Chief Yowlachie (August 15, 1890 – March 7, 1966), also known as Daniel Simmons; was a Native American actor from the

Yakama The Yakama are a Native American tribe with nearly 10,851 members, based primarily in eastern Washington state. Yakama people today are enrolled in the federally recognized tribe, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. Their ...

tribe in the U.S. state of

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, known for playing supporting roles and bit parts in numerous films. He is perhaps best known for playing Two Jaw Quo, Nadine Groot's assistant cook, in the classic 1948 Western '' Red River''.

Biography

On August 15, 1890, Yowlachie was born on the

Yakima Indian Reservation The Yakama Indian Reservation (spelled Yakima until 1994) is a Native American reservation in Washington state of the federally recognized tribe known as the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. The tribe is made up of Klikitat ...

. He was educated at the Government Indian Trade School. From 1925 through 1930, Yowlachie made 12 films, 11 of which were Westerns. In his film debut, he played the title role in ''Tonio, Son of the Sierras'' (1925). A Bass-baritone, Yowlachie studied opera under

Pasquale Amato Pasquale Amato (21 March 1878 – 12 August 1942) was an Italian operatic baritone. Amato enjoyed an international reputation but attained the peak of his fame in New York City, where he sang with the Metropolitan Opera from 1908 until 1921. ...

and sang on radio and on stage (including performing with the

Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra The Los Angeles Philharmonic, commonly referred to as the LA Phil, is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at the ...

) from 1931 through 1939. He sang at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

on separate occasions for

Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...

and Franklin Roosevelt. His other performances included singing at the Pacific Southwest Exposition in Long Beach, California, in 1928 and the dedication of Griffith Park's Greek Theatre in 1930. He also performed in programs at the Southwest Museum of the American Indian in Los Angeles. Yowlachie resumed his film career in 1940, making 32 Westerns and two serials through 1955. His roles included Quo in ''Red River'' (1948) and Geronimo in the serial '' Son of Geronimo: Apache Avenger'' (1952). Despite his musical background, Yowlachie never sang in films in which he acted. The closest he came to singing on-screen was when his voice was used in a recorded prologue to a 1926 silent film. Some of his television appearances include "War Horse", an episode of ''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...

'' and "Rope of Lies", an episode of '' The Virginian''. He appeared twice on ''

The Range Rider ''The Range Rider'' is an American Western television series that was first broadcast in syndication from 1951 to 1953. A single lost episode surfaced and was broadcast in 1959. ''The Range Rider'' was also broadcast on British television durin ...

''. He appeared as the Apache Geronimo in the 1950s syndicated television series '' Stories of the Century.'' In 1962, Chief Yowlachie played "The Great Chief" in the episode "The Black Robe" of

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

's western series '' The Tall Man''. On March 7, 1966, Yowlachie died in Los Angeles, California, following a stroke. His funeral included "an Indian death chant and ritual". He is buried in

Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery is located at 10621 Victory Boulevard in North Hollywood and Burbank, California. The cemetery has an entrance called the Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation that is the final resting place for aviation ...

in North Hollywood, California. At the time of his death, he was married to Lillian Simmons.

Selected filmography

*''Kentucky Days'' (1923) - Indian Scout * ''

Tonio, Son of the Sierras ''Tonio, Son of the Sierras'' is a 1925 American silent Western film directed by Ben F. Wilson and starring Wilson, Neva Gerber, Robert Walker and Ruth Royce.Connelly p.422 It is based on the novel of the same name by Charles King. Cast * ...

'' (1925) - Tonio *''

Ella Cinders ''Ella Cinders'' is an American syndicated comic strip created by writer Bill Conselman and artist Charles Plumb. Distributed for most of its run by United Feature Syndicate, the daily version was launched June 1, 1925, and a Sunday page foll ...

'' (1926) - Indian (uncredited) *''

Moran of the Mounted ''Moran of the Mounted'' is a 1926 American silent western film directed by Harry Joe Brown and starring Reed Howes, Sheldon Lewis and Virginia Warwick.Connelly p.388 A northern, it was distributed by the independent Rayart Pictures, the foreru ...

'' (1926) - Biting Wolf *''

The Scarlet Letter ''The Scarlet Letter: A Romance'' is a work of historical fiction by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1850. Set in the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony during the years 1642 to 1649, the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne, ...

'' (1926) - Indian (uncredited) *'' Forlorn River'' (1926) - Modoc Joe *'' War Paint'' (1926) - Iron Eyes *''

Sitting Bull at the Spirit Lake Massacre ''Sitting Bull at the Spirit Lake Massacre'' (also known as ''With Sitting Bull at the Spirit Lake Massacre'') is a 1927 American silent Western film directed by Robert N. Bradbury, and starring Bryant Washburn as Donald, Chief Yowlachie as Si ...

