Victor Daniels (April 12, 1899 – December 1, 1955), known professionally as Chief Thundercloud, was an American character actor in Westerns. He is noted for being the first actor to play the role of Tonto, the Lone Ranger's Native-American companion, on the screen.

Family and education

Information available about Daniels is limited and vague. He repeatedly said he was born in the Oklahoma Territory. But his

Social Security Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specificall ...

application lists his birth date as April 12, 1899, and his birthplace as Santa Cruz County in the Arizona Territory. He listed his parents as Jesus Daniels and Tomaca Daniels. Victor Daniels (

Daniels claimed to be Cherokee, though he does not appear in tribal rolls of the period. He had a sister named Anita, born October 6, 1911, in Tucson, Pima County, Arizona Territory. On her birth certificate she listed similar parents with Jesus Daniel (born in Sonora) and Tomaso Acuna (born in Arizona). Thundercloud's first marriage was to 17-year-old Mildred Turner (from Missouri) on May 26, 1925, in Los Angeles. At that time, he called himself “Victor Vasquez.” Their son Victor Junior Daniels was born on May 7, 1926, and a second son, Norman Daniels, on September 5, 1927, both in Los Angeles. Thundercloud divorced Mildred and later married Frances Courtright on April 26, 1933.''The Lone Ranger Rides Again'' pressbook, vi
B-Westerns
retrieved 11 August 2007. His ''Lone Ranger'' press biography claimed he was derived from the " Muskogee aristocracy" icref name=LRpress/>—but the concept of European "royalty" and "aristocrats" is foreign to Native American cultures. He was actually the first of nine children born to Jesus and Tomaca Daniels (as indicated on his Social Security application). The pressbook for ''

The Lone Ranger Rides Again ''The Lone Ranger Rides Again'' is a 1939 American Republic serial. It was a sequel to Republic's 1938 serial ''The Lone Ranger'', which had been highly successful, and the thirteenth of the sixty-six serials produced by Republic. The serial w ...

'' announced his parents as "Dark Cloud and Morning Star, aristocrats of the Muskogee tribe" ic while his death certificate lists his father as Joseph Mahawa. Raised on a ranch in Arizona, he claimed to have attended the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. ...

at Tucson, where he "excelled scholastically and in athletics (football, boxing)." However, no record exists of his enrollment or attendance at the school under the name Daniels or any other name he used.Profile
b-westerns.com; accessed August 11, 2007.

Work as a character actor

Daniels worked many jobs — cowboy on cattle ranches, miner, rodeo performer, and tour guide — before he went to Hollywood to try his luck at acting. Daniels started as a stuntman. From there he graduated to character actor status. His title "Chief" was a Hollywood invention, a

stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...

. He had the title role in ''Geronimo'' (1939) and played Tonto in both Republic Lone Ranger serials, '' The Lone Ranger'' (1938) and ''

'' (1939). Throughout the 1940s, Daniels continued to work as a character actor, maintaining the Chief Thundercloud persona. In most of the films in which he was featured, he played an antagonist opposing the white protagonist. For example, in the film "Young Buffalo Bill" (1940) he played Akuna, a renegade Native American chief who commits murder while working as a hired hand. In the film '' Renegade Girl'' (1946), he played the main villain, Chief Whitecloud, a vengeful antagonist with a vendetta against the protagonist's family. Although featured in a number of films, Daniels was uncredited in some films, such as '' Gun Smoke'' (1936), a film about a ranch defending itself from a flood of sheep. He also appeared in the first two parts of the serial '' Custer's Last Stand'' (1936), again uncredited. Daniels had a short appearance on early television on '' The Gene Autry Show'' (1950).Billy Hathorn, "Roy Bean, Temple Houston, Bill Longley, Ranald Mackenzie, Buffalo Bill, Jr., and the Texas Rangers: Depictions of West Texans in Series Television, 1955 to 1967", '' West Texas Historical Review'', Vol. 89 (2013), p. 114. Daniels appeared as Chief Thundercloud in the 1954 episode "The Saint's Portrait" of the syndicated

anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a di ...

