Charles Soldani

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.

Early life 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 and performed in staged productions.

After serving in World War I where he achieved second lieutenant, he worked as a car salesman and married Madeline Montgomery in Indianapolis, whom he eventually divorced.

Career

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 obtained his first credit in 1939 in The Pioneers, directed by Albert Herman. His credit as "Chief Soldani" became his nickname in Hollywood.

Soldani became one of the industry's go-to actors to portray Native Americans from various tribes, either in an uncredited part or in a speaking role, along with the occasional portraying of a "native" in South Seas genre productions.

Starting in the late 1950s, most of Soldani's work focused on television, appearing in multiple episodes of Western television series like The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, Zorro, Bonanza, Laramie, Maverick, The Wild Wild West or Daniel Boone.

Personal life and death 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.

Selected filmography Film 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 Zorro's Fighting Legion Cave Indian uncredited 1940 Kit Carson Indian 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 1943 Daredevils of the West Indian uncredited 1943 The Desperadoes Indian uncredited 1943 Frontier Fury Indian uncredited 1943 Thank Your Lucky Stars Gower Gulch Indian uncredited 1943 The Phantom Native uncredited 1944 Arizona Whirlwind Indian uncredited 1944 Buffalo Bill Indian uncredited 1944 The Tiger Woman Tribe member uncredited 1944 Tahiti Nights Privy counselor uncredited 1945 The Great Flamarion Audience member uncredited 1946 Rio Grande Raiders Barfly uncredited 1950 Winchester '73 Town Indian uncredited 1950 Broken Arrow Chosen Warrior uncredited 1952 High Noon Indian outside of saloon 1952 Son of Geronimo: Apache Avenger Apache uncredited 1953 Lili Carnival worker uncredited 1953 Saginaw Trail Indian uncredited 1953 Calamity Jane Indian uncredited 1957 Man of a Thousand Faces Actor in bullpen uncredited 1959 Escort West Indian 1959 The FBI Story Indian on train uncredited 1961 Buffalo Gun Chief 1962 The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Statehood audience member uncredited

Television Year Title Role Notes 1951 The Cisco Kid Chief Red Moon Season 2 Episode 6: "Medicine Man Show" (credited as Charles L. Soldani) 1954 Stories of the Century Indian Season 1 Episode 15: "Chief Crazy Horse" 1954-1956 The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin Indian Elder / Indian / Gang Member / Townsman / Soldier / Yaqui 11 episodes 1956 Sergeant Preston of the Yukon Indian (uncredited) Season 1 Episode 23: "Totem Treasure" 1956 Soldiers of Fortune Townsman (uncredited) Season 2 Episode 9: "The Tattooed Lady of Torima" 1957–1959 Zorro Indian / Townsman Season 1 Episode 9: "A Fair Trial" (1957)Season 1 Episode 14: "Shadow of Doubt" (1958)Season 1 Episode 15: "Garcia Stands Accused (1958)Season 1 Episode 18: "Zorro Fights His Father" (1958)Season 2 Episode 33: "Invitation to Death" (1959) 1958–1960 Tombstone Territory Cantina Barfly / Barfly Season 1 Episode 38: "Thicker Than Water" (1958)Season 3 Episode 14: "Advice from a Dead Man" (1960) 1958–1960 Sugarfoot Indian / Fight Spectator Season 1 Episode 16: "Guns for Big Bear" (1958)Season 3 Episode 12: "Fernando" (1960)Season 4 Episode 1: "The Shadow Catcher" (1960) 1958–1961 Wagon Train Indian / Aztec / Minister Season 2 Episode 9: "The Sakae Ito Story" (1958)Season 2 Episode 27: "The Swift Cloud Story" (1959)Season 4 Episode 6: "Princess of a Lost Tribe" (1960)Season 4 Episode 29: "The Joe Muharich Story" (1961) 1958–1963 Death Valley Days Indian / Trial Spectator Season 6 Episode 10: "The Greatest Scout of All" (1958)Season 8 Episode 7: "Indian Emily" (1959)Season 9 Episode 9: "The White Healer" (1960)Season 11 Episode 23: "With Honesty and Integrity" (1963) 1959 Bonanza Townsman / Indian Season 1 Episode 1: "A Rose for Lotta"Season 1 Episode 2: "Death on Sun Mountain"Season 1 Episode 7: "The Saga of Annie O'Toole" 1959–1960 Bronco Bandit / Indian Season 2 Episode 7: "Flight from an Empire" (1959)Season 3 Episode 3: "Seminole War Pipe" (1960) 1959–1961 Laramie Indian / Townsman Season 1 Episode 3: "Circle of Fire" (1959)Season 2 Episode 3: "Three Rode West" (1960)Season 2 Episode 16: "Killer Without Cause" (1961) 1959–1961 Maverick Indian / Indian Chief / Chief Season 3 Episode 9: "The Ghost Soldiers" (1959)Season 4 Episode 18: "The Cactus Switch" (1961)Season 4 Episode 19: "Dutchman's Gold" (1961)Season 4 Episode 32: "The Devil's Necklace: Part 2" (1961) 1960 Bat Masterson Townsman / Diner Patron Season 2 Episode 22: "The Disappearance of Bat Masterson"Season 2 Episode 23: "The Snare"Season 3 Episode 13: "The Lady Plays Her Hand" 1965–1966 The Wild Wild West Townsman / Indian Season 1 Episode 1: "The Night of the Inferno" (1965)Season 1 Episode 9: "The Night of the Double-Edged Knife" (1965)Season 2 Episode 2 Episode 10: "The Night of the Green Terror" (1966) 1965–1967 Daniel Boone Indian Season 1 Episode 16: "The First Stone" (1965)Season 2 Episode 17: "Seminole Territory" (1966)Season 3 Episode 2: "The Allegiances" (1966)Season 4 Episode 12: "Chief Mingo" (1967) 1967–1968 Cimarron Strip Indian Elder / Indian Season 1 Episode 2: "The Legend of Jud Starr" (1967)Season 1 Episode 17: "Heller" (1968) 1968 The Virginian Indian (uncredited) Season 7 Episode 7: "The Heritage"