Puerto Rican Character Actor Alberto Morin

Over the years, United States territory has produced its share of famous actors. Olga San Juan, José Ferrer,  Rita Moreno, Henry Darrow, and yet others came from Puerto Rico. Along the actors who originated in Puerto Rico was Alberto Morin. Although many movie and television viewers won't recognise his name, they most certainly would recognise his face. He appeared in movies from Gone with the Wind (1939) to The Milagro Beanfield War (1988) and TV shows from I Love Lucy to Cagney & Lacey.

Alberto Morin was born Salvador R. López on December 26, 1902, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He made his film debut in the movie Beau Sabreur in 1928. He spent much of the Thirties playing small uncredited roles in such movies. His role as Rene Picard, the Frenchman from Louisiana Who marries Maybelle Merriwether in Gone with the Wind (1939), was actually one of his bigger roles during the decade. Curiously, although he was Puerto Rican, Alberto Morin often found himself playing Frenchmen and assorted other non-Latino ethnicities. Much of this was not simply due to Mr. Morin being a master of accents, but because he spoke seven languages (including Spanish and English) fluently. 

Alberto Morin's fluency in multiple languages came into good use during World War II when he served in the OSS. It was while he was serving in the OSS that he met director John Ford. At the time, John Ford was an officer in the United States Navy. Following the ear, Alberto Morin would appear in three of John Ford's movies. He played a lieutenant in Rio Grande (1950), a French resistance fighter in When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950), and a manager in The Wings of Eagles (1957).

As a character actor, Alberto Morin's roles in movies varied widely, from those that were on for mere minutes to those who had much more time. In Casablanca (1942), he played the French officer who insulted Yvonne (Madeleine Lebeau). In The Asphalt Jungle (1950), he played grocer Eddie Donato, where Doc (Sam Jaffe) and Dix (Sterling Hayden) hide out following their heist. Among his bigger movie roles was General Leclaire in Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970). His final role was in The Milagro Beanfield War (1988), in which he played one of the "Senile Brigade," a group of old men who provide comedy relief throughout the movie.

Alberto Morin's roles on television were often larger than the ones he played in films. An example of this is the I Love Lucy episode "The French Revue" he played Robert DuBois, a French waiter who tries tutoring Lucy in the language. He had earlier guest starred on Carlos in the episode "Cuban Pals." He guest starred in three episodes of Dobie Gillis, the best of which may be "For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls." He played Captain Lopez, the skipper of a ship who wanted to performance a marriage ceremony at least once in his life. In the Batman episode "The Thirteenth Hat"/"Batman Stands Pat," he played eccentric sculptor Octave Marbot. In the My Three Sons episode "My Son the Bullfighter, he played the Spanish teacher Professor Madora. 

Alberto Morin was a versatile actor who played a wide variety of roles. Indeed, he was so convincing as a Frenchman that at least one book of which I know described him as "a Puerto Rican and French actor.." His proficiency in languages from French to Italian certainly came in use during his career. While he may not be as well-known as fellow Puerto Ricans Rita Moreno and José Ferrer, he was certainly memorable.