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| Ronald Rondell |
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born:
21 September 1903 Naples, Campania, Italy |
died:
14 May 1999 Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, United States of America (age 95) |
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Italian-born actor who later became an assistant director in film and television. His parents were Anna (née Fenderico, 1882-1968) and Giovanni "John" Rondelli (1878-1960); he had four siblings: Carmela (m. Lombardo, 1908-1992), Vincenzo/James (1912-1998), Francesco/Frank (1914-2005), and Giuseppi/Joseph (1915-1997). Ronald immigrated from his native Italy with his mother and sister to the United States on 6 June 1911, at age 7 (his father had arrived earlier in September 1910). He filed his declaration of intention on 6 June 1922, 11 years to the day of his arrival in the U.S. (occupation: clerk), and his petition for naturalization on 21 June 1927, and he was naturalized on 17 February 1928; with his naturalization, he legally changed his name from Salvatore Rondelli to Ronald Salvatore Rondell. Ronald entered films in the mid-1920s, working as a supporting player, bit player, and extra for two decades. This included working in the "Collegians" series of two-reel films for Universal (starring George J. Lewis, Dorothy Gulliver, Eddie Phillips, and Churchill Ross). A 1942 Modern Screen magazine tidbit says, "Director 'Wild Bill' Wellman's good-luck charm is an actor—Ronnie Rondell. Ronnie's had a job in every one of Wellman's pictures since 'The Cat's Pyjamas' in 1925." After a two-decade career in front of the camera, Rondell moved behind it in the mid-1940s, working as an assistant director in film ("While the City Sleeps," "Around the World in 80 Days," et al.) and television (including episodes of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Leave It to Beaver," "The Munsters," and "The Jack Benny Program") through the 1960s. Ronald married Missouri native Ruth Durham (1904-1968), a motion picture secretary, on 29 November 1931; Ronald's "Collegians" co-star, George J. Lewis, was a witness. After a premature stillbirth in 1936, Ronald and Ruth would have two sons: Ronald Reid "Ronnie" Rondell (b. 1937) and Ricci Roy "Ric" Rondell (b. 1942), both of whom followed their father into the film and television industry. Ric followed in his father's footsteps as an assistant director, also working as a television director, unit production manager, film producer, and line producer. Ronnie, who also initially worked as an assistant director, became a renowned stuntman who co-founded the group Stunts Unlimited in 1970 (one of his most notable non-film assignments was portraying the burning man shaking hands on the cover of Pink Floyd's 1975 album "Wish You Were Here"); his two sons (the elder Ronald's grandsons), Reid (1962-1985) and R. A. Rondell, also became stuntmen, with Reid becoming a friend of and stunt double for Tom Cruise until he was tragically killed in a helicopter accident while filming the TV series "Airwolf." Note: While most sources give Ronald's birth date as the 21st, it is worth noting that his father's 1926 petition for naturalization, which lists the five children and their birth dates, gives it as the 19th. I would stick with the 21st until another corroborating source for the 19th can be found. |
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Real name: Salvatore Rondelli Height: 5'8" |
Films listed on this page: complete Hal Roach filmography. |
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