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 American and

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

dramas. During the

silent era A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, wh ...

motion pictures A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

, from

1911 Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are added to the Commonwealth of Australia. * January 3 ** 1911 Kebin earthquake: An earthquake of 7.7 m ...

1917 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's ...

, she appeared in 102 movies. She is best known for her role as Prairie Flower in '' The Vanishing Tribe'' (

1914 This year saw the beginning of what became known as the First World War, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip ...

). Her career began in 1909 when she replied to a local

newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...

advertisement placed by producer/

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 ...

Thomas Ince's

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 ...

. The

movie studio A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company that makes films. Today, studios are mostly financing and distribution entities. In addition, they may have their own studio facility or facilities; howe ...

was looking for an actress with the physical attributes to portray an American Indian and who was physically capable of doing

stunt A stunt is an unusual, difficult, dramatic physical feat that may require a special skill, performed for artistic purposes usually for a public audience, as on television or in theaters or cinema. Stunts are a feature of many action films. Befo ...

s and riding horses. While she had never acted before, Workman fit the appearance that Ince wanted. She apparently embellished her riding skills, as she did not have any, but nevertheless quickly learned horsemanship. Given the

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

Mona Darkfeather (and later "Princess" Mona Darkfeather), she was cast in her first starring role as an Indian maiden named Owanee in the

movie '' Owanee's Great Love''.

Early life

She was born Josephine M. Workman in

Boyle Heights, California Boyle Heights is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, located east of the Los Angeles River. It is one of the city's most notable and historic Chicano/Mexican American communities, and is home to cultural landmarks like Mariachi Plaza and ...

, and baptized at the Plaza Church,

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, ...

, when she was four months old. A member of the prominent pioneer Workman-Temple family of Los Angeles, she was the daughter of Joseph Manuel Workman (1833–1901) and Josephine Mary Belt (1851–1937). Her siblings were Mary Cristina Workman (1870–1963); Agnes Elizabeth Workman (1872–1957); Marie Lucile "Lucy" Workman (1875–1944); William Joseph Workman (1877–1956); George D. Workman (1879–1903); and Nellie Workman (1886–1888). Her grandparents were William Workman (1799-1876), a native of England, and Nicolasa Urioste (1802-1892), who hailed from the Taos, New Mexico. According to the

Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum The Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum is a historic house museum at 15415 East Don Julian Road in City of Industry, California, that features the homes and private cemetery that belonged to the Workman-Temple family. Workman House Bo ...

, her paternal grandmother Nicolasa was of Taos Pueblo descent. Her mother was of

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

and

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

an descent. Darkfeather claimed Spanish ancestry as well. In 1870, her grandfather, William Workman (1799–1876), deeded of land, a portion of the

Rancho La Puente Rancho La Puente was a ranch in the southern San Gabriel Valley that measured just under , and remained intact from its establishment in the late 1700s as an outpost of Mission San Gabriel until about 1870. By modern landmarks, the ranch extende ...

, to his son, Joseph M. Workman. Through this deed, the land would go to Joseph's children upon his death. Her parents separated in 1893, and Josephine lived with her mother. Joseph Workman deeded his Rancho La Puente land to O.T. Bassett, in 1895. On March 22, 1915, Josephine (Belt) Workman married David D. Parten (1857–1929), a

law enforcement officer A law enforcement officer (LEO), or police officer or peace officer in North American English, is a public-sector or private-sector employee whose duties primarily involve the enforcement of laws, protecting life & property, keeping the peace, ...

who died after being accidentally hit by a backing car.

Married life

In 1906, Darkfeather married Harry Martin Knoll, who died two years later in 1908. Darkfeather then married

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

and

actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

Frank E. Montgomery (born Frank Akley; 1870–1944) in 1912. In 1914, Frank E. Montgomery moved to

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...

to open and direct at the Frank E. Montgomery of the Spokane School of Motion Picture Acting. Darkfeather became associated with the company as an instructor. Mona_Darkfeather_1927

Darkfeather and Montgomery divorced in 1928. In late 1928, Darkfeather married banker and financer Alfred Wessling until their divorce in 1935. On December 23, 1937, Montgomery and Darkfeather remarried after nine years of separation and remained married until Montgomery's death in 1944.