'' (1927) - Chief Sitting Bull *'' Hawk of the Hills'' (1927, Serial) - Chief Long Hand *''

The Red Raiders ''The Red Raiders'' is an extant 1927 American silent Western film directed by Albert S. Rogell and starring Ken Maynard. It was distributed by First National Pictures. Cast * Ken Maynard as Lt. John Scott * Anne Drew as Jane Logan * J. P. McG ...

'' (1927) - Lone Wolf *'' The Glorious Trail'' (1928) - High Wolf *''Hawk of the Hills'' (1929) - Chief White Wolf *''The Invaders'' (1929) *'' Tiger Rose'' (1929) - Indian (uncredited) *'' The Santa Fe Trail'' (1930) - Brown Beaver *'' The Girl of the Golden West'' (1930) - Billy Jackrabbit *'' The Thundering Herd'' (1933) - Indian (uncredited) *''

Man of Conquest ''Man of Conquest'' is a 1939 American Western film directed by George Nicholls Jr. and starring Richard Dix, Gail Patrick, and Joan Fontaine. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Score, Best Sound ( Charles L. Lootens), a ...

'' (1939) - Cherokee Tribesman (uncredited) *''

Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe ''Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe'' is a 1940 American black-and-white science fiction 12-chapter movie serial from Universal Pictures, produced by Henry MacRae and co-directed by Ford Beebe and Ray Taylor. The serial stars Buster Crabbe, Ca ...

'' (1940, Serial) - King of the Rock People hs. 7-9(uncredited) *'' Winners of the West'' (1940, Serial) - Chief War Eagle hs. 1, 5, 7, 9-10, 13*'' North West Mounted Police'' (1940) - Indian (uncredited) *'' White Eagle'' (1941, Serial) - Chief Running Deer *'' The Round Up'' (1941) - Chief Blackhawk (uncredited) *''

Saddlemates ''Saddlemates'' is a 1941 American Western " Three Mesquiteers" B-movie directed by Lester Orlebeck and starring Robert Livingston, Bob Steele, and Rufe Davis. Cast * Robert Livingston as Stony Brooke * Bob Steele as Tucson Smith * Rufe ...

'' (1941) - Council Chief (uncredited) *'' This Woman Is Mine'' (1941) - Chief One-Eye Comcomly (uncredited) *''

Outlaws of Cherokee Trail ''Outlaws of Cherokee Trail'' is a 1941 American Western "Three Mesquiteers" B-movie directed by Lester Orlebeck. Cast * Tom Tyler as Stony Brooke * Bob Steele as Tucson Smith * Rufe Davis as Lullaby Joslin * Lois Collier as Doris Sheldon ...

'' (1941) - Indian Poker Player (uncredited) *'' Ride 'Em Cowboy'' (1942) - Chief Tomahawk (uncredited) *''

King of the Stallions ''King of the Stallions'' is a 1942 American Western film directed by Edward Finney and written by Arthur St. Claire and Sherman L. Lowe. The film stars Chief Thundercloud, Rick Vallin, Barbara Felker, Dave O'Brien, Chief Yowlachie and Sally ...

'' (1942) - Chief Matapotan *''

Dawn on the Great Divide ''Dawn on the Great Divide'' is a 1942 American Western film directed by Howard Bretherton based on James Oliver Curwood's 1913 short story "Wheels of Fate". It was the final film of Buck Jones and the final film of Monogram Pictures ''Rough R ...

'' (1942) - Indian (uncredited) *'' Frontier Fury'' (1943) - Nuyaka (uncredited) *''

Canyon Passage ''Canyon Passage'' is a 1946 American Western film directed by Jacques Tourneur and set in frontier Oregon. It stars Dana Andrews, Susan Hayward and Brian Donlevy. Featuring love triangles and an Indian uprising, the film was adapted from the ...

'' (1946) - Indian Spokesman (uncredited) *'' The Strange Woman'' (1946) - Indian Guide (uncredited) *''Wild West'' (1946) - Chief Black Fox *''

Singin' in the Corn ''Singin' in the Corn'' is a 1946 American Comedy Western film directed by Del Lord and written by Isabel Dawn, Monte Brice, and Elwood Ullman. The film stars Judy Canova, Allen Jenkins, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Alan Bridge, Charles Halton and ...

'' (1946) - Indian (uncredited) *''

Oregon Trail Scouts ''Oregon Trail Scouts'' is a 1947 American Western film in the Red Ryder film series directed by R. G. Springsteen and written by Earle Snell. The film stars Allan Lane, Robert Blake, Martha Wentworth, Roy Barcroft, Emmett Lynn and Edmund Cob ...

'' (1947) - Indian (uncredited) *''

The Hucksters ''The Hucksters'' is a 1947 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film directed by Jack Conway starring Clark Gable and Deborah Kerr, her debut in an American film. The supporting cast includes Sydney Greenstreet, Adolphe Menjou, Ava Gardner, Keenan Wynn, and ...

