he occasionally showcased in Zorro).
The channel assigned an assistant, a translator, and a driver to attend to them. That day, they dined at a food cart in the riverside area by the Rio de la Plata. On a Wednesday, they attended a tango show. There, Guy Williams tried Argentine mate, while his companion continued drinking beer and Mendoza white wine. They both agreed on the food: marinated piglet was their preferred dish. They also visited public schools and hospitals, where they signed autographs for children. During this stay, Zorro engaged in a duel at Carlos Balá's Magic Circus and was seen for the first time on Mirtha Legrand's Show, where he would continue to appear for years.
Calvin accompanied him to Channel 13, where they each performed a show in costume. Guy Williams returned to California, where he continued running his panettone manufacturing business.
**THE THIRD VISIT TO ARGENTINA AND THE CIRCUS TOUR IN AMERICA (1979)**
The third visit occurred in December 1974, this time alone and incognito. In 1979, Guy Williams returned to Buenos Aires, not under contract with Channel 13, but to produce his own shows. He had separated from his wife, and his new partner was now Fernando Lúpiz, disguised as Captain Monasterio (or "Monastario," as it was called in English). Although he wore a mustache like his character, the boy was too young for the role. To promote the show, Zorro appeared on the programs Patolandia (starring comedian Rafael Carret) and Captain Piluso (starring comedian Alberto Olmedo). Williams presented his show for two months nationwide, receiving excellent reviews.
This show was performed in various circuses, where the character all Argentine children wanted to see in person was reserved for the grand finale. In the arena, the presenter announced pompously. Zorro appeared (much taller than expected, at 6'3") on his black horse, waving his right hand raised. After a few words, Captain Monasterio (Lupiz) appeared, initiating a fight lasting several minutes, culminating in the expected victory for Williams. Zorro's participation was brief, about 15 minutes, but everyone present was thrilled to see their hero (whose adventures they followed daily on screen). On Sarmiento Avenue, there was a massive billboard featuring the idol's silhouette and the letter Z.
In 1977, producers Carlos Montero (from Channel 13) and Enrique García Fuertes announced the project El Zorro y su hijo, a film starring Williams and Lupiz. At that time, producer Carlos Patiño initiated negotiations for hiring Zorro for the Real Madrid circus of the Segura brothers, a show that featured famous figures. Real Madrid enjoyed great success in Mar del Plata during 1977 and 1978. From December 1977 to March 1978, 250,000 people personally cheered for Zorro.
The Zorro craze did not end. Williams made many Argentine friends and was enchanted by the country. The film project became an obsession for Guy. It began as a side project, but Williams quickly realized it would be the rebirth of his career. He began working on the script and settings, intending to use real natural sites in Argentina. The provisional title of the story was Zorro. The project was quite ambitious, estimated at two million dollars, too costly for Argentina's unstable economy, but he insisted it would be viewed simultaneously in 65 countries.
The only one who could finance the film was singer and actor Palito Ortega. "El Rey" Ortega made many changes to the script and filming locations chosen by Williams. Ortega also ordered that the role of Bernardo be played by Carlitos Balá. It was also decided that the role of Captain Monasterio would be played by Argentine actor Alfredo Alcón (instead of his partner Lupiz). For Guy, this was too much—not because he disliked Balá or Alcón—but because he saw his three-year job vanish under Ortega's wishes. Thus, the project was aborted.
Without the film, Williams had nothing to do in Buenos Aires and returned to California in the early 1980s. The project script can be seen at the Cinema Museum in Buenos Aires. Due to a translation error on a web page, it was reported on various portals that the film Guy Williams and Fernando Lupiz were going to shoot in Argentina would be called "El Rey" to avoid legal issues. This is inaccurate. The original text from the referred website stated that "El Rey" Ortega made many modifications to the script (referring to the well-known nickname of Argentine singer and producer Ramón Ortega). American translators misunderstood this and translated it as the film being titled "The King." Translated into Spanish, the error was repeated numerous times. The film would be called "Dead or Alive Zorro," with a plot by Guy Williams, Araceli Lisazo, Doris Band, and Juan Carlos Torres.
**THE LAST TRIPS TO ARGENTINA (1980-1989)**
Williams soon returned to the city that welcomed him and adopted him as an idol. In this last period in Buenos Aires, Guy maintained a low profile. He rarely appeared in Radiolandia magazine, which stated that El Zorro lived in Buenos Aires. He enjoyed having coffee at La Biela in the Recoleta neighborhood while reading The Buenos Aires Herald. He could be seen walking from the Alvear Hotel to the building where he lived, where everyone knew him. He continued to make Argentine friends.
In 1983, Williams returned to Los Angeles for two final appearances on television. He reunited with other Lost In Space cast members, June Lockhart, Angela Cartwright, Bob May, and Marta Kristen, to participate in the game show Family Feud, competing against cast members from Gilligan's Island. He then appeared as a guest on Good Morning America.
In his final years, Williams invested in properties in Argentina and spent hours walking or having coffee in Recoleta bars. In the meantime, he suffered a stroke in 1983, from which he slowly recovered, after which he abandoned his attempt to return to Los Angeles.
In April 1989, while living in Buenos Aires, Guy Williams, then 65 years old, suddenly disappeared. On May 6, 1989, neighbors—who noticed his absence—called the police, who forced entry into his apartment in the exclusive Recoleta neighborhood the same day, finding his lifeless body. He had suffered a cerebral aneurysm about a week earlier, on April 30, while alone in his apartment at acucho Street, 1964, and did not survive. He had previously suffered another aneurysm in 1983, in California.}
Thanks to the efforts of his friend, actor Fernando Lupiz, his remains remained for two years in the mausoleum of the Argentine Actors Association (despite the rule stating that it was only for Argentine actors). In 1991, his son Steve received his ashes in California and fulfilled his father's wish for them to be scattered in the California mountains, at Malibu beach, and in the Pacific Ocean.
**TRIBUTES**
In 2000, Guy Williams was the first local celebrity honored on the Walk of Fame in the Bronx, New York City. On August 2, 2001, Guy Williams was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard (corner of La Brea), following thousands of petitions from his fans to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce the previous year. On August 2, 2002, Guy Williams' family dedicated a bench to him in Central Park, New York City. On August 2, 2003, Disney placed a commemorative plaque at the San Luis Rey de Francia mission estate in Oceanside, California, where the Zorro series was filmed between 1957 and 1959. Since 1998, his fans have campaigned for the U.S. Postal Service to issue a stamp in honor of Zorro. The printing was canceled in 2006 due to changes in protocol.
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