Draft:Charles Soldani
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Last edited by Chalandray (talk | contribs) 20 days ago. (Update) |
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Charles "Chief" Soldani | |
|---|---|
| Born | Charles Leon Soldani June 1, 1893 Ponca City, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | September 10, 1968 (aged 75) Glendale, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale), California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1926–1967 |
| Spouses | Madeline Montgomery
(m. 1920, divorced)Joice L. Gardner (m. 1934) |
Charles Leon Soldani (June 1, 1893 – September 10, 1968) was a Native American film and television actor. He appeared – often uncredited – in dozens of Western movies and television series, usually playing an Indian warrior or chief. He went by "Chief Soldani" starting in his college days.[1]
Early life[edit]
Soldani was born in Ponca City, Oklahoma, on June 1st, 1893. His father was Anthony "Godance" Soldani, an Osage farmer, and Katherine Fronkier, a Kaw woman, both originally from Kansas.
He attended the University of Notre Dame, where he played tackle on a football team[2] and performed in staged productions.
After serving in World War I where he achieved Second Lieutenant[1], he worked as a car salesman and married Madeline Montgomery in Indianapolis, whom he would eventually divorce.
Career[edit]
After moving to Los Angeles, Soldani encountered success in amateur golf championships.
He got his acting debut playing an Indian in War Paint, a 1926 silent Western directed by W.S. Van Dyke. He eventually transitioned to talkies and
In 1939, he played Chief Lone Deer in The Pioneers, directed by Albert Herman, where he is credited as "Chief Soldani", which became his nickname in Hollywood.
Personal life and death[edit]
Soldani remarried in 1934 to Joice L. Gardner in Yuma, Arizona, whom he lived with in the Los Angeles area until his death in 1968.
He was an avid billiard player and kept playing golf well into his 70s.[3]
Filmography[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | War Paint | Indian | uncredited |
| 1938 | Flaming Frontiers | Indian | uncredited |
| 1939 | The Kid from Texas | Wild West Show Indian | uncredited |
| 1939 | Man of Conquest | Cherokee Indian | uncredited |
| 1939 | Fighting Mad | Indian at Post | uncredited |
| 1939 | Zorro's Fighting Legion | Cave Indian | uncredited |
| 1940 | Kit Carson | Indian | uncredited |
| 1940 | North West Mounted Police | Cree Indian in Council Lodge | uncredited |
| 1941 | The Pioneers | Chief Lone Deer | credited as Chief Soldani |
| 1941 | Outlaws of Cherokee Trail | Poker Player | uncredited |
| 1942 | Valley of the Sun | Apache | uncredited |
| 1942 | A Yank in Libya | Arab | uncredited |
| 1942 | Dawn on the Great Divide | Indian | uncredited |
| 1943 | Daredevils of the West | Indian | uncredited |
| 1943 | The Desperadoes | Indian | uncredited |
| 1943 | Frontier Fury | Indian | uncredited |
| 1943 | The Law Rides Again | Indian | uncredited |
| 1943 | Thank Your Lucky Stars | Gower Gulch Indian | uncredited |
| 1943 | Adventure in Iraq | Soldier | uncredited |
| 1943 | Riding High | Indian Chief | uncredited |
| 1943 | The Phantom | Native | uncredited |
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Personals" (PDF). The Notre Dame Scholastic. November 7, 1918.
- ^ "Athletic Notes" (PDF). The Notre Dame Scholastic. November 6, 1915.
- ^ "Charles 'Chief' Soldani Eulogized at Last Rites". Valley News. September 14, 1968. p. 49. Retrieved May 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
External links[edit]
- 1893 births
- 1968 deaths
- People from Ponca City, Oklahoma
- University of Notre Dame alumni
- American military personnel of World War I
- Native American male actors
- Native American people from Oklahoma
- 20th-century Native Americans
- American people of Osage descent
- Kaw people
- Male actors from Oklahoma
- American male film actors
- 20th-century American male actors
- Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)
- Male Western (genre) film actors