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the progra ...

'' hosted by

Stanley Andrews Stanley Andrews (born Stanley Martin Andrzejewski; August 28, 1891 – June 23, 1969) was an American actor perhaps best known as the voice of Daddy Warbucks on the radio program '' Little Orphan Annie'' and later as "The Old Ranger", the firs ...

. One of his last appearances was on March 1, 1955, as the Apache

Geronimo Geronimo ( apm, Goyaałé, , ; June 16, 1829 – February 17, 1909) was a prominent leader and medicine man from the Bedonkohe band of the Ndendahe Apache people. From 1850 to 1886, Geronimo joined with members of three other Central Apache ...

in the premiere of the

syndicated Syndication may refer to: * Broadcast syndication, where individual stations buy programs outside the network system * Print syndication, where individual newspapers or magazines license news articles, columns, or comic strips * Web syndication, ...

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed ...

'' Buffalo Bill, Jr.''.

Legal problems and later years

According to the ''

Los Angeles Daily News The ''Los Angeles Daily News'' is the second-largest-circulating paid daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Southern California News Group, a branch of Colorado-based Digital First Media. The offices of the ''D ...

'', Daniels was fined $200 and sentenced to four years of probation in 1951 after he pleaded guilty to violating the Corporate Security Act. He was told to make restitution of $5,625 to his victims after he had sold them shares in films without a permit. During his final years, he worked with other western actors performing in live shows at the Corriganville Movie Ranch, now the Corriganville Regional Park, near

Simi Valley, California Simi Valley (; Chumash: ''Shimiyi'') is a city in the valley of the same name in the southeast region of Ventura County, California, United States. Simi Valley is from Downtown Los Angeles, making it part of the Greater Los Angeles Area. T ...

Death

Victor Daniels died at age 56 following surgery for stomach cancer in Ventura County, California, on December 1, 1955. He was survived by his wife, Frances. He was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, near Los Angeles.''Certificate of Death'', Chief Thunder Cloud (aka Victor Daniels), State of California, County of Ventura, 1 December 1955. His last film role was in the John Wayne film '' The Searchers'' (1956), which was released after his death.

''The Lone Ranger'' and legacy

After working for some time as a stuntman and in bit parts, it was Daniels' portrayal of the character Tonto in the serial '' The Lone Ranger'' (1938) that was to be his legacy. This is perhaps where he gained the most recognition as a character actor." That same year, he had a small villain-like role in the first part of ''

Flaming Frontiers ''Flaming Frontiers'' (1938) is a Universal movie serial starring Johnny Mack Brown. It was a remake of '' Heroes of the West'' (1932). It was re-edited into a TV series in 1966. Much of the material was reused in Lon Chaney Jr.'s 1942 serial ' ...

'', a 15-part cliffhanger about murder and double cross. The following year, Thundercloud reprised his role as the Lone Ranger’s sidekick in ''

''.

Selected filmography

*'' Rustlers of Red Dog'' (1935, serial) – Chief Grey Wolf *'' Cyclone of the Saddle'' (1935) – Thundercloud *''

Wagon Trail A wagon or waggon is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draught animals or on occasion by humans, used for transporting goods, commodities, agricultural materials, supplies and sometimes people. Wagons are immediately distinguished from ...

'' (1935) – Henchman *'' Rustler's Paradise'' (1935) – Henchman *'' Gun Smoke'' (1935) – Sheep Herder *'' Fighting Pioneers'' (1935) – Eagle Feathers *'' Saddle Aces'' (1935) – Canejo Rider Jose *''

The Farmer Takes a Wife ''The Farmer Takes a Wife'' is a 1934 play by Frank B. Elser and Marc Connelly based on the 1929 novel ''Rome Haul'' by Walter D. Edmonds. It was well-received upon its opening night on Broadway on October 30, 1934, at the 46th Street Theatre. ...

'' (1935) – Indian Chief *''

The Singing Vagabond ''The Singing Vagabond'' is a 1935 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Carl Pierson and starring Gene Autry, Ann Rutherford, and Smiley Burnette. Written by Oliver Drake (filmmaker), Oliver Drake and Betty Burbridge, the film is a ...

