Captain Julio Cárdenas was an officer in Pancho Villa's army during the Mexican Revolution.
Biography[]
After Villa's raid in Columbus, New Mexico, Cárdenas took three prisoners and attempted to kill them by firing squad, but the execution was called off by Villa himself in the last minute. One of these prisoners was Indiana Jones.[1]
He and two of his men were killed by Lieutenant George S. Patton during a gunfight in a cantina in Rubio, Mexico, in 1916. Patton put then their corpses in a military car and carried them to General John J. Pershing's headquarters.[1]
Behind the scenes[]
Julio Cárdenas was played by Spanish actor Antonio Valero in the Mexican section of "Young Indiana Jones and the Curse of the Jackal", the first episode of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, later reworked as Spring Break Adventure.[1] In contrast to the episode, the real Julio Cárdenas was called "General" by his men despite being only a captain. He lead Pancho Villa's bodyguards, the Dorados ("Golden ones").
The scene of Cárdenas' assassination in the TV series is based on reality but there are some important differences. For example, Patton did not carry the mission alone, but with ten men under his command, and the assassination took place in a ranch named San Miguelito instead of a cantina.
Appearances[]
- The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles – "Young Indiana Jones and the Curse of the Jackal" → Spring Break Adventure
- Mexico, March 1916
- South of the Border
- The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Revolution
Sources[]
- Who Are Those Guys? (Non-fiction source)
Chapter 6: Springbreak Adventure on IndianaJones.com (backup link on Archive.org) (as "Julio Cardenas")
