Dark Cloud (actor)
Encyclopedia
Dark Cloud was a Native American
silent film actor, born Elijah Tahamont on September 20, 1855 at Odanak
, Quebec
, Canada
. He was a chief
of the Abenaki, a First Nations
people belonging to the Algonquian peoples
of northeastern North America
.
Tahamont's father, also named Elijah Tahamont, had studied at Moor's Indian Charity School and Dartmouth College
, where Native American education had been funded by a gift of £12,000 in 1767 from a Native American, Presbyterian Rev. Samson Occom
. Moor's School had been established for "civilizing the wild, wandering Tribes of Indians in North America, and ... for promoting religion, virtue, and literature among people of all denominations."
Tahamont became known first as a popular lecturer, and as a model for artist Frederic Remington
, the most successful Western illustrator in the “Golden Age” of illustration at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Remington wrote and illustrated a novel, John Ermine of Yellowstone.
in New York
in 1910, making his first screen appearances in the era of "eastern Westerns" under the direction of D. W. Griffith
and with cinematography by Billy Bitzer
. Unlike the later Westerns, featuring dramatic conflicts and indolent Natives, these early films showed Native Americans with respect: in serene, nearly still-life profile against a wide landscape, as though in calm reflection on their lives before the treaties were broken. The Song of the Wildwood Flute, with Mary Pickford
and Mack Sennett
, was filmed near Fishkill, New York
. Dark Cloud's first movie, The Broken Doll was made in 1910 in Coytesville, near Fort Lee, New Jersey
, where Griffith also filmed Call of the Wild.
Dark Cloud appeared in many Westerns and other films during the 1910s. He moved with Griffith's company to the West Coast in 1912, eventually appearing in at least 34 silent movies in a brief film career of only 8 years, cut short by the Spanish flu
pandemic of 1918. He was sometimes billed as Chief Dark Cloud or as William Dark Cloud. After Remington's death, Dark Cloud collaborated on making a 1917 Francis Ford
movie, based on John Ermine of Yellowstone, in which "John Darkcloud" appeared as Fire Bear.
, who played the Indian who sheds a single tear for a blighted American environment in "Keep America Beautiful" ads that ran from 1971 into the 1980s. Bertha Cody was a collector of lore, mythology, and early history of Native Americans in California and Nevada.
Tahamont's death, in Los Angeles
, California
on October 17, 1918, was from bronchopneumonia
, officially attributed to the Spanish influenza pandemic
. Rumors that he was murdered by a jealous husband, that he died from accidental drowning
, or that he was still alive were never substantiated. Several of his films were released after his death.
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
silent film actor, born Elijah Tahamont on September 20, 1855 at Odanak
Odanak, Quebec
Odanak is an Indian reserve in the Centre-du-Québec region, Quebec, Canada. The mostly Abenaki population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 469. The territory is located near the mouth of the Saint-François River at its confluence with the St. Lawrence River. It is partly within the limits of...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He was a chief
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
of the Abenaki, a First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
people belonging to the Algonquian peoples
Algonquian peoples
The Algonquian are one of the most populous and widespread North American native language groups, with tribes originally numbering in the hundreds. Today hundreds of thousands of individuals identify with various Algonquian peoples...
of northeastern North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Tahamont's father, also named Elijah Tahamont, had studied at Moor's Indian Charity School and Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
, where Native American education had been funded by a gift of £12,000 in 1767 from a Native American, Presbyterian Rev. Samson Occom
Samson Occom
The Reverend Samson Occom was a Native American Presbyterian clergyman and a member of the Mohegan nation near New London, Connecticut...
. Moor's School had been established for "civilizing the wild, wandering Tribes of Indians in North America, and ... for promoting religion, virtue, and literature among people of all denominations."
Tahamont became known first as a popular lecturer, and as a model for artist Frederic Remington
Frederic Remington
Frederic Sackrider Remington was an American painter, illustrator, sculptor, and writer who specialized in depictions of the Old American West, specifically concentrating on the last quarter of the 19th century American West and images of cowboys, American Indians, and the U. S...
, the most successful Western illustrator in the “Golden Age” of illustration at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Remington wrote and illustrated a novel, John Ermine of Yellowstone.
