1936: Jim Thorpe said studios mistreat real Indians by painted white actors skins, putting them in feathers and costumes and calling them Indians
Jim Thorpe, once one of the world's greatest athletes, presented the grievance of fellow Indians against the motion picture industry today to the United States attorney's office.
But to Thorpe's complaint that movie directors used white men for Indian roles, Fleet Palmer, deputy United States attorney, could give only sympathy.
Thorpe declared he represented 250 Indians in Hollywood. He said that when the call went out for Indians, casting bureaus would send to the studios only white persons who would be togged out in feathers and costumes and their skins painted dark.
This, said Thorpe, was not treating the real Indians properly.
Palmer told Thorpe that he knew of no federal law that applied to the situation.
1936, May 9 - The Racine Journal: "We want Indians who can ride and who look like Indians," said the casting director looking for "types" for "Ramona." The film, with Loretta Young, starts son in technicolor. Too many of Hollywood's Indians look like white men, and in a color picture the make-up men haven't time to concentrate on the atmosphere players."
1936, May 9 - The Racine Journal |
1936, May 30 The Winnipeg Tribune |
It happened on one of the government's southwestern Indian reservations.
A Hollywood film company had been given permission to shoot films of the Indians in their war paint and ceremonial dress. The Indians obliged by donning these seldom worn garments, going through the routine of a war dance, waving blankets and in other ways putting on a demonstration of life among the redskins as it used to be.
After about six days of this the Indians became bored with it all. Finally their leader announced: "We want to quit now. We're tired of playing Indian!"
1936, Oct 12 Wilkes Barre Times Leader the Evening News |