'' (1947) - Indian (uncredited) *'' Bowery Buckaroos'' (1947) - Big Chief Hi-Octane *''

The Prairie ''The Prairie: A Tale'' (1827) is a novel by James Fenimore Cooper, the third novel written by him featuring Natty Bumppo. His fictitious frontier hero Bumppo is never called by his name, but is instead referred to as "the trapper" or "the old ...

'' (1947) - Matoreeh *''

The Senator Was Indiscreet ''The Senator Was Indiscreet'' is a 1947 comedy film, the only movie directed by playwright, theatrical director/producer, humorist, and drama critic George S. Kaufman. Produced by Universal Pictures it starred William Powell as a dim-witted U.S. ...

'' (1947) - Indian *'' The Gallant Legion'' (1948) - Indian Medicine Man (uncredited) *''

The Dude Goes West ''The Dude Goes West'' is a 1948 American comedy western film starring Eddie Albert and Gale Storm. It was directed by Kurt Neumann and released by Monogram Pictures. The film was originally known as ''Tombstone''. Plot Gunsmith and marksman ...

'' (1948) - Running Wolf *'' Red River'' (1948) - Quo *'' You Gotta Stay Happy'' (1948) - Indian (uncredited) *'' The Paleface'' (1948) - Chief Yellow Feather *''

Yellow Sky ''Yellow Sky'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Gregory Peck, Richard Widmark, and Anne Baxter. The story is believed to be loosely adapted from William Shakespeare's '' The Tempest''. The screenplay ...

'' (1948) - Colorado (uncredited) *''

El Paso El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the seat of El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 23rd-largest city in the U.S., the s ...

'' (1949) - Paiute Pete (uncredited) *''

Ma and Pa Kettle Ma and Pa Kettle are comic film characters of the successful film series of the same name, produced by Universal Studios, in the late 1940s and 1950s. The hillbilly duo had their hands full with a ramshackle farm and a brood of rambunctious child ...

'' (1949) - Crowbar *''

Tulsa Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

'' (1949) - Charlie Lightfoot (uncredited) *''

Canadian Pacific The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

'' (1949) - Indian Chief (uncredited) *''

The Cowboy and the Indians ''The Cowboy and the Indians'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by John English and written by Dwight Cummins and Dorothy Yost. The film stars Gene Autry, Sheila Ryan, Frank Richards, Hank Patterson, Jay Silverheels and Claudia Drake ...

'' (1949) - Chief Long Arrow (uncredited) *''

My Friend Irma ''My Friend Irma'' is a media franchise that was spawned by a top-rated, long-running radio situation comedy created by writer-director-producer Cy Howard. The radio show was so popular in the late 1940s that its success escalated the films, ...

'' (1949) - Indian (uncredited) *'' Mrs. Mike'' (1949) - Atenou *''

The Traveling Saleswoman ''The Traveling Saleswoman'' is a 1950 American Western comedy film directed by Charles Reisner and starring Joan Davis, Andy Devine, Adele Jergens, Joe Sawyer, and Dean Riesner. The film was released by Columbia Pictures on February 15, 1950. ...

'' (1950) - Sam (uncredited) *'' Young Daniel Boone'' (1950) - Indian Guide (uncredited) *''

Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town ''Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town'' is a 1950 American comedy film directed by Charles Lamont. It is the second installment of Universal-International's ''Ma and Pa Kettle'' series starring Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride. Plot At the conclusion of ...

'' (1950) - Crowbar (uncredited) *''

A Ticket to Tomahawk ''A Ticket to Tomahawk'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Richard Sale and starring Dan Dailey and Anne Baxter. It was released by 20th Century Fox. Marilyn Monroe appeared in one of her earliest roles. Plot In 1876, Johnny Jameson ...

'' (1950) - Pawnee *''

Kill the Umpire ''Kill the Umpire'' is a 1950 baseball comedy film starring William Bendix and Una Merkel, directed by Lloyd Bacon and written by Frank Tashlin. Bendix two years earlier had portrayed baseball player Babe Ruth in the biographical film ''The B ...

'' (1950) - Indian (uncredited) *'' Annie Get Your Gun'' (1950) - Little Horse (uncredited) *''

Winchester '73 ''Winchester '73'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart, Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea and Stephen McNally. Written by Borden Chase and Robert L. Richards, the film is about the journey of a pr ...

'' (1950) - Indian at Rifle Shoot (uncredited) *''

My Friend Irma Goes West ''My Friend Irma Goes West'' is a 1950 American comedy film directed by Hal Walker and based on the radio show ''My Friend Irma.'' It stars the comedy team of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The film is a sequel to ''My Friend Irma'' (1949) and was ...

