# José Manuel Martín

José Manuel Martín Pérez (24 May 1924 – 12 April 2006) was a Spanish film and television actor, radio broadcaster, and screenwriter. He was a popular character actor in Spanish cinema during the 1950s and 60s, best remembered for playing villainous henchmen, appearing in more than 100 film and television productions.
Born in Casavieja, Spain, Martín studied at Madrid's Teatro Español Universitario and the Lope de Rueda, and began working for Radio Nacional de España in 1942, before making his feature film debut in César Fernández Ardavín's 1952 war drama La llamada de África starring Ali Beiba Uld Abidin, Yahadid Ben Ahmed Lehbib and Farachi Ben Emboiric.
Martín was particularly noted for his work in the Spaghetti Western genre, alongside regulars such as Aldo Sambrell and Andrea Scotti, with supporting roles in Savage Guns (1961), Gunfighters of Casa Grande (1964), Minnesota Clay(1964), A Pistol for Ringo (1965), Seven Dollars on the Red (1966), Arizona Colt (1966), A Bullet for the General (1966), Blood River (1967), 100 Rifles (1969), and Cut-Throats Nine (1972). He also had memorable roles in EuroHorror films such as Sax Rohmer's The Castle of Fu Manchu (1969), The Sinister Eyes of Dr. Orloff (1973), Count Dracula's Great Love (1974), and Curse of the Devil (1974).

## Early life

José Manuel Martín Pérez was born on 24 May 1924 in Casavieja, Ávila, Castilla y León, Spain . He initially studied at the Teatro Español Universitario in Madrid with José Luis López Vázquez, María Jesús Valdés and Valeriano Andrés before obtaining a scholarship at the Lope de Rueda. It was there that he started working in professional theater under Alejandro Ulloa. Starting in 1942, he was also employed as a broadcaster for Radio Nacional de España. Martín eventually received a bachelor degree in journalism.

## Career

At age 28, Martín made his feature film debut in the war drama La llamada de África (1952), written and directed by César Fernández Ardavín, and starred Ali Beiba Uld Abidin, Yahadid Ben Ahmed Lehbib and Farachi Ben Emboiric. This was followed by minor roles in Ángel Vilches' adventure film A dos grados del ecuador (1953), the Luis Lucia comedy Aeropuerto (1953), and Rafael Gil's religious-themed historical dramas I Was a Parish Priest (1953) and Judas' Kiss (1954). He received his first supporting role, as Muñoz, in Gil's next film Murió hace quince años (1954) appearing alongside Rafael Rivelles, Francisco Rabal and Lyla Rocco. He made two other films with Gil, La otra vida del capitán Contreras (1955) and El canto del gallo (1955), as well part of the supporting cast in Javier Setó's dramas Duelo de pasiones (1956) and Ha pasado un hombre (1956), Pedro Luis Ramírez's comedy Los ladrones somos gente honrada (1956), and José María Ochoa's La mestiza (1956). He appeared in one more film for Rafael Gil that same year, Miracle of the White Suit (1956), and landed an important supporting roles in Spanish Affair (1957), co-directed by Don Siegel and Luis Marquina, Sergio Corbucci's Ángeles sin cielo (1957), and Luis Buñuel's Viridiana (1961). He also started working in television joining the cast of Diego Valor in 1958. Martín continued on in supporting roles for number of other films then being shot in Almería and elsewhere.

## Spaghetti Westerns

In the early-1960s, Eurowesterns, which would evolve into the popular Spaghetti Westerns, were being shot in Almería. Martín was among a number of Spanish character actors to find fame in this new genre. His background playing villains made him ideal for being cast as a Mexican bandit or henchman. Martín's prolific appearances made him was one of the most recognizable Spanish actors involved in the genre, rivaling those of fellow Spaghetti Western regulars such as Aldo Sambrell and Andrea Scotti, and is considered one of the best villains of the era.
His first roles were in Savage Guns and Gunfighters of Casa Grande (1964), one of the genre's earliest films, and continued working at its height with memorable performances in Bullets Don't Argue [it] (1964), Minnesota Clay(1964), A Pistol for Ringo (1965), Seven Dollars on the Red (1966), Arizona Colt (1966), A Bullet for the General (1966), Blood River (1967), I Want Him Dead (1968), 100 Rifles (1969), A Bullet for Sandoval (1969), and into the "twilight" Spaghetti Westerns Bastard, Go and Kill (1971), Amigo, Stay Away (1972), and Cut-Throats Nine (1972). His last Italo-Western appearance, Amigo, Stay Away, was an uncredited role as a peddler.
In between Spaghetti Westerns, Martín also had supporting roles in The Ceremony (1963), Operation Atlantis (1965), Fall of the Mohicans (1965), Con el viento solano (1966), and Bewitched Love (1967).