Film career

HPIM2395 Movie Poster for War Bonnet Starring Princess Mona Darkfeather

After replying in 1909 to a

newspaper ad, which called for "exotic-looking girls" to play "Indian maidens", she soon became famous as "Princess Mona Darkfeather", noted for leaping onto her

pinto Pinto is a Portuguese, Spanish, Jewish (Sephardic), and Italian surname. It is a high-frequency surname in all Portuguese-speaking countries and is also widely present in Spanish-speaking countries, Italy, India (especially in Mangalore, Karnata ...

pony, "Comanche", and galloping away

bareback Bareback riding is a form of horseback riding without a saddle. It requires skill, balance, and coordination, as the rider does not have any equipment to compensate for errors of balance or skill. Proponents of bareback riding argue that riding ...

. Darkfeather was a noted moving picture artist who regularly starred in roles of

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Associated with India * of or related to India ** Indian people ** Indian diaspora ** Languages of India ** Indian English, a dialect of the English language ** Indian cuisine Associated with indigenous peoples o ...

and Western dramas. Although she was mostly of European and Chilean descent, Darkfeather's early publicity claimed she was a full-blooded

Blackfoot The Blackfoot Confederacy, ''Niitsitapi'', or ''Siksikaitsitapi'' (ᖹᐟᒧᐧᒣᑯ, meaning "the people" or " Blackfoot-speaking real people"), is a historic collective name for linguistically related groups that make up the Blackfoot or Bl ...

Indian. She said she was an

Indian Princess The Indian princess or Native American princess is usually a stereotypical and inaccurate representation of a Native American or other Indigenous woman of the Americas. The term "princess" was often mistakenly applied to the daughters of triba ...

and had been made a blood member of the Blackfoot Nation and given the title of princess by a "Chief Big Thunder". She played Indian roles in one-

reel A reel is a tool used to store elongated and flexible objects (e.g. yarns/ cords, ribbons, cables, hoses, etc.) by wrapping the material around a cylindrical core known as a '' spool''. Many reels also have flanges (known as the ''rims'') arou ...

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

melodrama A melodrama is a Drama, dramatic work in which plot, typically sensationalized for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodrama is "an exaggerated version of drama". Melodramas typically concentrate on ...

shorts Shorts are a garment worn over the pelvic area, circling the waist and splitting to cover the upper part of the legs, sometimes extending down to the knees but not covering the entire length of the leg. They are called "shorts" because they ar ...

, such as ''A White Indian'' (1912) and ''A Blackfoot's Conspiracy'' (1912), as well as

feature length A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film ( motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation ...

movies. She was by then a major

movie star A movie star (also known as a film star or cinema star) is an actor who is famous for their starring, or leading, roles in movies. The term is used for performers who are marketable stars as they become popular household names and whose names ...

. She also played leading roles as

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

women in several historical

dramas Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been c ...

. Darkfeather regularly appeared in Montgomery's films through various motion picture companies that he worked for, including Bison Company,

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company that is a subsidiary of Comcast ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of N ...

Kalem Company The Kalem Company was an early American film studio founded in New York City in 1907. It was one of the first companies to make films abroad and to set up winter production facilities, first in Florida and then in California. Kalem was sold to V ...

, and Sawyer Inc. Under the tutelage of her husband/director Frank E Montgomery, Darkfeather played Indian and several

leads in many Bison Company Productions. Darkfeather made movies for Bison starting in 1909, the

Selig Polyscope Company The Selig Polyscope Company was an American motion picture company that was founded in 1896 by William Selig in Chicago, Illinois. The company produced hundreds of early, widely distributed commercial moving pictures, including the first films ...

between 1909 and 1913,

Nestor Studios The Nestor Film Company, originally known as the Nestor Motion Picture Company, was an American motion picture production company. It was founded in 1909 as the West Coast production unit of the Centaur Film Company located in Bayonne, New Jersey ...

in 1912 and for

Kalem Studios The Kalem Company was an early American film studio founded in New York City in 1907. It was one of the first companies to make films abroad and to set up winter production facilities, first in Florida and then in California. Kalem was sold to V ...

beginning in 1913. Montgomery directed her in the 101-Bison two-reeler ''The Massacre of the Fourth Cavalry'' (1912). Other films he directed her in include '' A Forest Romance'', '' For the Peace of Bear Valley'' and '' Justice of the Wild'', all released in

1913 Events January * January – Joseph Stalin travels to Vienna to research his ''Marxism and the National Question''. This means that, during this month, Stalin, Hitler, Trotsky and Tito are all living in the city. * January 3 &ndash ...

, in which she played opposite

Harry von Meter Harry von Meter (March 20, 1871 – June 2, 1956; sometimes credited as Harry van Meter) was an American actor of stage and silent film. He starred in about 200 films in the period from 1912 through 1929. He retired from acting just as sound fi ...

. Darkfeather was

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American filmmaker and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of American cinema and the most co ...