'' (1935) – Young Deer *'' Custer's Last Stand'' (1936, serial) – Young Wolf *'' Silly Billies'' (1936) – Indian *'' For the Service'' (1936) – Indian Brave *'' Ramona'' (1936) – Pablo *'' Ride, Ranger, Ride'' (1936) – Little Wolf *'' The Plainsman'' (1936) – Indian #5 with Painted Horse *'' The Bold Caballero'' (1936) – Zorro's aide *''

Riders of the Whistling Skull ''Riders of the Whistling Skull'' is a 1937 "Three Mesquiteers" Western B-movie of the weird western genre starring Bob Livingston, Ray "Crash" Corrigan, and ventriloquist Max Terhune with his dummy Elmer. It was directed by Mack V. Wrigh ...

'' (1937) – High Priest *'' Wild West Days'' (1937) – Indian *'' Renfrew of the Royal Mounted'' (1937) – Indian Henchman *'' The Lone Ranger'' (1938, serial) – Tonto *''

The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok ''The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok'' (1938) is a Columbia Pictures movie serial. It was the fourth of the 57 serials released by Columbia and the studio's first Western serial. The serial was the first to be produced by Columbia person ...

'' (1938, serial) – Chief Gray Eagle hs. 3, 14*''

'' (1938, serial) – Thunder Cloud *''

The Law West of Tombstone ''The Law West of Tombstone'' is a 1938 Western film. It was an early Western for Tim Holt. Plot A Judge Roy Bean figure dispenses justice in Arizona. He teams up with the Tonto Kid to fight the McQuinn gang. Cast * Harry Carey as Bill Barker ...

'' (1938) – Chief Little Dog *''

'' (1939, Serial) – Tonto *''

Union Pacific The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pac ...

'' (1939) – Cherokee Indian *'' Man of Conquest'' (1939) – Cherokee Indian *'' The Cat and the Canary'' (1939) – Indian Guide *'' Fighting Mad'' (1939) – Indian *''

'' (1939) – Geronimo *'' Murder on the Yukon'' (1940) – Manti – Henchman *'' Young Buffalo Bill'' (1940) – Akuna *''

Typhoon A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...

'' (1940) – Kehi *''

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the sou ...

'' (1940) – Lightfoot *'' North West Mounted Police'' (1940) – Wandering Spirit *'' Hi-Yo Silver'' (1940) – (archive footage) *'' Hudson's Bay'' (1941) – Orimha *''

Western Union The Western Union Company is an American multinational financial services company, headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1851 as the New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company in Rochester, New York, the company ch ...

'' (1941) – Indian Leader *''

Pirates on Horseback ''Pirates on Horseback'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and written by Ethel La Blanche and J. Benton Cheney. The film stars William Boyd, Russell Hayden, Andy Clyde, Eleanor Stewart, Morris Ankrum and William Haa ...

'' (1941) – Flying Cloud *'' Silver Stallion'' (1941) – Freshwater *'' Shut My Big Mouth'' (1942) – Indian Interpreter *''

My Gal Sal ''My Gal Sal'' is a 1942 American musical film distributed by 20th Century Fox and starring Rita Hayworth and Victor Mature. The film is a biopic of 1890s composer and songwriter Paul Dresser and singer Sally Elliot. It was based on a biogra ...

'' (1942) – Murphy *''

Lady in a Jam ''Lady in a Jam'' is a 1942 film comedy directed by Gregory La Cava and starring Irene Dunne, Patric Knowles, Ralph Bellamy, and Eugene Pallette. It was made and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film's sets were designed by the art directo ...

'' (1942) – Thundercloud *''

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) – Hahawi *'' Overland Mail'' (1942) – Chief Many Moons

h. 13 H is the eighth letter of the Latin alphabet. H may also refer to: Musical symbols * H number, Harry Halbreich reference mechanism for music by Honegger and Martinů * H, B (musical note) * H, B major People * H. (noble) (died after 1279 ...

