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Ricardo Montalban, 1920-2009
Tributes to Ricardo Montalban, who died Wednesday, run wife with references to “Da Plane” and “KAAAAAAAHHHHHHNNN!” Not to be unexpected, of course, but I still find that a little sad, considering those lines were actually spoken by other actors.
When I think of Ricardo Montalban, my thoughts run elsewhere. I think of the man who waxed eloquently about his early days at MGM in the documentary When the Lion Roars. I remember him having fun as the villain in the first of the Naked Gun movies.
But besides Star Trek II, my fondest memories of Montalban came courtesy of the Spy Kids series, in which he played the wheelchair-bound grandfather. In Spy Kids 3D, thanks to a little digital magic, he was freed from the confines of his chair so he could fight the bad guys.
Montalban (far right) in Spy Kids 3D
It warmed this handicapped critic’s heart to see the “dis” taken out of disabled in such an imaginative way, and Montalban’s effortless charm went a long way in making that character so memorable. For that, more than anything else, I will miss him.
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By SRCputt
January 15, 2009 9:58 PM | Link to this
Turner Classic Movies has set aside the day of January 23 for his movies. Schedule: 7:30 Fiesta 9:30 Neptune’s Daughter 11:15 Latin Lovers 1:00 Border Incident 2:45 Battleground 4:45 Across the Wide Missouri 6:15 The Singing Nun Find your favorite chair of rich Corinthian leather and enjoy.