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JAY SILVERHEELS (May 26, 1912 – March 5, 1980) was a First Nations actor. He was well known for his role as Tonto, the faithful Native American companion of the character, The Lone Ranger in a long-running American western television series.
Silverheels was born Harold J. Smith on the Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation, near Brantford, Ontario, Canada, one of 11 children of a Canadian Mohawk tribal chief and military officer,Major George Smith. Silverheels excelled in athletics and lacrosse before leaving home to travel around North America. In the 1930s, he played indoor lacrosse as Harry Smith with the "Iroquois" of Rochester, New York in the North American Amateur Lacrosse Association. He lived for a time in Buffalo, New York, and in 1938 placed second in the middleweight class of the Golden Gloves tournament.
FILMS
While playing in Los Angeles on a touring box lacrosse team in 1937, he impressed Joe E. Brown with his athleticism. Brown encouraged Silverheels to do a screen test, which led to his acting career. Silverheels began working in motion pictures as an extra and stunt man in 1937. He was billed variously as Harold Smith and Harry Smith, and appeared in low-budget features, westerns, and serials. He adopted his screen name from the nickname he had as a lacrosse player. From the late 1940s, he played in major films, including Captain from Castile starring Tyrone Power, I Am an American (1944), Key Largo with Humphrey Bogart (1948), Lust for Gold with Glenn Ford (1949), Broken Arrow (1950) with James Stewart, War Arrow (1953) with Maureen O'Hara, Jeff Chandler and Noah Beery, Jr., The Black Dakotas (1954) as Black Buffalo, Drums Across the River (1954), Walk the Proud Land (1956) with Audie Murphy and Anne Bancroft, Alias Jesse James (1959) with Bob Hope, and Indian Paint (1964) with Johnny Crawford. He made a brief appearance in True Grit (1969) as a condemned criminal about to be executed. He played a substantial role as John Crow in Santee (1973), starring Glenn Ford. One of his last roles was a wise white-haired chief in The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (1973).
Sources: "Official website, Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Canadian First Nations League of Nations".
"His job in Hollywood was to help his partner, "The Lone Ranger" stop the devious plots of hardened outlaws."
"Silverheels played the role during the entire period from 1949 to 1957, even when Clayton Moore was replaced one season by John Hart".
Klein, Jeff Z. (31 August 2013). "A Sidekick’s Little-Known Leading Role in Lacrosse". The New York Times.
"His father, Major George Smith, was the most decorated Native Canadian soldier in World War I."
Quinlan, David (1985), Quinlan's Illustrated Directory of Film Character Actors (1995 revised ed.), Great Britain: The Bath Press, p. 319, ISBN 0-87000-412-3
http://www.filmreference.com/film/77/Jay-Silverheels.html
"In the 1930s he played lacrosse with the Rochester, NY "Iroquois" of the North American Amateur Lacrosse Association".
"He finished second in the Eastern Square finals of the Golden Gloves boxing championshipin Madison Square Garden."http://nimst.tripod.com/cgi-bin/UC9.html
"His job in Hollywood was to help his partner, "The Lone Ranger" stop the devious plots of hardened outlaws."
"Silverheels played the role during the entire period from 1949 to 1957, even when Clayton Moore was replaced one season by John Hart".
Klein, Jeff Z. (31 August 2013). "A Sidekick’s Little-Known Leading Role in Lacrosse". The New York Times.
"His father, Major George Smith, was the most decorated Native Canadian soldier in World War I."
Quinlan, David (1985), Quinlan's Illustrated Directory of Film Character Actors (1995 revised ed.), Great Britain: The Bath Press, p. 319, ISBN 0-87000-412-3
http://www.filmreference.com/film/77/Jay-Silverheels.html
"In the 1930s he played lacrosse with the Rochester, NY "Iroquois" of the North American Amateur Lacrosse Association".
"He finished second in the Eastern Square finals of the Golden Gloves boxing championshipin Madison Square Garden."http://nimst.tripod.com/cgi-bin/UC9.html