Acting career
Dark Cloud began working for American Mutoscope and BiographAmerican Mutoscope and Biograph Company
The American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, was a motion picture company founded in 1895 and active until 1928. It was the first company in the United States devoted entirely to film production and exhibition, and for two decades was one of the most prolific, releasing over three thousand short...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1910, making his first screen appearances in the era of "eastern Westerns" under the direction of D. W. Griffith
D. W. Griffith
David Llewelyn Wark Griffith was a premier pioneering American film director. He is best known as the director of the controversial and groundbreaking 1915 film The Birth of a Nation and the subsequent film Intolerance .Griffith's film The Birth of a Nation made pioneering use of advanced camera...
and with cinematography by Billy Bitzer
Billy Bitzer
Gottfried Wilhelm "Billy" Bitzer was a pioneering cinematographer notable for his close association with D. W. Griffith....
. Unlike the later Westerns, featuring dramatic conflicts and indolent Natives, these early films showed Native Americans with respect: in serene, nearly still-life profile against a wide landscape, as though in calm reflection on their lives before the treaties were broken. The Song of the Wildwood Flute, with Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford was a Canadian-born motion picture actress, co-founder of the film studio United Artists and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
and Mack Sennett
Mack Sennett
Mack Sennett was a Canadian-born American director and was known as the innovator of slapstick comedy in film. During his lifetime he was known at times as the "King of Comedy"...
, was filmed near Fishkill, New York
Fishkill (town), New York
Fishkill is an affluent suburban town in the southwest part of Dutchess County, New York, USA. The population was 20,258 at the 2000 census, however, current estimates put the town's population at over 22,100. Fishkill partly surrounds the city of Beacon....
. Dark Cloud's first movie, The Broken Doll was made in 1910 in Coytesville, near Fort Lee, New Jersey
Fort Lee, New Jersey
Fort Lee is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 35,345. Located atop the Hudson Palisades, the borough is the western terminus of the George Washington Bridge...
, where Griffith also filmed Call of the Wild.
Dark Cloud appeared in many Westerns and other films during the 1910s. He moved with Griffith's company to the West Coast in 1912, eventually appearing in at least 34 silent movies in a brief film career of only 8 years, cut short by the Spanish flu
Spanish flu
The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...
pandemic of 1918. He was sometimes billed as Chief Dark Cloud or as William Dark Cloud. After Remington's death, Dark Cloud collaborated on making a 1917 Francis Ford
Francis Ford (actor)
Francis Ford was a prolific film actor, writer, and director. He was the older brother of film director John Ford. He also appeared in many of John Ford's movies, including Young Mr. Lincoln and The Quiet Man.He starred in the 1912 two-reeler The Deserter by Thomas H. Ince and acted in over 400...
movie, based on John Ermine of Yellowstone, in which "John Darkcloud" appeared as Fire Bear.
Personal life
Tahamont married Margaret Camp, who became an actress billed as Dove Eye of the silent film era. The Tahamonts' children, Beulah and Bessie, reportedly were "the first Indian children to attend a New York public school". Beulah appeared in early films and on stage. Their granddaughter, Bertha Parker, a writer and ethnologist, married actor "Iron Eyes" CodyIron Eyes Cody
Iron Eyes Cody was an American actor. He frequently portrayed American Indians in Hollywood films. In 1995, Cody was honored by the American Indian community for his work publicizing the plight of Native Americans, including his acting in films...
, who played the Indian who sheds a single tear for a blighted American environment in "Keep America Beautiful" ads that ran from 1971 into the 1980s. Bertha Cody was a collector of lore, mythology, and early history of Native Americans in California and Nevada.
Tahamont's death, in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
on October 17, 1918, was from bronchopneumonia
Bronchopneumonia
Bronchopneumonia or bronchial pneumonia or "Bronchogenic pneumonia" is the acute inflammation of the walls of the bronchioles...
, officially attributed to the Spanish influenza pandemic
Spanish flu
The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...
. Rumors that he was murdered by a jealous husband, that he died from accidental drowning
Drowning
Drowning is death from asphyxia due to suffocation caused by water entering the lungs and preventing the absorption of oxygen leading to cerebral hypoxia....
, or that he was still alive were never substantiated. Several of his films were released after his death.