Robert Cabal

Robert Cabal (April 7, 1917 – May 11, 2004), born Harold Ching or Harold Christopher McColgan, was an American film and television actor whose work was featured in 46 films and television series from 1947 to 1967.

Cabal's unique facial features enabled him to play a wide range of ethnic types during his career. His longest recurring role was "Hey Soos" Patines, the horse wrangler of the cattle drive in the CBS TV series Rawhide.

Personal life

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1917, Cabal is said to be the first of Clement Hiram and Nina (née Medeiros) McColgan's two sons. His recorded parents were unmarried at the time of his birth, and were 16 and 18 years old, respectively. Cabal's purported parents married in 1933, 16 years after his birth. However, Cabal's mother had married William N. F. Ching on March 8, 1916. Ching's 1917 World War I US draft registration lists "a four month old infant". The date aligns with Cabal's birthdate. Cabal is listed as three-year old "Harold Ching" in the 1920 US Census, which also shows his parents "William" and "Nina Ching", as well as his brother "Grover".

On July 3, 1935, Clement H. McColgan petitioned to adopt "Harold Christopher Ching, 18 (years old)" and "Grover Samuel Ching, 16 (years old)". A petition to change the brothers' names was filed on July 9, 1935. On July 25, 1935, Cabal's name was legally changed from "Harold C. Ching" to "Harold C. McColgan".

On April 6, 1963 Cabal's mother signed a Territory of Hawaii Certificate of Live Birth stating that Clement Hiram McColgan and Nina Medeiros were his parents.

Cabal attended St. Louis College, a private, all-boys, Catholic high school in Honolulu, Hawaii. He graduated on June 17, 1935.

Cabal died on May 11, 2004 and was buried in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, California on May 26, 2004.

He moved from Hawaii to California to pursue acting. Without money for drama school, he taught himself to type and earned his tuition typing scripts for the school.

Stage Cabal began his professional acting career on the stage. "I got a tip about a part in a road company of Jack Kirkland's play, Suds In Your Eye. We toured the country six months before returning to Hollywood". in the Randolph Scott movie The Man Behind the Gun. After the film was released in 1952, he was invited to lecture about Murietta at the University of Mexico. A 1953 review said, "Robert Cabal displays a lot of talent in a small role". Another review said Cabal was "a standout among the actors".

In 1953, Cabal was cast in his first romantic role in the film noir movie Hell's Island. He said, "I die in the end. Ah, but what a death!"

Stunt work Cabal performed his own stunt work. In 1955 he discussed the repeated physical injuries he had suffered during filming. He claimed that while filming Mara Maru, Errol Flynn slapped him so hard he was sent sailing "clear across the room" 22 times. In another film he was to "drown in quicksand" (made from cork, dirt, grease and water). The crew missed a cue to stop, Cabal was completely submerged, and had to be rescued and resuscitated. In the film Hell's Island he was thrown down a flight of stairs by hoodlums. The painful scene had to be filmed four times.

He thought the problem stemmed from his physical size, saying, "Writers seem to think the idea of a little guy challenging a giant has dramatic potential. It's the old Goliath and David, except that I don't frequently win my fights as did David".

Acting range A 1955 news article said, "Robert Cabal is one actor who's happy nobody ever recognizes him. His anonymity is his fortune... (he) owes his newly found affluence to the fact that without any makeup at all he can play any national type from Irish to Indian". Cabal explained, "My eyes are very adaptable. They can look Oriental with no make-up. Yet they are not slanted, so I could play an Italian or Latin type with equal ease".

During the first eight years of his career he portrayed Mary Murphy's Mexican houseboy Miguel in Hell's Island, a Portuguese boy on The Ezio Pinza Show, a Filipino in Mara Maru, a Burmese man in Escape to Burma, an Arab on the Biff Baker, U.S.A. TV series, and an East Indian Hindu named "Hey-Joe" in an episode of the syndicated Passport to Danger TV show.

Cabal also played a Polynesian in the Four Star Playhouse TV series, a gypsy on TV's Hopalong Cassidy, an American Indian on The Cisco Kid, and an Apache in the Burt Lancaster film Apache.

Selected filmography YearTitleRole Notes 1950 Forbidden Jungle Tawa 1952 Mara Maru Manuelo 1953 The Man Behind the Gun Joaquin Murietta 1956 Around the World in 80 Days Elephant Driver/Guide

Selected television YearTitleRole Notes 1958 Have Gun - Will Travel Pvt. Espinosa Episode "The Solid Gold Patrol" 1959–1965 Rawhide "Hey Soos" Patines 115 episodes 1965 The Big Valley Luis Episode "Winner Lose All"