Frank de Kova (March 17, 1910 – October 15, 1981) was an American character actor in films, stage, and TV.

Frank de Kova
As "Chief Wild Eagle" in F Troop (1965–67)
Born
Frank Campanella

(1910-03-17)March 17, 1910
New York City, U.S.
DiedOctober 15, 1981(1981-10-15) (aged 71)
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills, California
OccupationActor
Years active1946–1981

Biography

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De Kova was born in New York City. He was a teacher at a school in New York before joining a Shakespeare repertory group. He made his Broadway debut in Detective Story, and was discovered by director Elia Kazan.[1]

Moving to Hollywood, he appeared in Viva Zapata! (1952) as the Mexican Colonel, and The Big Sky (1952) with Kirk Douglas. He played Abiram in The Ten Commandments, appeared in Cowboy (1958) with Glenn Ford and Jack Lemmon, and in The Mechanic (1972) with Charles Bronson and Jan-Michael Vincent and the Ralph Bakshi film American Pop.[2]

He did much television work, including a role as Mafia hitman Jimmy Napoli in the ABC crime drama The Untouchables, and an occasional recurring role in Gunsmoke as "Tobeel", a Kiowa Indian who is a friend of Marshal Matt Dillon. He played the Arapaho Medicine Man in the Wagon Train" season 1 episode "The Gabe Carswell Story" (aired 1/14/1958). His best-known television role was as "Chief Wild Eagle", chief of the Hekawi tribe, on the western comedy F Troop (1965–1967). He also guest-starred in the ABC/Warner Brothers drama, The Roaring 20s. He appeared as Phil Kalama in "Along Came Joey" on Hawaii Five-O in 1968.

In 1981, de Kova died of heart failure in his sleep at his home in North Hills, California. He is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, California.

Films

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year film character notes
1951 Up Front Italian Man uncredited
1951 The Mob Culio uncredited
1952 Viva Zapata! Colonel Guajardo uncredited
1952 Holiday for Sinners The Wiry Man
1952 The Big Sky Moleface uncredited
1952 Pony Soldier Custin uncredited
1953 Split Second Dummy
1953 The Desert Song Mindar
1953 Raiders of the Seven Seas Captain Romero
1953 Arrowhead Chief Chattez
1953 The Robe Slave Dealer uncredited
1953 All the Brothers Were Valiant Stevenson
1953 Fighter Attack Benedetto
1953 King of the Khyber Rifles Ali Nur
1954 They Rode West Isatai
1954 Valley of the Kings Akmed Sala, Nomad Guide uncredited
1954 Passion Martinez
1954 Drum Beat Modoc Jim
1955 The Man from Laramie Padre
1955 Strange Lady in Town Anse Hatlo
1955 Hold Back Tomorrow Priest
1955 Shack Out on 101 Professor Claude Dillon
1956 The Lone Ranger Chief Red Hawk
1956 Santiago Jingo
1956 Pillars of the Sky Zachariah
1956 The Ten Commandments Abiram
1956 The White Squaw Yellow Elk
1956 Reprisal! Charlie Washackle
1957 Run of the Arrow Red Cloud
1957 Appointment with a Shadow Dutch Hayden
1957 Ride Out for Revenge Chief Yellow Wolf
1958 Cowboy Alcaide
1958 The Brothers Karamazov Captain Vrublevski
1958 Machine-Gun Kelly Harry
1958 Teenage Cave Man The Black-Bearded One
1958 Apache Territory Lugo
1959 Day of the Outlaw Denver, Bruhn's Gang
1959 The Jayhawkers! Evans
1960 The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond "The Chairman"
1961 Portrait of a Mobster Anthony Parazzo
1961 Atlantis, the Lost Continent Sonoy the Astrologer
1962 Follow That Dream Jack
1963 The Raiders Pawnee Chief uncredited
1965 Those Calloways Nigosh
1965 The Greatest Story Ever Told The Tormentor
1965 The Sword of Ali Baba Old Baba
1967 The Legend of the Boy and the Eagle Narrator voice only
1970 The Wild Country Two Dog
1972 The Mechanic The Man
1973 Heavy Traffic Angelo "Angie" Corleone voice only
1973 The Slams Capiello
1973 The Don Is Dead Giunta
1974 Jive Turkey Big Tony
1975 Coonskin Mannigan, Ruby voice only
1975 Johnny Firecloud White Eagle
1978 Cat in the Cage Rachid Khan
1980 Mafia on the Bounty
1981 American Pop Crisco
1982 Hey Good Lookin' Old Vinnie voice only (final film role)

