Born Luis Antonio Damaso de Alonso in Juarez, Mexico, the man who would later reach American stardom as Gilbert Roland had originally planned on being a bullfighter like his father, but the Mexican Revolution caused his family to immigrate to America when he was twelve. In his early twenties Roland started his acting career with a bit part in Cecille B. DeMille’s “Joan the Woman” (1918) and his course was set for Hollywood.

Though friends with the great heart throb Rudolph Valentino helped open many doors, it would take eleven years and several more small parts before Roland finally got his big breakthrough role in “Camille” (1927). Easily making the transition to talkies, Roland appeared in many big budget films like Mae West’s “She Done Him Wrong” (1933) and Errol Flynn’s “The Sea Hawk” (1940).

It was during this prolific time that he made his only serial, Columbia’s “The Desert Hawk” (1942). Roland had two roles playing the rightful ruler of an Arab nation who is kidnapped and replaced by his evil twin brother. Escaping an assassination attempt the real king dons a disguise consisting of chain mail with a hawk emblazoned on the chest. Taking the name of the Desert Hawk, he then spends fifteen chapters exacting a swashbuckling revenge on his usurpers.

It was from here that Roland replaced the very popular Duncan Renaldo as O. Henry’s Cisco Kid in “Beauty and the Bandit” (1946), making him the only authentic Mexican/American to play the part (some critics consider him to be the best). He starred in eleven films from 1946 to 1948, ending with “King of the Bandits” (1948), before turning the role back over to Renaldo.

Roland spent the fifties appearing in big budget films like “The Bullfighter and the Lady” (1950) and “Around the World in 80 Days” (1956) as well as popping up on Disney’s “Zorro” TV show. Ironically he would later appear in Frank Langella’s TV movie remake of “The Mark of Zorro” (1974). Other TV appearances included “Bonanza” and “McCloud”. Roland’s last film was a small part in the Willie Nelson western “Barbarosa” (1982).