Elena Verdugo

The daughter of Mrs. Beatrice K. Verdugo, she studied dance, drama, and music as a youngster.[2]

When Verdugo was 15, a judge appointed her mother as her legal guardian so that she could sign a film contract.[2] One of her early appearances was in Down Argentine Way (1940).[3] She made numerous film appearances through the 1940s, including two Universal horror films. While filming the Abbott and Costello comedy Little Giant (1946), 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 (1949). 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 (1952) with Paul Henreid and John Sutton.

Verdugo had a starring role as a singer in 1957's Panama Sal, a musical comedy film.

Verdugo had a flair for comedy, and she garnered much laughter and applause in the title role of the hit situation comedy Meet Millie on both radio[4] and television (1952–1956).[5]^:677–678 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 Western dramatic series Redigo,[5]^:882 actually the second season of Egan's earlier hour-long Empire, in which she also played Gerry.[5] Verdugo appeared as herself in 1963 on the NBC game show Your First Impression.

From February to June 1964, Verdugo played Audrey, the widowed sister of Phil Silvers' character Harry Grafton, in Silvers' CBS sitcom The New Phil Silvers Show.[6]

In the full 1964–1965 season, Verdugo played Lynn Hall, an employee of a complaint department at a Los Angeles department store in CBS's Many Happy Returns.[5]^:654 In 1965–1966, she played Alice in Mona McCluskey.[5]^:710

Verdugo is perhaps best known today for her role as office assistant/nurse Consuelo Lopez in the ABC series Marcus 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.[5]^:655

In 1971 and 1972, Verdugo was nominated for Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Drama category. Both nominations were for her performances on Marcus Welby, M.D.[7]

She has a star at 1709 Vine Street in the Television section of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was dedicated on February 8, 1960.[8]

Verdugo is a descendant of the Verdugo family that was one of the founders of Los Angeles.[9]

Verdugo and Marion had one son, Richard Marion (1949–1999), who became an actor/director. Her second husband was Charles "Rosy" Rosewall, M.D., a psychiatrist, who died in 2012.[9][10]

Verdugo died on May 30, 2017 in Los Angeles at the age of 92.[9]

• Elena Verdugo at IMDb
• Elena Verdugo discusses the Internet in handwritten letter (5/2/2002)