Word of the Day
Elena (eh-LAY-nuh)
Common clue: Actress Verdugo
Crossword puzzle frequency: 5 times a year
Frequency in English language: 18829 / 86800
Elena Verdugo was born on April 20, 1925, in Paso Robles, California. She began studying Latin-style Terpsichore at the age of three and made her first movie appearance as a dancer in the 1940 Fox musical, “Down Argentine Way.”
She first entered the realm of horror films in 1944 when she was cast as Ilonka the gypsy girl in the “House of Frankenstein.” The film featured Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr. and most of the other monster movie icons of the time.
In 1952 she replaced Audrey Totter as the star of the radio sitcom “Meet Millie” showing her comic potential. She continued the role of Millie Bronson, a Brooklynese secretary, on the subsequent TV version of the sitcom which ran from 1954 to 1956.
Ms. Verdugo is probably most fondly remembered as the warmhearted nurse, Consuelo Lopez, on “Marcus Welby MD” which ran from 1969 to 1976.
"I started at 20th Century-Fox in 1902." - Elena Verdugo's response to an interviewer who had the poor taste to ask her age.
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