Television

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year series character episode
1956 Gunsmoke Tobeel Season 2 Episode 10: "Greater Love"
1956 The Ford Television Theatre Delwin Slater Season 4 Episode 25: "Double Trouble"
1956 Crusader Juan Perez Season 1 Episode 32: "The Ballot Box"
1956 Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers Season 1 Episode 3: "The Hostage"
1957 Gunsmoke Tobeel Season 2 Episode 18: "Kick Me"
1957 Gunsmoke Mulligan Rives Season 2 Episode 26: "Last Fling"
1957 Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans Ottawa Chief Season 1 Episode 1: "Hawkeye's Homecoming"
1957 Crossroads Black Hawk Season 2 Episode 30: "Jhonakehunkga called Jim"
1957 The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin Culebra Season 3 Episode 37: "Major Swansons' Choice"
1957 The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin Okoma Season 4 Episode 1: "Return to Fort Apache"
1957 Cheyenne Sitting Bull Season 2 Episode 20: "The Broken Pledge"
1957 Tales of Wells Fargo Pablo Season 1 Episode 7: "The Lynching"
1957 Wagon Train True Oak Season 1 Episode 7: "The Emily Rossiter Story"
1958 Wagon Train Running Bear Season 1 Episode 18: "The Gabe Carswell Story"
1958 Tales of Wells Fargo Iron Hand Season 3 Episode 7: "End of the Trail"
1958 The Restless Gun Lupo Lazaro Season 2 Episode 2: "Dragon for a Day"
1958 Cheyenne Sioux Chief Season 3 Episode 15: "Wagon-Tongue North"
1958 Gunsmoke Tobeel Season 4 Episode 3: "Gunsmuggler"
1958 The Californians Up-A-Mug Season 2 Episode 11: "The Painless Extractionist"
1959 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Pedro Season 4 Episode 15: "A Personal Matter"
1959 Cheyenne Benito Juarez Season 4 Episode 3: "Rebellion"
1959 Buckskin Potato Man Season 1 Episode 23: "Coup Stick"
1959 Gunsmoke Leader Season 5 Episode 1: "Target"
1959 Black Saddle Rubio Calderone Season 1 Episode 8: "Client Martinez"
1959 Peter Gunn Joe Taber Season 1 Episode 27: "Breakout"
1959 U.S. Marshal Red Slade Season 1 Episode 34: "Maryjo Is Missing"
1959 The Untouchables Jimmy Napoli Season 1 Pilot Episode
1959 The Californians Up-A-Mug Season 2 Episode 32: "An Act of Faith"
1959 The Alaskans Fantan Season 1 Episode 4: "Petticoat Crew"
1959 The Alaskans Fantan Season 1 Episode 7: "Contest at Gold Bottom"
1959 Wagon Train Obuki Season 2 Episode 25: "The Sister Rita Story"
1959 Wagon Train Ocheo Season 2 Episode 36: "The Rodney Lawrence Story"
1959 The Rifleman Chief Hostay Season 1 Episode 21: "The Indian"
1959 Rawhide Villegro Season 2 Episode 12: "Incident at Spanish Rock"
1959 Laramie Yellow Knife Season 1 Episode 3: "Circle of Fire"
1959 Laramie Sitting Bull Season 1 Episode 12: "Man of God"
1959 The Texan Mandan Season 2 Episode 9: "Showdown at Abilene"
1960 Cheyenne Dull Knife Season 4 Episode 8: "Gold, Glory and Custer – Requiem"
1960 The Untouchables Louis Campagna Season 1 Episode 20: "The Unhired Assassin: Part 1"
1960 The Untouchables Louis 'Little New York' Campagna Season 1 Episode 21: "The Unhired Assassin: Part 2"
