Ray Mala (December 27, 1906 â€" September 23, 1952) (birth name Ray
Agnaqsiaq Wise) was one of Hollywood's Native American movie actors
along with other Native American actors Lillian St. Cyr, Jesse
Cornplanter, Chief Yowlachie, William Eagle Shirt, and Will Rogers who
had successful careers before Mala. Ray Mala's career had peaked in
the 1930s, and in 2009 he was named a "Top Ten Alaskan" by TIME
Magazine. He was most prominently known for his lead role in Republic
Pictures' 14-part serial Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island (1936)
followed by his feature role in MGM's Eskimo, directed by Woody Van
Dyke.Ray Mala was born Ray Wise in the small village of Candle, Alaska
to a Russian Jewish immigrant father and a Native Alaskan mother. He
was born during a time in which Alaska was still a territory of the
United States and a mystery to many Americans. In 1921 an explorer
named Captain Frank Kleinschmidt went to Alaska on an expedition to
film Primitive Love in which Mala makes his film debut in a small role
at age 14. Mala acted in front of the camera in a minor role and
served as a cameraman for the film. Mala also accompanied Knud
Rasmussen, the Danish Arctic explorer and writer on his trip The Great
Sled Journey from 1921 to 1924 to collect and describe Inuit songs and
legends as the official cameraman.In 1925 Mala arrived in Hollywood
and got a job as a cameraman with Fox Film Corporation (before the
creation of 20th Century Fox). Not long after Mala landed his first
lead role in the silent film Igloo for Universal Pictures. Igloo was a
success and led to his being cast as the lead in MGM's Eskimo/Mala the
Magnificent. Louis B. Mayer sent director Woody Van Dyke to the Alaska
Territory to film with many Alaska Natives in the cast along with
Japanese actress Lotus Long (portraying one of Mala's wives) and
Chinese actress Ling Wong. Eskimo was produced by Irving Thalberg and
premiered at the Astor Theatre in Times Square, New York City in 1933.
The movie was billed as "the biggest picture ever made" by MGM, but
after a sluggush opening MGM quickly decided to change the title to
the more sexy Eskimo Wife-Traders. Still, the movie suffered an
eventual loss of $236,000 at the box office. The movie's editor,
Conrad A. Nervig, won the first Oscar for Best Film Editing for his
work on the picture.Ray Mala gained praise following Eskimo and as a
result MGM cast him as the lead in Last of the Pagans (1935), directed
by Richard Thorpe and filmed on location in Tahiti. Mala's next role
came in The Jungle Princess (1936), which launched Dorothy Lamour's
career. According to the book The Paramount Story, "The Jungle
Princess was a success and a money maker for the studio. Mala played
the lead in Republic Pictures' Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island
(1936) which was one of the first serials the studio made. He shared
top billing with Herman Brix in Republic's Hawk of the Wilderness
(1938). Other notable films include Green Hell (1940) starring Douglas
Fairbanks, Jr., Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940), Cecil B.
DeMille's Union Pacific (1939), Son of Fury (1942) starring Tyrone
Power, The Tuttles of Tahiti (1942) starring Charles Laughton, and
many others.
Agnaqsiaq Wise) was one of Hollywood's Native American movie actors
along with other Native American actors Lillian St. Cyr, Jesse
Cornplanter, Chief Yowlachie, William Eagle Shirt, and Will Rogers who
had successful careers before Mala. Ray Mala's career had peaked in
the 1930s, and in 2009 he was named a "Top Ten Alaskan" by TIME
Magazine. He was most prominently known for his lead role in Republic
Pictures' 14-part serial Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island (1936)
followed by his feature role in MGM's Eskimo, directed by Woody Van
Dyke.Ray Mala was born Ray Wise in the small village of Candle, Alaska
to a Russian Jewish immigrant father and a Native Alaskan mother. He
was born during a time in which Alaska was still a territory of the
United States and a mystery to many Americans. In 1921 an explorer
named Captain Frank Kleinschmidt went to Alaska on an expedition to
film Primitive Love in which Mala makes his film debut in a small role
at age 14. Mala acted in front of the camera in a minor role and
served as a cameraman for the film. Mala also accompanied Knud
Rasmussen, the Danish Arctic explorer and writer on his trip The Great
Sled Journey from 1921 to 1924 to collect and describe Inuit songs and
legends as the official cameraman.In 1925 Mala arrived in Hollywood
and got a job as a cameraman with Fox Film Corporation (before the
creation of 20th Century Fox). Not long after Mala landed his first
lead role in the silent film Igloo for Universal Pictures. Igloo was a
success and led to his being cast as the lead in MGM's Eskimo/Mala the
Magnificent. Louis B. Mayer sent director Woody Van Dyke to the Alaska
Territory to film with many Alaska Natives in the cast along with
Japanese actress Lotus Long (portraying one of Mala's wives) and
Chinese actress Ling Wong. Eskimo was produced by Irving Thalberg and
premiered at the Astor Theatre in Times Square, New York City in 1933.
The movie was billed as "the biggest picture ever made" by MGM, but
after a sluggush opening MGM quickly decided to change the title to
the more sexy Eskimo Wife-Traders. Still, the movie suffered an
eventual loss of $236,000 at the box office. The movie's editor,
Conrad A. Nervig, won the first Oscar for Best Film Editing for his
work on the picture.Ray Mala gained praise following Eskimo and as a
result MGM cast him as the lead in Last of the Pagans (1935), directed
by Richard Thorpe and filmed on location in Tahiti. Mala's next role
came in The Jungle Princess (1936), which launched Dorothy Lamour's
career. According to the book The Paramount Story, "The Jungle
Princess was a success and a money maker for the studio. Mala played
the lead in Republic Pictures' Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island
(1936) which was one of the first serials the studio made. He shared
top billing with Herman Brix in Republic's Hawk of the Wilderness
(1938). Other notable films include Green Hell (1940) starring Douglas
Fairbanks, Jr., Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940), Cecil B.
DeMille's Union Pacific (1939), Son of Fury (1942) starring Tyrone
Power, The Tuttles of Tahiti (1942) starring Charles Laughton, and
many others.
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