*'' The Valley of Vanishing Men'' (1942, serial) – Chief Tall Tree (ch. 9) *'' Daredevils of the West'' (1943, serial) – Indian Chief h. 8, 9*'' The Law Rides Again'' (1943) – Thundercloud *''

The Fighting Seabees ''The Fighting Seabees'' is a 1944 war film, directed by Edward Ludwig and starring John Wayne and Susan Hayward. The supporting cast includes Dennis O'Keefe, William Frawley, Leonid Kinsky, Addison Richards and Grant Withers. ''The Fight ...

'' (1944) – Indian Seabee *''

Buffalo Bill William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), known as "Buffalo Bill", was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman. He was born in Le Claire, Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), but he lived for several years ...

'' (1944) – Crazy Horse *''Outlaw Trail'' (1944) – Chief *''

Sonora Stagecoach ''Sonora Stagecoach'' is a 1944 American black-and-white Western film starring Bob Steele, Hoot Gibson and Chief Thundercloud. Directed, produced and written by Robert Emett Tansey for Monogram Pictures, the film was released in the United Sta ...

'' (1944) – Chief Thunder Cloud *'' Raiders of Ghost City'' (1944, serial) – Chief Tahona *''

Black Arrow Black Arrow, officially capitalised BLACK ARROW, was a British satellite carrier rocket. Developed during the 1960s, it was used for four launches between 1969 and 1971, all launched from the Woomera Prohibited Area in Australia. Its final fl ...

'' (1944, serial) – Tribal Medicine Man *'' Nob Hill'' (1945) – Indian Chief *'' The Phantom Rider'' (1946, serial) – Chief Yellow Wolf *'' Romance of the West'' (1946) – Chief Eagle Feather *'' Badman's Territory'' (1946) – Chief Tahlequah *'' Renegade Girl'' (1946) – Chief White Cloud *'' Unconquered'' (1947) – Chief Killbuck *'' The Prairie'' (1947) – Eagle Feather *'' The Senator Was Indiscreet'' (1947) – Indian *'' Blazing Across the Pecos'' (1948) – Chief Bear Claw *'' Call of the Forest'' (1949) – Stormcloud *''

Mrs. Mike ''Mrs. Mike, the Story of Katherine Mary Flannigan'' is a novel by Benedict and Nancy Freedman set in the Canadian wilderness during the early 1900s. Considered by some a young-adult classic, ''Mrs. Mike'' was initially serialized in the Atlantic ...

'' (1949) – Indian *'' The Traveling Saleswoman'' (1950) – Running Deer *'' Davy Crockett, Indian Scout'' (1950) – Sleeping Fox *'' Ambush'' (1950) – Tana *'' A Ticket to Tomahawk'' (1950) – Crooked Knife *'' Colt .45'' (1950) – Walking Bear *''

The Iroquois Trail ''The Iroquois Trail'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Phil Karlson starring George Montgomery and Brenda Marshall. It is set during the French-Indian War. It is an adaptation of James Fenimore Cooper's 1826 work ''The Last of the M ...

'' (1950) – Ottawa Chief *'' I Killed Geronimo'' (1950) – Geronimo *''

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 *'' Last of the Buccaneers'' (1950) – Indian Leader on Galveston Island *'' Santa Fe'' (1951) – Chief Longfeather *''

Buffalo Bill in Tomahawk Territory ''Buffalo Bill in Tomahawk Territory'' is a 1952 Western starring Clayton Moore as Buffalo Bill. Directed by Bernard B. Ray and produced by Edward Finney as his final Western, the film was the final appearance of sidekick Slim Andrews. Plot B ...

'' (1952) – Black Hawk *'' The Half-Breed'' (1952) – Apache *'' The Searchers'' (1956) – Comanche Chief

References

External links

*
Chief Thundercloud at B-WesternsChief Thundercloud at What-a-Character
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thundercloud, Chief 1890s births 1955 deaths People from Muskogee, Oklahoma Male Western (genre) film actors Male film serial actors University of Arizona alumni Deaths from cancer in California Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) American people of Native American descent 20th-century American male actors