Jay Silverheels was a full-blooded Mohawk Indian, born Harold J.Smith on the Six Nations Indian Reservation, Ontario, Canada in 1918. He got the name Silverheels from a tribal elder.
He began his acting career as an extra in 1937 and appeared in quite a few films including The Yellow Sky, Walk The Proud Land and Broken Arrow, also doing supporting roles to Gene Autry and Audie Murphy, but he is best know for playing Tonto in all but four of the 221 episodes of The Lone Ranger.
Aboye: As Tonto in the Lone Ranger alongside Clayton Moore – this was the part that he will always be remembered for.
After The Lone Ranger programme finished in 1956, he had part in films that included Indian Paint 1965, The Sphynx 1970, and True Grit in 1978 and founded the Indian Actors Workshop in Hollywood.
He had a stroke in 1973 which curtailed his activities but in 1979 he became the first native American to be awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
He died on 5th March 1980 with his Italian-born wife Mari at his side. Lone Ranger Clayton Moore wept at the funeral saying ‘He was my kemo sabe ( faithful friend.
I hadn’t realised that among the films he did before The Lone Ranger TV Series was this quite big film alongside Tyrone Power no less.
His is a name that is well remembered in England though – from the early days of Television – hence this article some months ago in the daily Mail – Above.
He holds a unique place in early Television History. The Lone Ranger Series ran from 1949 to 1957
Jay Silverheels appeared in a great many films and TV shows such as Rawhide, Laramie, The Virginian to name but a few. I can recall seeing Jay in an episode of Gentle Ben (1967/69) in 1969 after school, Jay played the possessive father of a Seminole boy.
You remember Jay Silverheels for more than I do Alan. Thanks for this comment and others too, which are very much appreciated. It shows someone actually reads this Blog !!! Neil