Elena Angela Verdugo

 Elena Angela Verdugo (April 20, 1925 – May 30, 2017)

Verdugo was an actress who began in films at the age of five in Cavalier of the West (1931). Her career in radio, television, and film spanned six decades. Verdugo made numerous film appearances through the 1940s, including several 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 movie 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 and television (1952–1956).

She guest starred on The Bob Cummings Show in a 1958 episode titled "Bob and the Ravishing Realtor", playing the part of the realtor. From February to June 1964, Verdugo played Audrey, the widowed sister of Phil Silvers' character of Harry Grafton, in Silvers' CBS sitcom The New Phil Silvers Show. 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. Verdugo died on May 30, 2017 in Los Angeles at the age of 92.