On the Silver Screen

In August, the Museum of the American West exhibited photographs of Native Americans who worked with matinee idol Tim McCoy in the early Hollywood Westerns.

According to the press release, Colonel Tim McCoy (1891 - 1978), a western film star, circus performer, and producer of the last Wild West Show, recruited many families from the Arapaho and Shoshone tribes in this area to work as movie extras. As a young cowboy, McCoy was befriended by Goes in Lodge, and through his relationship with that Arapaho family, McCoy learned Indian sign language. McCoy was inspired by all things Western, but it was his friendship and his ability to communicate with the Native Americans that got them both to Hollywood in 1922 to work on "The Covered Wagon," and many other films.

Tim McCoy was MGM's cowboy star from 1926 thru 1929, which was the end of the silent film era. McCoy starred in 16 movies, most of which included Native Americans in a somewhat historical setting. The later films appealed to youth and McCoy became a "matinee idol."

I enjoyed photographs in the display, but I was terribly disappointed that they were so poorly lit: many were difficult to see because of glare.

Riders of the Dark
MGM
1928

This was by far my favorite photograph in the exhibit. It was cropped from the image shown below.

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the group traveled to Europe to perform

As I looked at the exhibit, I realized the costumes for these films were clearly authentic and the men themselves were free of cosmetic character. Their facial expressions and characteristics were realistic: their lives had not been easy.

I have no idea if the Indian motorcycle was part of the movie, but the irony did not escape me.