's first choice to portray the Indian wife, Nat-u-ritch, in his famous western '' The Squaw Man'' (

), but she was too busy, as she and Montgomery were producing their own movies independently for release through the Kalem Company, and she was unavailable to play the role. DarkfeatherTacoma1918

She and Montgomery joined the Universal Film Company in 1914 and continued to collaborate on scores of westerns. Darkfeather appeared in her last movie, ''The Hidden Danger'', in 1917, then retired from the screen. For a while after she retired as a screen actress, she performed on the

stage Stage, stages, or staging may refer to: Arts and media Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly Brit ...

and headlined as Princess Darkfeather. In late August 1918, she made a special appearance at the Liberty Theater in

Tacoma, Washington Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, Washington, Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia ...

, as actress, singer and lecturer. In her "rattlesnake" dress, she appeared after each showing of the feature movie, ''Eyes of the World'' (1917) starring Monroe Salisbury, to sing and give advice to all girls in the audience with ambition to enter show business. She and her husband, Frank Montgomery, were living at 1117 3rd Avenue in

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...

, in September 1918, when he registered with the local draft board for

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 ...

. He gave his present occupation as photoplay star manager. In 1920, they were back in Los Angeles, living at 2518 Maple Avenue.

Filmography

* ''A Cheyenne's Love for a Sioux'' (1910), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather and Frank Montgomery * ''Owanee's Great Love'' (1911), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather * ''A Squaw's Retribution'' (1911), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather * ''Blacksnake's Treachery'' (1911), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather * ''Darkfeather, the Squaw'' (1911), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather * ''

An Indian Love Story ''An Indian Love Story'' is a one-reel silent short film about personal relationships in a Native American community. The film is about two married couples, each of the partners of which are involved with the spouse of the other couple, a form ...

'' (1911), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather and Dove Eye * ''White Fawn's Peril'' (1911), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather * ''A Spanish Wooing'' (1911),

. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Sydney Ayres, Frank Richardson, Frank Clark * ''The Night Herder'' (1911),

. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Tom Santschi, Frank Clark, Dell Eagles * ''Bunkie'' (1912),

. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather,

Hobart Bosworth Hobart Van Zandt Bosworth (August 11, 1867 – December 30, 1943) was an American film actor, director, writer, and producer. Bosworth began his career in theater, eventually transitioning to the emerging film industry. Despite a battle with ...

, Fred Huntley, Phil Stratton * ''As Told by Princess Bess'' (1912),

. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather,

Eugenie Besserer Eugenie Besserer ( – May 29, 1934) was a French-American actress who starred in silent films and features of the early sound motion-picture era, beginning in 1910. Her most prominent role is that of the title character's mother in the first ...

, Hobart Bosworth, Frank Richardson * ''Crucial Test, A'' (1912), Dir. Frank E Montgomery; Cast includes: Hobart Bosworth, Herbert Rawlinson, Tom Santschi, Mona Darkfeather, Fred Huntley, Roy Watson * ''At Old Fort Dearborn'' (1912), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather and Charles Bartlett * ''Darkfeather's Strategy'' (1912), Selig Polyscope Company. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Hobart Bosworth, Tom Santschi, Frank Richardson * ''The End of the Romance'' (1912), Selig Polyscope Company. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Hobart Bosworth, Eugenie Besserer, Herbert Rawlinson * ''The Hand of Fate'' (1912), Selig Polyscope Company. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Hobart Bosworth, Al Ernest Garcia, Fernando Gálvez * ''A White Indian'' (1912), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather * ''The Massacre of Santa Fe Trail'' (1912), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Charles Bartlett, Lee Morris, Roy Watson * ''At Old Fort Dearborn'' (1912), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather and Charles Bartlett * ''When Uncle Sam Was Young'' (1912), Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather and Virginia Chester * ''The Tattoo'' (1912), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, William Bertram,

Artie Ortego 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 cowboys, henchmen and American Indians in a large number of westerns and performed hors ...