1960 The Untouchables Louis Campagna Season 1 Episode 28: "The Frank Nitti Story"
1960 The Untouchables Bugs Donovan Season 2 Episode 4: "The Waxey Gordon Story"
1960 The Alaskans Fantan Season 1 Episode 20: "The Seal-Skin Game"
1960 The Rifleman Carl Miller Season 2 Episode 34: "Meeting at Midnight"
1960 Tales of Wells Fargo Joe Black Season 4 Episode 22: "Red Ransom"
1960 The Islanders Carlos Roca Season 1 Episode 12: "The Widow from Richmond"
1960 Johnny Staccato Eddie Wayneright Season 1 Episode 19: "Night of Jeopardy"
1960 Overland Trail Shoshone Chief Season 1 Episode 3: "West of Boston"
1960 Five Fingers Landau Season 1 Episode 13: "The Judas Goat"
1960 Lawman Jed Barker Season 3 Episode 13: "Cornered"
1960 Wagon Train Indian Chief Season 3 Episode 21: "The Tom Tuckett Story"
1961 Wagon Train Arapaho Chief Season 5 Episode 13: "Clyde"
1961 The Untouchables Judge Foley Season 2 Episode 18: "The Underground Court"
1961 Rawhide Chief Tawyawp Season 3 Episode 20: "Incident of the Boomerang"
1961 The Tall Man Mike Gray Eagle Season 1 Episode 33: "The Cloudbusters"
1961 The Rebel Richard Aloysius "Dick" Sturgis Season 2 Episode 27: "Shriek of Silence"
1961 Cheyenne Chief Spotted Bull Season 6 Episode 3: "Cross Purpose"
1961 Laramie Chief Red Wolf Season 3 Episode 9: "Wolf Cub"
1962 The Untouchables The Man Season 3 Episode 20: "The Maggie Storm Story"
1962 The Untouchables Anthony 'Tough Tony' Lamberto Season 4 Episode 10: "A Fist of Five"
1962 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Señor Vargas Season 7 Episode 19: "Strange Miracle"
1962 Cheyenne White Cloud Season 7 Episode 6: "Indian Gold"
1962 Cheyenne Red Knife Season 7 Episode 8: "Pocketful of Stars"
1962 Wagon Train Running Bear Season 5 Episode 26: "The George B. Hanrahan Story"
1962 Thriller Lieutenant Vincoli Season 2 Episode 17: "La Strega"
1963 Laramie Tah-sa Season 4 Episode 23: "The Unvanquished"
1964 Daniel Boone Chief Talakum Season 1 Episode 7: "The Sound of Wings"
1965 Daniel Boone Saugus Season 1 Episode 24: "Four-Leaf Clover"
1965 Wagon Train Isaiah Quickfox Season 8 Episode 17: "The Isaiah Quickfox Story"
1965-1967 F Troop Chief Wild Eagle 63 episodes
1968 Hawaii Five-0 Phil Kalama Season 1 Episode 18: "Along Came Joey"
1968 The High Chaparral Mitch Season 2 Episode 12: "A Way of Justice"
1975 Police Woman Vito Angelo Season 1 Episode 19: "The Company"
1976 Cannon Lucius Delgado Season 5 Episode 18: "Revenge"
1977 The Rockford Files Nova Season 4 Episode 10: "Hotel of Fear"
1979 Little House on the Prairie Brower Season 5 Episode 15: "The Craftsman"
1979 Little House on the Prairie Indian Chief Kilowatt Season 6 Episode 7: "The Halloween Dream"
1980 The Incredible Hulk Sam Monte Season 3 Episode 22: "Nine Hours"

References

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  1. ^ Hal Erickson (2014). "Frank de Kova". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 1, 2014.
  2. ^ Canby, Vincent (February 13, 1981). "'American Pop' Grown-Up Animation". The New York Times. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
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