## Later career

In the late-1960s and 70s, Martín starred in Spanish horror films such as Sax Rohmer's The Castle of Fu Manchu (1969), The Sinister Eyes of Dr. Orloff (1973), Count Dracula's Great Love (1974), and Curse of the Devil (1974). An author of numerous poems, he occasionally tried his hand at screenwriting. His first script was for Rafael Romero Marchent's The Student Connection (1974), co-written with Luciano Ercoli, José Luis Navarro, and Marchent.
Martín went into semi-retirement in the late-1970s. He made several guest appearances on the popular action-adventure television series Curro Jiménez, starring Sancho Gracia, in 1977. Other notable performances included supporting roles in Alberto Vázquez Figueroa's Oro rojo (1978), Mariano Ozores' comedy western Al este del oeste (1984), Jaime Camino's Spanish Civil War film Dragón Rapide (1986), and the Peter Lilienthal sports film Der Radfahrer von San Cristóbal (1988). His last regular film was an uncredited role in Montoyas y Tarantos (1989) followed by a final appearance in the crime-drama film Amor propio (1994) directed by Mario Camus. He also wrote two more scripts during the decade: Ángel Martínez Astudillo short film El pisito (1996) and the comedy Maestros (2000), which he co-wrote with director Óscar del Caz.
In the early-2000s, Martín made one-time guest appearances on television series Policías, en el corazón de la calle and Los Serrano. He also had a cameo on Dunia Ayaso and Félix Sabroso's dramady Descongélate! (2003), starring Pepón Nieto, Candela Peña and Loles León.

