Ray Mala (born Ray Agnaqsiaq Wise, also known as Ach-nach-chiak ( Iñupiaq othography: ''Aġnatchiaq''); December 27, 1906 – September 23, 1952) was a prominent Native American Hollywood actor. He was one of Hollywood's Native American movie actors along with Lillian St. Cyr, Jesse Cornplanter,

Chief Yowlachie Chief Yowlachie (August 15, 1890 – March 7, 1966), also known as Daniel Simmons; was a Native American actor from the Yakama tribe in the U.S. state of Washington, known for playing supporting roles and bit parts in numerous films. He is p ...

, William Eagle Shirt, and

Will Rogers William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklahom ...

who also had successful careers during that time. Mala's career peaked in the 1930s and he was best known for his lead role in

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures Corporation (currently held under Melange Pictures, LLC) was an American motion picture production-distribution corporation in operation from 1935 to 1967, that was based in Los Angeles. It had studio facilities in Studio City a ...

' 14-part serial '' Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island'' (1936) following his feature role in MGM's ''

Eskimo Eskimo () is an exonym used to refer to two closely related Indigenous peoples: the Inuit (including the Alaska Native Iñupiat, the Greenlandic Inuit, and the Canadian Inuit) and the Yupik (or Yuit) of eastern Siberia and Alaska. A related ...

'', directed by Woody Van Dyke. He was named a "Top Ten Alaskan" by ''TIME Magazine'' in 2009.

Early life

Ray Mala was born Ray Wise in the small village of

Candle, Alaska Candle is an unincorporated community in the Northwest Arctic Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is situated on the west bank of the Kiwalik River at Candle Creek. It was founded around 1901 as a mining camp, named for the adjacent creek. T ...

, to a Russian Jewish immigrant father and a Native Alaskan Inupiaq mother. He was born during a time when Alaska was still only a

territory of the United States A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or an ...

and was viewed by most Americans as a vast, mysterious frontier. In 1921 an explorer, Captain Frank Kleinschmidt, ventured to Alaska on an expedition to produce ''Primitive Love'', a film in which a 14-year-old Mala made his screen debut. The teenager acted in front of the camera in a minor role and at times served as a cameraman while shooting on location. Later, from 1921 to 1924, Mala also accompanied Knud Rasmussen, the Danish Arctic explorer and writer, as official cameraman on Rasmussen's trip ''The Great Sled Journey'' to collect and describe Inuit songs and legends.

Career

In 1925, Mala arrived in Hollywood and got a job as a cameraman with Fox Film Corporation (before the creation of

20th Century-Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

). Not long after, Mala landed his first lead role in the silent film ''Igloo'' for

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...

. ''Igloo'' was a success and led to his being cast as the lead in MGM's ''

'' (also known as ''Mala the Magnificent''). Louis B. Mayer sent director Woody Van Dyke to the Alaska Territory to film, with many Alaska Natives in the cast, along with Japanese actress

Lotus Long Lotus may refer to: Plants *Lotus (plant), various botanical taxa commonly known as lotus, particularly: ** ''Lotus'' (genus), a genus of terrestrial plants in the family Fabaceae **Lotus flower, a symbolically important aquatic Asian plant also ...

(portraying one of Mala's wives) and Chinese actress Ling Wong. ''Eskimo'' was produced by

Irving Thalberg Irving Grant Thalberg (May 30, 1899 – September 14, 1936) was an American film producer during the early years of motion pictures. He was called "The Boy Wonder" for his youth and ability to select scripts, choose actors, gather productio ...

and premiered at the Astor Theatre in

Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, in 1933. The movie was billed as "the biggest picture ever made" by MGM, but after a sluggish opening, MGM quickly decided to change the title to the more sexy ''Eskimo Wife-Traders''. Still, the movie suffered an eventual loss of $236,000 at the box office. The movie's editor, Conrad A. Nervig, won the first Oscar for Best Film Editing for his work on the picture. Ray Mala gained praise following ''Eskimo'', and as a result MGM cast him as the lead in ''Last of the Pagans'' (1935), directed by

Richard Thorpe Richard Thorpe (born Rollo Smolt Thorpe; February 24, 1896 – May 1, 1991) was an American film director best known for his long career at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Biography Born Rollo Smolt Thorpe in Hutchinson, Kansas, Richard Thorpe began his ...

and filmed on location in Tahiti. Mala's next role came in ''

The Jungle Princess ''The Jungle Princess'' is a 1936 American adventure film directed by Wilhelm Thiele starring Dorothy Lamour and Ray Milland. Plot Christopher Powell is in Malaya with his fiancée and her father, capturing wild animals. While out hunting he i ...

'' (1936), which launched

Dorothy Lamour Dorothy Lamour (born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton; December 10, 1914 – September 22, 1996) was an American actress and singer. She is best remembered for having appeared in the '' Road to...'' movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing ...

's career. According to the book ''The Paramount Story'', ''The Jungle Princess'' was a success and a money maker for the studio. Mala played the lead in

' '' Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island'' (1936), which was one of the first serials the studio made. He shared top billing with Herman Brix in Republic's '' Hawk of the Wilderness'' (1938). Other notable films include '' Green Hell'' (1940), starring

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr., (December 9, 1909 – May 7, 2000) was an American actor, producer and decorated naval officer of World War II. He is best known for starring in such films as ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1937), ''Gunga Din'' (1939) ...

; '' Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe'' (1940); Cecil B. DeMille's '' Union Pacific'' (1939); ''

Son of Fury ''Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake'' is a 1942 American south seas adventure film directed by John Cromwell and starring Tyrone Power. The film was adapted from Edison Marshall's 1941 historical novel ''Benjamin Blake''. It is notable ...

'' (1942), starring

Tyrone Power Tyrone Edmund Power III (May 5, 1914 – November 15, 1958) was an American actor. From the 1930s to the 1950s, Power appeared in dozens of films, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads. His better-known films include ''Jesse James (193 ...

; '' The Tuttles of Tahiti'' (1942), starring

Charles Laughton Charles Laughton (1 July 1899 – 15 December 1962) was a British actor. He was trained in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and first appeared professionally on the stage in 1926. In 1927, he was cast in a play with his future ...

; and many others. Mala also spent time behind the camera. He worked with

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

winner

Joseph LaShelle Joseph LaShelle ASC (July 9, 1900 - August 20, 1989) was an American film cinematographer. He won an Academy Award for '' Laura'' (1944), and was nominated on eight additional occasions. Career LaShelle's first job in the film industry was as an ...

on many pictures, including '' Laura'' (1944), starring Gene Tierney, and ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its origin ...

'' (1952). He was on location in Santa Rosa as a cameraman on

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

's '' Shadow of a Doubt'' (1943). Other films include ''Meet Me After the Show'' (1951), starring

Betty Grable Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million; for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she reign ...

, and '' The Fan'' (1949). In 1952, Mala reappeared in front of the camera to play in '' Red Snow'' opposite Guy Madison. According to the

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Lead ...

, ''Red Snow'' is the first film to deal with the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...

and the atomic bomb.

Death

Shortly after the release of ''Red Snow'', Mala died from

heart problems Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, hea ...

on the set of his last film. He was only 45. His career in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

spanned almost 30 years. Fifty years after his death, his remains were returned to Alaska, with a reburial ceremony in 2018 inside Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery.

Filmography

References

External links