Basil F. Heath

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Basil F. Heath (born March 18, 1917 in Ontario , † January 24, 2011 in Rochester , Indiana ), better known by his stage name Chief White Eagle, was an American and Canadian stuntman , television presenter and actor .

Live and act

In 1917 Heath was born in the Iroquois Indian Grand River Reservation in Ontario. According to his own statements, he was a chief of the Mohawk . His parents were Andrew Cleve and Amelia Heath (nee De Amorim). He attended McGill University in Montreal and the University of Oxford .

After moving to the United States, he worked as a liaison officer for the United States Office of War Information during World War II and was a volunteer member of the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army . He did not do regular army service for the states, as he was still a Canadian citizen at that time. He previously worked as a metal worker and welder.

After a few appearances as a stuntman, he got his first role as an actor in the film Northwest Passage in 1939 with Spencer Tracy in the lead role. This was followed by other roles in films such as Red River , The Devil's Captain and Niagara . Heath often said that the characters he played were killed seven times by John Wayne . In total, he played in over 30 films.

During the 1960s he hosted the Totem Club children's show on local Chicago television . He was also featured in various other television and radio shows.

From 1975 to 1990 he lived in Tinley Park , Illinois . In 1990 he received US citizenship . On June 29, 1977 he married his wife Roberta "Bobby Bear" Heath in the "Grand River Reservation", with whom he had three children. Then they moved to Rochester together. After years of poor health, he died on January 24, 2011 in Woodlawn Hospital in Rochester at the age of 93.

He has been featured as Chief Sky Eagle in some films. He is said not to be buried in any cemetery. There is a monument in his honor at the Miller Brothers 101 Ranch .

Awards

He received an Emmy in 1964 for the children's program "Totem Club" .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Tinley Park Patch: Former Tinley Resident and Kids' Host, Killed Seven Times by John Wayne, Dies in Indiana ( July 15, 2011 memento in the Internet Archive )
  2. ^ Westernboothill: RIP Chief White Eagle
  3. ↑ Pinterest.com: Explore Northwest Passage
  4. ^ Basil F. Heath in the Find a Grave database . Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  5. ^ Trib Local: Former Tinley resident, Native American actor dies at 93
personal data
SURNAME Heath, Basil F.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Eagle, Chief White
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American and Canadian stunt performer, television presenter, and actor
DATE OF BIRTH March 18, 1917
PLACE OF BIRTH Ontario
DATE OF DEATH January 24, 2011
Place of death Rochester , Indiana