Hollywood's History; Leo Carillo

Found in the Woodlawn Cemetary and Mausoleum in Santa Monica (1847 West 14th Street) is the grave of a little known man with larger-than-life impact on Angelinos. Tucked in behind the hedge wall of this little known cemetary lies Leo Carillo (1880-1961). This name may ring a bell to those living here, having Leo Carillo State Beach bear his name in Malibu. His ranch in Carlsbad has also become a California State Historic Landmark known as Leo Carillo Ranch Historic Park.
For the older generation of film buffs, Mr. Carillo played the role of Pancho, the sidekick on the t.v. show The Cisco Kid. He was much more than an actor, as history would uncover. He was a direct descendant of the Spanish conquistadores, and his ancestors were grand land owners in Southern California prior to state hood. One of California's last governors was a relative when still under the control of the Mexicans. Mr. Carillo could be seen in over ninety films, and typically played an accented "foreigner." Before any acting work came his way, he had a steady career as a writer and cartoonist. He was also a staunch conservationist who has been graced with several California open spaces named for him.
Leo Carillo can be found in the Woodlawn Cemetary in section 2, north of the cemetarie's 14th St. entrance. His headstone can be located below a palm tree next to Rose avenue, lot #2.