Victor Daniels (April 12, 1899 â€" December 1, 1955), known
professionally as Chief Thundercloud, was an American character actor
in Westerns. He is noted for being the first actor to play the role of
Tonto, the Lone Ranger's Native-American companion, on the
screen.Information available about Daniels is limited and vague. He
repeatedly said he was born in the Oklahoma Territory. But his Social
Security application lists his birth date as April 12, 1899, and his
birthplace as Santa Cruz County in the Arizona Territory. He listed
his parents as Jesus Daniels and Tomaca Daniels.At various times he
falsely claimed to be Cherokee and Creek. He had a sister named Anita,
born October 6, 1911, in Tucson, Pima County, Arizona Territory. On
her birth certificate she listed similar parents with Jesus Daniel
(born in Sonora) and Tomaso Acuna (born in Arizona).Thundercloud's
first marriage was to 17-year-old Mildred Turner (from Missouri) on
May 26, 1925, in Los Angeles. At that time, he called himself
“Victor Vasquez.†Their son Victor Junior Daniels was born on May
7, 1926, and a second son, Norman Daniels, on September 5, 1927, both
in Los Angeles. Thundercloud divorced Mildred and later married
Frances Courtright on April 26, 1933.
professionally as Chief Thundercloud, was an American character actor
in Westerns. He is noted for being the first actor to play the role of
Tonto, the Lone Ranger's Native-American companion, on the
screen.Information available about Daniels is limited and vague. He
repeatedly said he was born in the Oklahoma Territory. But his Social
Security application lists his birth date as April 12, 1899, and his
birthplace as Santa Cruz County in the Arizona Territory. He listed
his parents as Jesus Daniels and Tomaca Daniels.At various times he
falsely claimed to be Cherokee and Creek. He had a sister named Anita,
born October 6, 1911, in Tucson, Pima County, Arizona Territory. On
her birth certificate she listed similar parents with Jesus Daniel
(born in Sonora) and Tomaso Acuna (born in Arizona).Thundercloud's
first marriage was to 17-year-old Mildred Turner (from Missouri) on
May 26, 1925, in Los Angeles. At that time, he called himself
“Victor Vasquez.†Their son Victor Junior Daniels was born on May
7, 1926, and a second son, Norman Daniels, on September 5, 1927, both
in Los Angeles. Thundercloud divorced Mildred and later married
Frances Courtright on April 26, 1933.
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