Gene Sheldon

Gene Sheldon (born Eugene Hume; February 1, 1908 – May 1, 1982 ) was an American actor, mime artist, and musician. He is remembered as the mute servant Bernardo in Walt Disney's live-action Spanish Western series Zorro (1957–1959).

Early life and career Born on February 1, 1908, in Columbus, Ohio, He began acting at an early age, serving as stage assistant to his father Earl, a magician. His tasks included appearing as a girl, dressed appropriately but not speaking. He also gained experience as a radio announcer at age 17, broadcasting on Toledo, Ohio radio in 1925.

Sheldon appeared in the Broadway revue Priorities of 1942, performing a comedy banjo act in which he did not speak, wearing an outfit resembling the costume of silent film comedian Harry Langdon and mimicking some of Langdon's distinctive gestures.

An often-seen act, in the "Golden Horseshoe Revue" episode of the Walt Disney anthology television series, was as a banjo player who kept getting his fingers stuck in the strings. After several minutes he would finally get them "un-stuck" and play a vigorous riff on his banjo.

Sheldon starred in Disney's 1961 Christmas film Babes in Toyland as Barnaby's mute henchman, Roderigo. He was teamed with Calvin once more, as a kind of ersatz Laurel and Hardy.

Zorro Sheldon's role was Bernardo, Diego's mute (but not deaf) servant on Zorro. As established in the series' first episode, when Diego de la Vega confides to Bernardo his intention to pretend to be a helpless intellectual rather than a man of action, Bernardo decides to support him by pretending to be deaf. In this way, Bernardo is able to spy for Diego without arousing suspicion. This characterization, an innovation over the deaf-mute Bernardo of the original stories, employed Sheldon's pantomime skills while making the character more integral to the series. Sheldon reprised the role in four further Zorro adventures that appeared on the Walt Disney anthology television series in 1960–1961.

Personal life Sheldon married Margaret McCann on December 11, 1944 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

On May 1, 1982, Sheldon died from a heart attack at his home in Tarzana, California.

Filmography