Artie A. Ortego (February 9, 1890 – July 24, 1960) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 240 films between 1912 and 1955. Ortego portrayed

cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the ''vaquero'' ...

henchmen A henchman is a loyal employee, supporter, or aide to some powerful figure engaged in nefarious or criminal enterprises. Henchmen are typically relatively unimportant in the organisation: minions whose value lies primarily in their unquestioning ...

and American Indians in a large number of

westerns The Western is a genre of fiction typically set in the American frontier (commonly referred to as the "Old West" or the "Wild West") between the California Gold Rush of 1849 and the closing of the frontier in 1890, and commonly associated wit ...

and performed

horse riding stunts Trick riding refers to the act of performing stunts while horseback riding, such as the rider standing upright on the back of a galloping horse, using a specially designed saddle with a reinforced steel horn, and specialized kossak loops for ...

. He was also a

stunt double In filmmaking, a double is a person who substitutes for another actor such that the person's face is not shown. There are various terms associated with a double based on the specific body part or ability they serve as a double for, such as stunt ...

for Ramón Novarro in '' The Barbarian'' (1933), which is set in

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

and also stars

Myrna Loy Myrna Loy (born Myrna Adele Williams; August 2, 1905 – December 14, 1993) was an American film, television and stage actress. As a performer, she was known for her ability to adapt to her screen partner's acting style. Born in Helena, Monta ...

Biography

A full-blooded

Mission Indian Mission Indians was a term used to refer to the Indigenous peoples of California who lived or grew up in the Spanish mission system in California. Today the term is used to refer to their descendants and to specific, contemporary tribal nations ...

, Ortego was born in

San Jose, California San Jose, officially the City of San José ( ; ), is a cultural, commercial, and political center within Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. With a city population of 997,368 and a metropolitan area population of 1.95 million, it is ...

, the son of Benjamin Ortega and Rosa Gardnos. His siblings were Mary Ortega and Ben Ortega. In 1900, the family lived at 753 Orchard Street in San Jose. His father was a butcher. His debut was in the role as Moon Face in

Bison Motion Pictures Bison Film Company, also known as 101 Bison Film Company, was an American film studio established in 1909 and disestablished in 1917. It partnered with Miller Brothers 101 Ranch to lease 20,000 acres to build a Western town set and an Indian vi ...

' silent western short ''

The Tattoo ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

'' (1912) opposite

Mona Darkfeather Josephine M. Workman, better known by her stage name Princess Mona Darkfeather (January 13, 1882 – September 3, 1977), was an American actress who starred in Native Americans in the United States, Native American and Western (genre), Western d ...

and William Bertram. Ortego starred in 41 movies with Darkfeather, 33 of which are known to be directed by her husband, Frank Montgomery. The last of their joint ventures was '' The Gambler's Reformation'' (1914), in which Ortego played an Indian named Brown Bear. Ortego played the role as Delgado in the

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

American Aristocracy ''American Aristocracy'' is a 1916 American silent adventure/comedy-drama film directed by Lloyd Ingraham and starring Douglas Fairbanks. A 35mm print of the film is preserved at the George Eastman House and is currently in the public domain. ...

'' (1916) starring

Douglas Fairbanks Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor and filmmaker best known for being the first actor to play the masked Vigilante Zorro and other swashbuckler film, swashbu ...

and

Jewel Carmen Jewel Carmen (born Florence Lavina Quick; July 13, 1897 – March 4, 1984) was an American silent film actress who appeared in over 30 films, primarily in the late 1910s. In addition to her film career, she was involved in several scandals ...

. When he registered for the draft of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, on June 5, 1917, Ortego gave his home address as 771 Orchard Street, San Jose. He appeared in two movies that year, as The Rat in '' The Great Secret'' starring Francis X. Bushman and

Beverly Bayne Beverly Bayne (born Pearl Beverly Bayne or Bain; November 11, 1894 – August 18, 1982) was an American actress who appeared in silent films beginning in 1910 in Chicago, Illinois, where she worked for Essanay Studios. Early life Born in Minne ...

and as Taggart's Indian in '' The Avenging Trail'' starring

Harold Lockwood Harold A. Lockwood (April 12, 1887 – October 19, 1918) was an American silent film actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most popular matinee idols of the early film period during the 1910s. Early life and career Born in Brook ...

and

Sally Crute Sally Crute (born Sally C. Kirby, June 27, 1886 – August 12, 1971) was an American actress of the silent film era. Biography Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, before entering motion pictures Crute performed on stage. Crute was generally ca ...

In 1920, Ortego was living in a hotel at 920 West Third Street,

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. He appeared in one movie that year, as Little Wolf in '' Skyfire'' starring and directed by

Neal Hart Neal Hart (April 7, 1879 – April 2, 1949) was an American actor and film director, director of the silent film era. Biography Hart was born in Staten Island, New York. Before he began working in films, he was a city marshal, cowboy, and ...

