Chief Tahachee

Chief Tahachee, was born Jeff Davis Tahchee Cypert, 4 March 1904 in James Mill, Arkansas, he died of a heart attack 9 June 1978 in San Gabriel, California. He was an American-born, Old Settler Cherokee Indian, who was a stage-performer, silent-and-sound motion picture actor, stuntman, expert horseman, circus and wild west show entertainer, contortionist and fire-walker. He also worked as a makeup artist, costume designer, and directed a few motion pictures. Chief Tahachee's stage and motion picture career spanned the 1920s to the 1960s. His first motion picture acting was in the silent film, The Last of the Mohicans, in 1920. The Chief was 16-years old at the time, although he told the casting director he was 21. Through his friends, silent film actors Ben Turpin, a relative of his first wife, and Ramon Navarro, Chief Tahachee obtained the roles of a henchman in A Small Town Idol, and a Gaucho in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, both produced in 1921. Though Chief Tahachee was in motion pictures starting in the 1920s, his career did not take off until his chance meeting with Rollin S. Sturgeon, who cast Chief Tahachee in a bit-part as a cowboy in North of the Rio Grande in 1922, a film starring Jack Holt and BeBe Daniels. The bit-part was given to him by chance, as the Chief was picked from a crowd of fans, extras, actors, and directors loitering around the film location in Northern California (either Bishop or Lone Pine) where North of the Rio Grande was being shot. Mr. Sturgeon groomed Chief Tahachee after this, and from this point on parts were a little easier to come by because of this new friendship. Mr. Sturgeon is also credited with convincing the youthful Cherokee actor to add Chief to his name for publicity purposes, and to change his second-middle-name Tahchee to Tahachee, making his new name Chief Tahachee. Tahachee used the title "Chief" reluctantly at first but became more comfortable with the title as time went on. Chief Tahachee eventually was given the honorary title of "Chief" later in his motion picture career in honor of his involvement with a variety of American Indian causes. When asked about his title, the Chief would tell people, "Didn't you know everyone is a Chief in Hollywood! It's a land of make believe! Unlike many of his counterparts, Chief Yowlatchie, Chief John Big Tree and Chief Richard Thunderbird, Chief Tahachee did not limit himself to American Indian roles during his 40-year career. His friends Charles Stevens and Charles Brunner advised him not to typecast himself, and as a result of this timely advice Chief Tahachee would not turn down a part or other work on a movie. First, he portrayed every form of American Indian. He also portrayed gangsters, thugs, henchman, cowboys, Mexicans, Anglos, Hindus, soldiers, policeman, sheriffs, deputies, townsman, barflies, Mongols, sailors and Asians. Chief Tahachee also tried his hand at costume design, makeup artist, directing and of course stunt work. Chief Tahachee would not turn down a role no matter how insignificant. Chief Tahachee's close friends, actors and various associates in the motion picture business were Carl Matthews, Bill Hazlett, Jay Silverheels, Chief Yowlatchie, Chief John Big Tree, Charles Stevens, Charles Brunner, Luther Standing Bear and Billy Wilkerson. Chief Tahachee authored four books, the most successful being Poems of Dreams.