In Part 1 I posted how we went to see the Leo Carrillo Ranch, which is now a Carlsbad California Park! It once had been the home and working ranch of Leo Carillo, who had played 'Pancho' on The Cisco Kid TV Show!
The top left photo is of the Cisco Kid, (Duncan Renaldo), and Pancho, (Leo), instructing children how to brush their teeth! Almost reminds you of how the Lone Ranger would come to shopping centers with similiar good intentions doesn't it?
The middle photo is of the Ranch's caretaker's house, that you would pass on the way in to the main part of the ranch. During those years there was only the one way in and you had to pass by the caretaker's watchful eyes...
The third photo is of a comic book cover of the Cisco Kid. Pancho was not featured on all of the covers unfortunately.
However Leo was very happy that he won this role of 'Pancho' at age 69!
Between 1931 and 1950 Leo had appeared in over 90 feature films! The 'best' per critics were Viva Villa for MGM, and Love Me Forever from Columbia Pictures.
Although he never was a 'super-star', he was paid handsomely for being a 'character' actor, making $4,000 a week during the Great Depression!
In 1950 he was paired with Duncan Renaldo in the full color TV Show Cisco Kid that aired for 156 episodes! It ran in syndication for six years! It was filmed in Pioneertown above Yucca Valley, California.
Tina and I have seen 'Pioneertown' last winter, and it is nowhere as nice as Leo's Ranch in Carlsbad!
Leo was in great demand as an arena, fairs and rodeo star during the time of the 'Cisco Kid' TV Show.
He also was in multiple parades with his Palomino horse Conquistador, and was beloved by many.
Leo passed away September 10, 1961. His adopted daughter inheirted the ranch, but as years went by she would sell more and more of the 2,538 acres of the Ranch to developers.
Today the Ranch Park is approximately 27 acres, and is in the process of still being restored. It is a beautiful place, and is worth visiting when in the North County area of San Diego County!
Again our thanks to docent Ron Bykowski for the very interesting tour this past weekend!
For those interested in our American 'Old West', we have several comic books about TV Westerns, Western Movies, and more Western Comics in our eBay Featured Store!
Thanks for reading this pop culture -comic blog post, and feel free to comment below!!
Michael
) 
