Elena Angela Verdugo was an American actress who began in films at the age of five in Cavalier of the West. Her career in radio, television, and film spanned six decades.
Early years
The daughter of Mrs. Beatrice K. Verdugo, she studied dance, drama, and music as a youngster.
Film
When Verdugo was 15, a judge appointed her mother as her legal guardian so that she could sign a film contract. One of her early appearances was in Down Argentine Way. She made numerous film appearances through the 1940s, including several Universal horror films. While filming the Abbott and Costello comedy Little Giant, she met and married screenwriter Charles R. Marion, who also wrote for the comedy team's radio show. Verdugo starred with Gene Autry and Stephen Dunne in The Big Sombrero. She had a small part as the orange girl smitten by Cyrano's gallantry in the opening theater scene of the 1950 José Ferrer version of Cyrano de Bergerac. She co-starred in Thief of Damascus with Paul Henreid and John Sutton. Verdugo had a starring role as a singer in 1957's Panama Sal, a musical comedy film.
Radio and television
Verdugo had a flair for comedy, and she garnered much laughter and applause in the title role of the hit situation comedyMeet Millie on both radio and television. She guest starred on The Bob Cummings Show in a 1958 episode titled "Bob and the Ravishing Realtor", playing the part of the realtor. In 1959, she played Maria Carroyo in "Incident at Spanish Rock", an episode of Rawhide. In 1963, she played Gerry in the short-lived NBC half-hour Westerndramatic seriesRedigo, actually the second season of Egan's earlier hour-long Empire, in which she also played Gerry. Verdugo appeared as herself in 1963 on the NBC game showYour First Impression. From February to June 1964, Verdugo played Audrey, the widowed sister of Phil Silvers' character of Harry Grafton, in Silvers' CBSsitcomThe New Phil Silvers Show. In the full 1964–1965 season, Verdugo played Lynn Hall, an employee of a complaint department at a Los Angelesdepartment store in CBS's Many Happy Returns. In 1965–1966, she played Alice in Mona McCluskey. Verdugo is perhaps best known today for her role as office assistant/nurse Consuelo Lopez in the ABCseriesMarcus Welby, M.D., starring with Robert Young in the title role and James Brolin as the medical associate. The series aired from 1969 to 1976.
Verdugo is a descendant of the Verdugo family that was one of the founders of Los Angeles. Verdugo and Marion had one son, Richard Marion, who became an actor/director. Her second husband was Charles "Rosy" Rosewall, M.D., a psychiatrist, who died in 2012. Verdugo died on May 30, 2017 in Los Angeles at the age of 92.