'' (1950) - Hiawatha - Indian Chief (uncredited) *''

Indian Territory The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans who held aboriginal title to their land as a sovereign ...

'' (1950) - Indian Chief (uncredited) *'' Cherokee Uprising'' (1950) - Gray Eagle *'' The Last Outpost'' (1951) - Cochise (uncredited) *''

The Painted Hills ''The Painted Hills'', also known as ''Lassie's Adventures in the Goldrush'', is a 1951 drama western film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and directed by Harold F. Kress. Adapted by True Boardman from Alexander Hull's novel ''Shep of t ...

'' (1951) - Bald Eagle *''

Cavalry Scout Cavalry Scout is the job title of someone who has achieved the military occupational specialty of 19D Armored Reconnaissance Specialist in the Combat Arms branch of the United States Army. As with all enlisted soldiers in the United States Caval ...

'' (1951) - Indian Chief (uncredited) *''

Warpath Warpath may refer to: *Great Indian Warpath, a network of trails in eastern North America used by Native Americans Games * ''Warpath'' (video game), a 2006 FPS video game by Digital Extremes for the PC and Xbox *'' Warpath: Jurassic Park'', a 199 ...

'' (1951) - Chief *'' Lone Star'' (1952) - Mangas Colorado (uncredited) *'' Buffalo Bill in Tomahawk Territory'' (1952) - Chief White Cloud *''

The Half-Breed ''The Half-Breed'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Stuart Gilmore and written by Harold Shumate, Richard Wormser and Charles Hoffman. The film stars Robert Young, Janis Carter, Jack Buetel, Barton MacLane, Reed Hadley and Porter ...

'' (1952) - Apache Chief (uncredited) *'' Son of Geronimo: Apache Avenger'' (1952, Serial) - Geronimo h 15*'' Thunderbirds'' (1952) - Chief Whitedeer (uncredited) *'' The Pathfinder'' (1952) - Eagle Feather *''

Rose Marie Rose Marie (born Rose Marie Mazzetta; August 15, 1923 – December 28, 2017) was an American actress, singer, comedian, and vaudeville performer with a career ultimately spanning nine decades, which included film, radio, records, theater, night ...

'' (1954) - Black Eagle *''

Gunfighters of the Northwest ''Gunfighters of the Northwest'' is a 1954 American Western serial film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and Charles S. Gould and starring Jock Mahoney, Clayton Moore, Phyllis Coates, Don C. Harvey. Plot White Horse Rebels, under the command o ...

'' (1954, Serial) - Chief Running Elk *''

Drums Across the River ''Drums Across the River '' is a 1954 American Technicolor Western film directed by Nathan Juran and starring Audie Murphy, Walter Brennan and Lyle Bettger. Plot Gary Brannon, is a peaceful homesteader living a quiet existence with his father S ...

'' (1954) - Medicine Man (uncredited) *''The Wild Dakotas'' (1956) - Indian (uncredited) *'' Hollywood or Bust'' (1956) - Chief Running Water (uncredited) *''

The Spirit of St. Louis The ''Spirit of St. Louis'' (formally the Ryan NYP, registration: N-X-211) is the custom-built, single-engine, single-seat, high-wing monoplane that was flown by Charles Lindbergh on May 20–21, 1927, on the first solo nonstop transatlanti ...

'' (1957) - Indian (uncredited) *'' The Buccaneer'' (1958) - Choctaw Indian (uncredited) *''

The FBI Story ''The FBI Story'' is a 1959 American drama film starring James Stewart, and produced and directed by Mervyn LeRoy. The screenplay by Richard L. Breen and John Twist is based on a book by Don Whitehead. Plot John Michael ("Chip") Hardesty ( Jam ...

'' (1959) - Harry Willowtree (uncredited) *'' Yellowstone Kelly'' (1959) - Medicine Man (uncredited) *''

Heller in Pink Tights ''Heller In Pink Tights'' is a 1960 American Technicolor Western film adapted from Louis L'Amour's 1955 novel ''Heller with a Gun''. It stars Sophia Loren and Anthony Quinn and was directed by George Cukor. The movie is noted for its lavishly ...

'' (1960) - Indian (uncredited) *''

Nevada Smith ''Nevada Smith'' is a 1966 American Western film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Steve McQueen, Karl Malden, Brian Keith, Arthur Kennedy and Suzanne Pleshette. The film was made by Embassy Pictures and Solar Productions, in association ...

'' (1966) - Medicine Man (uncredited) (final film role)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Yowlachie, Chief 1890 births 1966 deaths 20th-century American male actors 20th-century Native Americans Burials at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery Male actors from Washington (state) Native American male actors Native American actors People from Yakima, Washington Yakama American male film actors American male television actors Film serial actors Male Western (genre) film actors Western (genre) television actors