. That was followed by two shorts starring

Hoot Gibson Edmund Richard "Hoot" Gibson (August 6, 1892 – August 23, 1962) was an American rodeo champion, film actor, film director, and producer. While acting and stunt work began as a sideline to Gibson's focus on rodeo, he successfully transitioned ...

, '' The Driftin' Kid'' with

Gertrude Olmstead Gertrude Olmstead (November 13, 1897 – January 18, 1975) was an American actress of the silent era. She appeared in 56 films between 1920 and 1929. Her last name was sometimes seen as Olmsted. Career Olmstead was born in Chicago, Illinois ...

, who later credited Ortego with teaching her to perform a flying mount, and '' The Man Who Woke Up'' (both 1921). Ortego appeared in his first

talkie A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed befo ...

as a vaquero in '' Beyond the Rio Grande'' (1930) starring

Jack Perrin Jack Perrin (born Lyman Wakefield Perrin; July 25, 1896 – December 17, 1967) was an American actor specializing in Westerns. Early life Perrin was born in Three Rivers, Michigan. His father worked in real estate and relocated the family ...

. In 1931, he played the stage driver in '' Galloping Thru'' starring

Tom Tyler Tom Tyler (August 9, 1903 – May 1, 1954) was an American actor known for his leading roles in low-budget Western films, and for his portrayal of superheroes in movie serials ''The Adventures of Captain Marvel'' and ''The Phantom''. Tyler als ...

and Betty Mack. He appeared in 14 movies starring

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

, including '' Randy Rides Alone'' (1934), ''

The Desert Trail ''The Desert Trail'' is a 1935 American Monogram Western (genre), Western film starring John Wayne and directed by Lewis D. Collins (credited as Cullin Lewis). The movie also features Eddy Chandler, Mary Kornman, and Paul Fix. Plot Rodeo sta ...

'' (1935),

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), better known as John Ford, was an American film director and producer. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and w ...

's ''

Stagecoach A stagecoach (also: stage coach, stage, road coach, ) is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by ...

'' (1939) with

Claire Trevor Claire Trevor (née Wemlinger; March 8, 1910April 8, 2000) was an American actress. She appeared in 65 feature films from 1933 to 1982, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in '' Key Largo'' (1948), and received no ...

, and '' A Lady Takes a Chance'' (1943) with

Jean Arthur Jean Arthur (born Gladys Georgianna Greene; October 17, 1900 – June 19, 1991) was an American film and theater actress whose career began in silent films in the early 1920s and lasted until the early 1950s. Arthur had feature roles in three F ...

. His final movie appearance was in director

Allan Dwan Allan Dwan (born Joseph Aloysius Dwan; April 3, 1885 – December 28, 1981) was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter. Early life Born Joseph Aloysius Dwan in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Dwan was ...

's jungle

'' Escape to Burma'' (1955) starring

Barbara Stanwyck Barbara Stanwyck (; born Ruby Catherine Stevens; July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American actress and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year professional career, she was known for her strong, realistic screen p ...

and

Robert Ryan Robert Bushnell Ryan (November 11, 1909 – July 11, 1973) was an American actor and activist. Known for his portrayals of hardened cops and ruthless villains, Ryan performed for over three decades. He was nominated for the Academy Award for B ...

for

RKO Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the major film studios, "Big Five" film studios of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood's Clas ...

. He also made a number of

guest appearance The term guest appearance generally denotes the appearance of a guest in an artistic or pop-culture setting. The guests themselves (referred to as guest artists, featured artists, guest stars, or guest fighters, depending on context), are disting ...

s on

television program A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via Terrestrial television, over-the-air, Satellite television, satellite, and cable te ...

s, including roles on ''

The Cisco Kid The Cisco Kid is a fictional character found in numerous film, radio, television and comic book series based on the fictional Western character created by O. Henry in his 1907 short story "The Caballero's Way", published in ''Everybody's Maga ...

'' (1950, 1951 and , 1952), ''

The Range Rider ''The Range Rider'' is an American Western television series that was first broadcast in syndication from 1951 to 1952. A single lost episode surfaced and was broadcast in 1959. In 1954, the BBC purchased rights to show the program in the UK . ...

'' (1951), ''

Cowboy G-Men ''Cowboy G-Men'' is an American Western television series that aired in syndication from September 1952 to June 1953, for a total of thirty-nine episodes. Synopsis Russell Hayden and Jackie Coogan star as Pat Gallagher and Stoney Crockett, a ...

'' (1953), ''

Hopalong Cassidy Hopalong Cassidy is a fictional cowboy hero created in 1904 by the author Clarence E. Mulford, who wrote a series of short stories and novels based on the character. Mulford portrayed the character as rude, dangerous, and rough-talking. He wa ...

'' (1953) and ''

Maverick Maverick or Maveric may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Bureau T-32 M ...