, Jack Leonard * ''Star Eyes' Stratagem'' (1912), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Artie Ortego, Charles Bartlett * ''Trapper Bill, King of Scouts'' (1912), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Charles Bartlett, Roy Watson * ''A Red Man's Love'' (1912), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, William Bertram, Charles Bartlett, Artie Ortego * ''An Indian Ishmael'' (1912), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Chief Harvey, Chief Phillipi, Roy Watson * ''Blackfoot Conspiracy'' (1912), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather * ''The Half-Breed Scout'' (1912), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Roy Watson, Charles Bartlett, Virginia Chester * ''The Massacre of the Fourth Cavalry'' (1912), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Charles Bartlett, Roy Watson, William Bertram * ''Big Rock's Last Stand'' (1912), Bison. Dir. Frank Montgomery; Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, William Bertram, Art Ortega, Virginia Chester, Roy Watson * ''Apache Father's Vengeance, An'' (1913) Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather * ''Mona of the Modocs'' (1913), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather * ''The Song of the Telegraph'' (1913), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Artie Ortego, Charles Bartlett * ''The Red Girl's Sacrifice'' (1913), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather * ''The Return of Thunder Cloud's Spirit'' (1913), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather and Helen Case * ''The Half Breed Parson'' (1913), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Francis Ford,

Grace Cunard Grace Cunard (born Harriet Mildred Jeffries; April 8, 1893 – January 19, 1967) was an American actress, screenwriter and film director. During the silent era, she starred in over 100 films, wrote or co-wrote at least 44 of those productions ...

* ''Owana, the Devil Woman'' (1913), Nestor Film Company. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather and Artie Ortego * ''The Spring in the Desert'' (1913), Nestor Film Company. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather and Artie Ortego * ''Apache Love'' (1913), Nestor Film Company. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Artie Ortego, Chief Harvey * ''Mona'' (1913), Nestor Film Company. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, William Bertram, Artie Ortego * ''The Snake'' (1913), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather,

, Artie Ortego, Lee Shumway * ''Darkfeather's Sacrifice'' (1913), Nestor Film Company. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather * ''Juanita'' (1913), Nestor Film Company. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, J. Gunnis Davis, Lawrence Peyton * ''When the Blood Calls'' (1913), Nestor Film Company. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Artie Ortego, Lawrence Peyton * ''The Oath of Conchita'' (1913), Nestor Film Company. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather * ''The Love of Men'' (1913), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather * '' A Forest Romance'' (1913), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Harry von Meter, J. Gunnis Davis * '' For the Peace of Bear Valley'' (1913), Nestor Film Company. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Harry von Meter, Inez Fanjoy * '' Justice of the Wild'' (1913), Nestor Film Company. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Harry von Meter, L.J. Anderson * ''Against Desperate Odds'' (1913), Kalem. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Rex Downs, Charles Bartlett * ''An Indian Maid's Strategy'' (1913), Kalem. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Artie Ortego, Chief Eagle Wing * ''Her Indian Brother'' (1913), Kalem. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Artie Ortego, Anna De Lisle * ''A Dream of the Wild'' (1914), Kalem. Mona Darkfeather, Charles Bartlett, Artie Ortego * ''Indian Blood'' (1914), Kalem. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Charles Bartlett, Buster Emmons * ''Red Hawk's Sacrifice'' (1914), Kalem. Mona Darkfeather, Artie Ortego, Charles Bartlett * ''The Paleface Brave'' (1914), Kalem. Mona Darkfeather, Charles Bartlett, Artie Ortego * ''The Indian Ambuscade'' (1914), Kalem. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Charles Bartlett, Artie Ortego * ''Indian Fate'' (1914), Kalem. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Lucille Neath, Charles Bartlett * ''An Indian's Honor'' (1914), Kalem. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Artie Ortego, Charles Bartlett * ''The Tigers of the Hills'' (1914), Kalem. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Charles Bartlett, Billie Rhodes, J. Gunnis Davis * ''The Hopi Raiders'' (1914), Kalem. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Rex Downs, Charles Bartlett * ''The Medicine Man's Vengeance'' (1914), Kalem. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Artie Ortego, J. Gunnis Davis * ''His Indian Nemesis'' (1914), Kalem. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Artie Ortego, J. Gunnis Davis * ''The Navajo Blanket'' (1914), Kalem. Cast includes: Artie Ortego, Mona Darkfeather, Big Moon * ''The Fight on Deadwood Trail'' (1914), Kalem. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Charles Bartlett, Anna De Lisle, Jack Messick * ''Grey Eagle's Last Stand'' (1914), Kalem. Cast includes: Big Moon, Eagle Feather, Mona Darkfeather * ''The War Bonnet'' (1914), Kalem. Cast includes: Artie Ortego, Mona Darkfeather, Rex Downs * ''The Redskins and the Renegades'' (1914), Kalem. Cast includes: Big Moon, Mona Darkfeather, Chief Eagle Wing * ''Bottled Spider, The'' (1914) Kalem. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather * ''At the End of the Rope'' (1914), Kalem. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather * ''Coming of Lone Wolf, The'' (1914) Kalem. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather * ''Call of the Tribe, The'' (1914) Kalem. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Art Ortega, Big Moon, Eva Smith * ''The Squaw's Revenge'' (1914), Kalem. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Rex Downs, Juanita Martenis * ''The Gypsy Gambler'' (1914), Kalem. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather, Charles Bartlett, Rex Downs * ''Brought to Justice (1914)'' Kalem. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather * ''Cave of Death, The'' (1914), Kalem. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather * ''Vengeance of Winona, The'' (1914) * ''The Stolen Invention'' (1915), Monty Film. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather * ''A Message for Help'' (1915), Bison. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather * '' None So Blind'' (1916) * ''Circle of Death, The'' (1916), Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather * ''The Crimson Arrow'' (1917), Universal. Cast includes: Mona Darkfeather

