On this day in Jamaican history: Hollywood actor Frank Silvera

Frank Silvera- Photo courtesy of The Frank Silvera Writers’
Workshop Foundation, Inc.

On this day in Jamaican history: On July 24, 1914, Hollywood actor Frank Silvera was born in Kingston, Jamaica. As a light-skinned black man, he played and landed roles designated for whites. He once said he attempted to get a part in a TV drama as a black elevator operator. The producer rejected him as being too light-skinned. He left the producer’s office, then returned. “Am I light enough to play one of the white parts?” He got the job. Silvera was known as “the man with a thousand faces” because of his ability to play a wide array of roles.

Selected filmography

Film
Year	Title	Role	Notes
1952	The Cimarron Kid	Stacey Marshall
1952	The Fighter	Paulino
1952	Viva Zapata!	Victoriano Huerta
1952	The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima	Arturo dos Santos
1953	White Mane	Narrator
1953	Fear and Desire	Sgt. Mac
1954	The Lonely Night	The Narrator
1955	Death Tide	Eric Paulsen
1955	Killer’s Kiss	Vincent Rapallo
1956	Crowded Paradise	Papa Diaz
1959	Crime and Punishment U.S.A.	Lieutenant Porter
1960	Heller in Pink Tights	Santis
1960	The Mountain Road	Col. Kwan
1960	Key Witness	Det. Rafael Torno
1962	Mutiny on the Bounty	Minarii
1963	Toys in the Attic	Henry Simpson
1963	Lonnie	Paco
1965	The Greatest Story Ever Told	Caspar
1966	The Appaloosa	Ramos
1967	Hombre	Mexican bandit
1967	The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre	Nick Sorello
1968	The Stalking Moon	Major
1968	Up Tight!	Kyle
1969	Guns of the Magnificent Seven	Lobero
1969	Che!	Goatherd
1971	Valdez Is Coming	Diego	Released posthumously

Television
Year	Title	Role	Notes
1951-1957	Studio One in Hollywood	Various roles	2 episodes
1954	The Marriage	Mr. Ramon	Episode #1.1
1955	Producers’ Showcase	Judge	Episode: “The Skin of Our Teeth”
1957	The Seven Lively Arts	John	Episode: “The World of Nick Adams”
1958	Wanted: Dead or Alive	Sheriff Will Echert	Episode: “Sheriff At Red Rock”
1958	Playhouse 90	Nick Serrello	Episode: “Seven Against the Wall”
1958	Perry Mason	Jonathan Hyett	Episode: “The Case of the Fancy Figures”
1959	Alfred Hitchcock Presents	Mr. Roderiguez	Episode: “A Personal Matter”
1959	Dick Powell’s Zane Grey Theater	Ysidro	Episode: “Trouble at Tres Cruces”
1959	Decoy	Andrew Garcia	Episode: “Across the World”
1959	Bat Masterson	Grasia	Episode: “The Romany Knives”
1959	The Lineup	Papa Vanetti	Episode: “My Son is a Stranger”
1959	The Man From Blackhawk	Kiczek	Episode: “The Gypsy Story”
1960	Johnny Ringo	Bevinetto	Episode: “Shoot the Moon”
1960	The Law and Mr. Jones	Garcia	Episode: “Music to Hurt By”
1960	Thriller	Cesare Romano/Charlie Roman	Episode: “The Guilty Men”
1960	Hong Kong	Kivori	Episode: “Freebooter”
1960	The Rebel	Cota	Episode: “Deathwatch”
1960	Riverboat	Colonel Ashley	Episode: “Devil in Skirts”
1960	The Untouchables	Dino Patrone	Episode: “A Seat on the Fence”
1961-1964	Bonanza	Various roles	2 episodes
1962	The Twilight Zone	Dr. Koslenko	Episode: “Person or Persons Unknown“
1962	The New Breed	John Hernandez	Episode: “My Brother’s Keeper”
1962	The Beachcomber	Various roles	2 episodes
1962	The Dick Powell Show		Episode: “Borderline”
1963	The Defenders	Ballin	Episode: “The Last Illusion”
1963	The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters	The Indian, Speaks to the Wind	Episode: “The Day of the Taboo Man”
1964	The Great Adventure	Gambi	Episode: “The Pirate and the Patriot”
1964	Channing		Episode: “Memory of a Firing Squad”
1964	The Alfred Hitchcock Hour	Alejandro	Episode: “The Life Work of Juan Diaz”
1964	Mr. Novak	Andy Towner	Episode: “Boy Under Glass”
1964-1965	Kraft Suspense Theatre	Various roles	2 episodes
1965	Profiles in Courage		Episode: “Hamilton Fish”
1965	Daniel Boone	Marcel Bouvier	Episode: “Daughter of the Devil”
1965	Rawhide	Pajarito	Episode: “El Hombre Bravo”
1965	Gunsmoke	John Drago	Episode: “Death Watch”
1966	I Spy	Munoz	Episode: “Crusade to Limbo”
1966	The Rat Patrol	Arab Leader	Episode: “The Chain of Death Raid”
1966	Run for Your Life	Esteban	Episode: “The Shock of Recognition”
1967	Dundee and the Culhane	Luis Montoya	Episode: “The Vasquez Brief”
1967	The Wild Wild West	El Sordo	Episode: “The Night of Jack O’Diamonds”
1967-1970	The High Chaparral	Don Sebastian Montoya	14 episodes
1968	The Young Loner	Carlos	Television film
1968-1971	The Wonderful World of Disney	Carlos	4 episodes
1969	Marcus Welby, M.D.	Nick Eugenides	Episode: “The Vrahnas Demon”
1970	The Flying Nun	Thomas Sebastien Martinez	Episode: “No Tears for Mrs. Thomas”
1970	Hawaii Five-O	Frank Kuakua	Episode: “Paniolo”
1971	The Boy from Dead Man’s Bayou		Television film Aired posthumously
1976	Perilous Voyage	Gen. Salazar	Television film Aired posthumously, (final film role)