The 'brains' and 'action' heavies who had meaty roles and lots of dialog ... and the players who were fathers, ranch owners, lawman, mayors, judges, lawyers, storekeepers, newspaper editors, wardens, etc.

(Courtesy of Jack Tillmany)

Frank Samuel Lackteen 1895 - 1968

Frank Lackteen's Hollywood career began around 1915, and he became typecast as an Indian, half-breed, witch doctor, servant, Oriental, Arab, Mexican ... all of which were unsavory characters.  He was a frequent villain in silent Pathe serials (such as his portrayal of 'The Hawk' in HAWK OF THE HILLS (Pathe, 1927), which starred Walter Miller and Allene Ray).

That typecasting continued in the sound era. And while he did westerns, I recall Lackteen more for his frequent cliffhanger roles --- probably his best was as witch doctor 'Shamba' in JUNGLE GIRL (Republic, 1941).  But he was also 'Quong Lee' in RED BARRY (Universal, 1938), 'Abdul' in TARZAN THE FEARLESS (Principal, 1933), 'Buckskin Joe' in HEROES OF THE WEST (Universal, 1932), more.

Lackteen was thin ... his face was rough and chiseled with pock marks and scarring ... there was a beaked nose ... and he had a thick accent and an easily recognizable voice. All of this added to his malevolence, and seeing his face on the screen signalled to the audience that this guy was untrustworthy, nasty and a definite threat to the hero and heroine.

(Courtesy of Les Adams) Above, a mid-1930s trade mag biography on Lackteen which seems to be the basis for the very brief bios available on him in book and Internet sources.

Les Adams has Lackteen in about 135 sound era films, and that number includes 46 westerns and 24 chapterplays.  Les adds:

"Lackteen was a cold-blooded reptile with no sense of humor ever displayed, whose first appearance left no doubt who he was and what he intended. It was hard to figure a man called 'Vulture' or 'Blood' with anything but the worse intentions, even in RED BARRY, playing both sides against the middle with oily glibness."

You also may want to go to the In Search Of ... webpage on the Old Corral.  Then go to the California Death Records and you will find a record for: Frank S. Lackteen, born 8/29/1895, passed away on 7/8/1968, but no Social Security number is listed. Checking the Social Security Death Index (SSDI), there is a record for Frank Lackteen. It lists his last residence as Woodland Hills, California, which is probably the Motion Picture and Television Home and/or Hospital.

  Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has information on Frank Lackteen.  Click HERE.

(Courtesy of Dale Crawford & Jim Sorensen)

Valhalla Memorial Park, North Hollywood, California, Lot 2, Section 6587, Memorial G.

(Courtesy of Les Adams) Above are Lackteen (as the 'Vulture') and Gordon Elliott in Elliott's breakthrough role in the serial, THE GREAT ADVENTURES OF WILD BILL HICKOK (1938). Above from L-to-R are Robert 'Bobby' Blake (as Little Beaver), Frank Lackteen (as 'Running Fox'), Chief Yowlachie, John War Eagle, and kneeling is Billy Cummings.  Lobby card from OREGON TRAIL SCOUTS (Republic, 1947), one of the Red Ryder adventures starring Allan Lane. (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from L-to-R are Frank Lackteen, Chief Yowlachie, Gene Autry and Chief Thunder Cloud (Victor Daniels) in a scene from Autry's INDIAN TERRITORY (1950).