## Personal life and death

Martín died on 12 April 2006, at the age of 81.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1952 | The Call of Africa | Sargento | |
| 1953 | A dos grados del ecuador | Unknown | |
| 1953 | I Was a Parish Priest | Unknown | |
| 1953 | Airport | Unknown | Uncredited |
| 1954 | Judas' Kiss | Joven miserable | (as J.M. Martín Pérez) |
| 1954 | He Died Fifteen Years Ago | Muñoz | (as J. Manuel Martín Pérez) |
| 1955 | La otra vida del capitán Contreras | Dr. Rad | |
| 1955 | Duelo de pasiones | Unknown | |
| 1955 | The Cock Crow | Preso | |
| 1956 | Ha pasado un hombre | Savatierra | |
| 1956 | We Thieves Are Honourable | Antón, El Mayordomo | |
| 1956 | La mestiza | Joe | |
| 1956 | Miracle of the White Suit | Jugador | |
| 1957 | Spanish Affair | Fernando | |
| 1957 | Ángeles sin cielo | Curro | |
| 1958 | El aprendiz de malo | Socio de Bautista | |
| 1958 | Die Sklavenkarawane | Miralei | |
| 1959 | Luna de verano | Unknown | |
| 1959 | Gayarre | Frascuelo | |
| 1959 | Two Men in Town | Unknown | |
| 1959 | Leap to Fame | Enfermo de cólera | |
| 1959 | Molokai, la isla maldita | Unknown | (as José M. Martín) |
| 1959 | Sonatas | Primer centinela | |
| 1959 | Life Around Us | Manolo - gángster | |
| 1959 | Der Löwe von Babylon | Aftab | |
| 1960 | Juicio final | Unknown | |
| 1960 | Juanito | Carras | (as José M. Martin) |
| 1960 | El hombre de la isla | Pescador | |
| 1960 | Peace Never Comes | Karazo | |
| 1960 | At Five O'Clock in the Afternoon | Secretario | Uncredited |
| 1961 | Conqueror of Maracaibo | Patcheye Pirate | |
| 1961 | Viridiana | Beggar | |
| 1961 | Savage Guns | Sequra | |
| 1962 | Mentirosa | Tomás | |
| 1962 | Cupido contrabandista | Walter | |
| 1962 | Three Fables of Love | Aveugle | (segment "La mort et le bûcheron") |
| 1962 | The Girl from La Mancha | Posadero | |
| 1963 | The Castilian | Centinela | |
| 1963 | Cristo negro | Charles | |
| 1963 | Shéhérazade | Abdallah | (as J.M. Martín) |
| 1963 | Los Tarantos | Curro | (as J. Manuel Martín) |
| 1963 | The Ceremony | 2nd Gendarme | |
| 1963 | Three Ruthless Ones | Richard | |
| 1964 | Weeping for a Bandit | "El Tuerto" | |
| 1964 | Bullets Don't Argue | Ramon | |
| 1964 | Minnesota Clay | Ortiz Henchman | Uncredited |
| 1964 | Rueda de sospechosos | Camarero del Manzanilla | |
| 1964 | Gunfighters of Casa Grande | Don Luis Ariola | Uncredited |
| 1965 | A Pistol for Ringo | Pedro | |
| 1965 | Fall of the Mohicans | Cunning Fox | |
| 1965 | Man from Canyon City | Esteban | |
| 1965 | Operation Atlantis | Nailawi | |
| 1965 | Train d'enfer | Jaime | |
| 1966 | Cuatro dólares de venganza | Manuel de Losa | |
| 1966 | Seven Dollars on the Red | El Gringo / Chulo | |
| 1966 | Kiss Kiss...Bang Bang | Jamaica | Uncredited |
| 1966 | Con el viento solano | Zafra | (as Manuel Martín) |
| 1966 | Per il gusto di uccidere | Rodrigo | |
| 1966 | Arizona Colt | Watch Henchman | |
| 1966 | Fort Yuma Gold | Sam | |
| 1966 | Five for Revenge | Ramon | |
| 1966 | Django Shoots First | Ringo | Uncredited |
| 1967 | A Bullet for the General | Raimundo | |
| 1967 | Bewitched Love | Lorenzo | |
| 1967 | Operation Delilah | Joe | |
| 1967 | Blood River | Bud | (as José Manuel Martin) |
| 1967 | Fifteen Scaffolds for the Killer | Benny | |
| 1967 | Forty Degrees in the Shade | Compañero de Evaristo | |
| 1967 | Pride and Vengeance | Juan | Uncredited |
| 1967 | A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die | "El Bailarin" | Uncredited |
| 1968 | Train for Durango | Peons Speaker | Uncredited |
| 1968 | I Want Him Dead | Jack Blood | |
| 1968 | Day After Tomorrow | Espartero | |
| 1968 | Commando Attack | Danny detto Faccia di Morto | |
| 1969 | 100 Rifles | Sarita's Father | (as Jose Manuel Martin) |
| 1969 | Deadly Sanctuary | Victor | |
| 1969 | Sax Rohmer's The Castle of Fu Manchu | Omar Pashu | (as Jose Manuel Martin) |
| 1969 | The Forgotten Pistolero | Miguel | |
| 1969 | A Bullet for Sandoval | Guerico | |
| 1969 | El médico y el curandero | Unknown | Short |
| 1970 | Fortunata and Jacinta | Fortunata's Uncle | |
| 1970 | La larga agonía de los peces fuera del agua | Hombre de la pistola | |
| 1970 | Juan Pedro the Scyther | Unknown | |
| 1970 | Arizona Colt Returns | José Gonzalez Moreno | |
| 1970 | No desearás al vecino del quinto | Taxista | (as Jose M. Martín) |
| 1970 | The Wind's Fierce | Garcia | |
| 1971 | Bastard, Go and Kill | Cherokee | |
| 1971 | El Cristo del Océano | Libio | |
| 1971 | Boulevard du Rhum | Un Policier Panaméen | Uncredited |
| 1971 | La morte cammina con i tacchi alti | Smith | (as J. Manuel Martin) |
| 1971 | Hunt the Man Down | Mexican Soldier | |
| 1972 | Ben and Charlie | The Peddler | Uncredited |
| 1972 | Antony and Cleopatra | Guard | Uncredited |
| 1972 | Cut-Throats Nine | John McFarlane | |
| 1973 | Count Dracula's Great Love | Krakos - First Porteador | (as Jose Manuel Martin) |
| 1973 | El Retorno de Walpurgis | Bela | (as Jose M. Martin) |
| 1973 | Pugni, pirati e karatè | Pirate | Uncredited |
| 1973 | The Sinister Eyes of Dr. Orloff | Albert Mathews | |
| 1974 | El último viaje | Manolo | |
| 1976 | La espada negra | Unknown | |
| 1977 | Del amor y de la muerte | Unknown | |
| 1977 | A Dog Called... Vengeance | Cuatrero | (as Jose Manuel Martin) |
| 1978 | Oro rojo | Empleador | |
| 1980 | Adiós, querida mamá | David | |
| 1984 | Al este del oeste | Bad Milk | (as Jose Manuel Martin) |
| 1986 | Dragón Rapide | Oficial ayudante del General Franco | (as José Manuel Martí) |
| 1988 | El Lute II: Tomorrow I'll be Free | Emilio | |
| 1988 | Der Radfahrer von San Cristóbal | Camillo | |
| 1988 | The Brother from Space | Unknown | Uncredited |
| 1989 | Montoyas y Tarantos | Unknown | Uncredited |
| 1994 | Amor propio | Quico | |
| 2003 | Descongélate! | Unknown | |

### As a screenwriter

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1974 | The Student Connection | Co-writer | (as José M. Martin) |
| 1996 | El pisito | Writer | Short |
| 2000 | Maestros | Writer | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1958 | Diego Valor | Mekong | |
| 1965 | Estudio 1 | Casca | Episode: "Julio César" |
| 1974 | Los camioneros | Rogelio | Episode: "Seis toros y uno toreado" |
| 1977 | Curro Jiménez | | Episode: "Carambola a tres bandas" Episode: "El secuestro" Episode: "Veinte mil onzas mejicanas" |
| 1983 | La comedia | | Episode: "El baile de los ladrones" |
| 2000 | Policías, en el corazón de la calle | | Episode: "Vivir se ha puesto al rojo vivo" |
| 2004 | Los Serrano | | Episode: "El fluido básico", (final appearance) |