The Cisco Kid

The Cisco Kid originated as a villainous anti-hero in O. Henry's short fiction and was transformed into a romantic hero in films beginning in 1929. The radio version launched October 2, 1942 on Mutual with Jackson Beck as Cisco and Louis Sorin as Pancho. After a 1946 regional series, the definitive version launched as a syndicated program in 1947 with Jack Mather heading the cast. Harry Lang played Pancho until his death in 1953, at which point Mel Blanc took over the role. The concurrent television series (1950–1956) was among the first American TV shows filmed in color.