Don Diamond

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Don Diamond
Diamond in Raiders of Old California
Born	Donald Alan Diamond (1921-06-04)June 4, 1921 Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died	June 19, 2011(2011-06-19) (aged 90) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Eden Memorial Park Cemetery, Mission Hills, California, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Michigan
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1949–1987
Spouse(s)	Louisa Diamond ​ (m. 1966)​
Children	3

Donald Alan Diamond (June 4, 1921 – June 19, 2011) was an American radio, film, and television actor who portrayed "Crazy Cat", the sidekick and heir apparent to Chief Wild Eagle on the popular 1960s television sitcom, F Troop (1965–1967). He also co-starred as "El Toro", the sidekick of Bill Williams' main character of Kit Carson in 105 episodes of the popular early television series, The Adventures of Kit Carson, from 1951 to 1955 .

Career[]

Don Diamond's father, Benjamin, emigrated to the United States from Russia in 1906 with his parents. Benjamin Diamond served in the United States Army in World War I and then became a prosperous clothing merchant. Benjamin and Ruth Diamond had another son, Neal, three years younger than Don.^[1]

Diamond studied drama at the University of Michigan, graduating with a bachelor's degree in 1942. He then enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps, where he earned a commission. Already fluent in Yiddish, he learned to speak Spanish while he was stationed in New Mexico during World War II.

Discharged in 1946 as a first lieutenant, he began acting on radio and became known for his dialect portrayals of Spaniards and Mexicans. This led to his playing the role of "El Toro" in The Adventures of Kit Carson syndicated television series (1951–1955). Diamond also played Corporal Reyes on the Walt Disney television series Zorro (1957–1959) alongside Henry Calvin, who portrayed Sergeant Garcia. In 1968, Diamond appeared as Diego on The Big Valley in the episode titled "Miranda."^{[citation needed]}

He appeared on more than 100 television shows and in many feature films. He performed extensive voice-over work in commercials and cartoons, most notably as the voice of Toro in the DePatie-Freleng Enterprises cartoon series Tijuana Toads.

Death[]

Diamond died due to heart failure in Los Angeles, California, on June 19, 2011, at age 90.^[2]

Personal[]

His wife, Louisa, was a teacher.

Filmography[]

References[]

External links[]

• Don Diamond at IMDb
• Obituary in Los Angeles Times
• Don Diamond at Find a Grave