'' (1959). Artie Ortego died at age 70 of a

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

in St. Joseph's Hospital,

Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank had a Census-estimated population of 102,755 as of 2023. The city was ...

.Los Angeles County, California, Death Records, Cert. No. 13314, Arthur A. Ortego, Free Lance Actor. He is interred in

San Fernando Mission Cemetery The San Fernando Mission Cemetery, a significant part of the Mission Hills community in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, is steeped in history. It stands adjacent to the iconic San Fernando Mission, also known as Mission San Fernando Rey d ...

, Mission Hills.

Selected filmography

*'' A Forest Romance'' (1913, Short) *'' For the Peace of Bear Valley'' (1913, Short) - Ortega *'' The Girl of the Golden West'' (1915) - Antonio *''

'' (1916) - Delgado *'' The Great Secret'' (1917, Serial) - The Rat *'' The Avenging Trail'' (1917) - Taggart's IIndian *''

Broadway Bill ''Broadway Bill'' is a 1934 American comedy-drama film directed by Frank Capra and starring Warner Baxter and Myrna Loy. Screenplay by Robert Riskin and based on the short story "Strictly Confidential" by Mark Hellinger, the film is about a ...

'' (1918) - Wabishke *''Skyfire'' (1920) - Little Wolf *'' The Driftin' Kid'' (1921, Short) *'' The Man Who Woke Up'' (1921, Short) *''Riding with Death'' (1921) - Tony Carilla *'' The Riddle Rider'' (1924) *''Dangerous Odds'' (1925) *'' Two-Fisted Jones'' (1925) - Buck Oxford *'' The Winking Idol'' (1926) * '' The Valley of Bravery'' (1926) *'' Under Western Skies'' (1926) * '' Beyond the Rio Grande'' (1930) * '' Hidden Valley'' (1932) *''

The Lucky Texan ''The Lucky Texan'' is a 1934 American Lonestar Films B-movie Western film featuring John Wayne (five years before his breakthrough appearance in ''Stagecoach''), Barbara Sheldon, Gabby Hayes, and the legendary stuntman and actor Yakima Canut ...

'' (1934) *'' West of the Divide'' (1934) *'' Blue Steel'' (1934) *''

The Man from Utah ''The Man from Utah'' is a 1934 pre-Code Monogram Western (genre), Western film starring John Wayne, Polly Ann Young and the stuntman/actor Yakima Canutt. It was written by Lindsley Parsons and directed by Robert N. Bradbury. Wayne has a "singi ...

'' (1934) *'' Randy Rides Alone'' (1934) *''

The Star Packer ''The Star Packer'' is a 1934 Western (genre), Western film directed by Robert N. Bradbury and starring John Wayne, George "Gabby" Hayes, Yakima Canutt, and Verna Hillie. Plot U.S. Marshal John Travers becomes the sheriff of a turn-of-the-2 ...

'' (1934) * '' The Man Trailer'' (1934) *''

The Trail Beyond ''The Trail Beyond'' is a 1934 Western film directed by Robert N. Bradbury and starring John Wayne, Noah Beery Sr., and Noah Beery Jr. The motion picture was based on the novel ''The Wolf Hunters'' by James Oliver Curwood, which was also adapt ...

'' (1934) *''

The Lawless Frontier ''The Lawless Frontier'' is a 1934 American Monogram Western film directed by Robert N. Bradbury and starring John Wayne, Sheila Terry, George "Gabby" Hayes, and Earl Dwire. It was the tenth of the Lone Star westerns. The picture was made on a ...

'' (1934) *''

'Neath the Arizona Skies ''Neath the Arizona Skies'' is a 1934 Western (genre), Western film directed by Harry L. Fraser, produced by Lone Star Productions, released by Monogram Pictures and starring John Wayne. Wayne's character attempts to locate a little girl's fath ...

'' (1934) *'' Texas Terror'' (1935) *''

Lightning Triggers ''Lightning Triggers'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by S. Roy Luby and starring Reb Russell, Yvonne Pelletier and Fred Kohler.Pitts p. 212-13 Plot An undercover agent for the Cattleman's Protective Association goes into the hi ...

'' (1935) *'' Rainbow Valley'' (1935) *''

'' (1935) *''

'' (1939) *'' A Lady Takes a Chance'' (1943) *'' The Ghost Rider'' (1943) *'' Robin Hood of Monterey'' (1947) * ''

Desert Pursuit ''Desert Pursuit'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by George Blair and starring Wayne Morris, Virginia Grey and George Tobias. The film is based on the story "Horse Thieves' Hosanna" by Kenneth Perkins, originally published in the D ...

'' (1952)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ortego, Artie 1890 births 1960 deaths American male film actors American male silent film actors American male television actors American stunt performers Male actors from San Jose, California American people of Spanish descent 20th-century American male actors Burials at San Fernando Mission Cemetery Male Western (genre) film actors