Later life

In late January 1921, she won a lawsuit in Los Angeles, which she initiated on June 24, 1918, against Charles N. Bassett to recover an interest in the Rancho La Puente land that her father sold to Bassett's father in 1895. Although she had been 12 years of age in 1895, she was never served with a summons to quit title as an heir of the property, as were her older brothers and sisters. The decision gave her a one-ninth interest in of what was said to be the largest walnut grove in California, at Bassett Station, near El Monte, and she was awarded a cash judgment for $129,163. The decision was reversed, however, by the

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

, on September 22, 1922. Darkfeather and Montgomery were divorced in 1928. She was married again in 1928 to wealthy banker/financeer Alfred G. Wessling (1869–1941). In 1930, the Wesslings lived at 352 North Myrtle Avenue in

Monrovia Monrovia () is the administrative capital city, capital and largest city of Liberia. Founded in 1822, it is located on Cape Mesurado on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast and as of the 2022 census had 1,761,032 residents, home to 33.5% of Liber ...

. They lived at 931 Manhattan Avenue in

Hermosa Beach Hermosa Beach (, Spanish language, Spanish for "Beautiful") is a beachfront city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Its population was 19,728 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. Census. The city is located in the South Ba ...

, in 1934. She and Wessling were divorced in 1935. On December 23, 1937, she and Frank Montgomery, who was by then a

technician A technician is a worker in a field of technology who is proficient in the relevant skill and technique, with a relatively practical understanding of the theoretical principles. Specialisation The term technician covers many different special ...

of the

Hal Roach Studios Hal Roach Studios was an American motion picture and, through its TV production subsidiary, Hal Roach Television Corporation, television production studio. Known as ''The Laugh Factory to the World'', it was founded by producer Hal Roach and busin ...

sound department, and was currently working on ''

Merrily We Live ''Merrily We Live'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Norman Z. McLeod and written by Eddie Moran and Jack Jevne. It stars Constance Bennett and Brian Aherne and features Ann Dvorak, Bonita Granville, Billie Burke, Tom Brown, Alan M ...

'' starring

Constance Bennett Constance Campbell Bennett (October 22, 1904 – July 24, 1965) was an American stage, film, radio, and television actress and producer. She was a major Cinema of the United States, Hollywood star during the 1920s and 1930s; during the early 193 ...

, were remarried in Darkfeather's home at 1420 ½ Mohawk Street,

Echo Park Echo Park is a neighborhood in the east-Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles, California. Located to the northwest of Downtown Los Angeles, Downtown, it is bordered by Silver Lake, Los Angeles, Silver Lake to the west and Chinato ...

. They remained married until his death in 1944. Mona Darkfeather died at age 94 from 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 ...

, due to

cerebral atherosclerosis Cerebral atherosclerosis is a type of atherosclerosis where build-up of plaque in the blood vessels of the brain occurs. Some of the main components of the plaques are connective tissue, extracellular matrix, including collagen, proteoglycans, fibr ...

, at a convalescent center on South Crenshaw Boulevard, Los Angeles.Social Security Death Index, Josephine Akley, b. 13 Jan 1883, SSN: 563-21-3194, Issued: CA, d. Sep 1977, Last Residence: 90015 (Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co., CA). She is interred in section K, lot 116, grave 7, in the Holy Cross Cemetery,

Culver City, California Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. It is mostly surrounded by Los Angeles, but also shares a border with the unincorporated area of Ladera Heights, Californi ...

, under the name Josephine Workman.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Darkfeather, Mona American film actresses American silent film actresses American stage actresses Actresses from Los Angeles 1883 births 1977 deaths People from Boyle Heights, Los Angeles American people of English descent American people of Scottish descent American people of Spanish descent History of Los Angeles Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City 20th-century American actresses