Wednesday, June 12, 2024

Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Deputy Chief Joe Buffalo

[These daily posts will cover little known actors or people that have appeared in more recent films and TV series. Various degrees of information that I was able to find will be given and anything that you can add would be appreciated.]

Joe Dion Buffalo was born in Hobbema, Alberta, Canada on November 11, 1903. He was a farmer and good friend of actor Chief Jonas Applegarth. Joe was a simple farmer and was named Deputy Chief of the Samson Cree tribe. He accompanied his friend Jonas Applegarth to Spain in 1958 where he appeared in his only Euro-western “The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw” in the role of Red Wolf.

Joe was married and had eight children. Their great grandson is professional skateboarder and actor Joe Dion Buffalo who was born in 1976.

I talked to his granddaughter Marilyn Buffalo who told me her grandfather often talked about his making the film and that both he and the other First Nations actor Jonas Applegarth spoke their native Cree tongues and performed their own Cree dances and singing in the film. When you hear them speak it’s their actual voices. They were not dubbed.

BUFFALO, Deputy Chief Joe (Joe D. Buffalo) [11/1/1903, Hobbema, Alberta, Canada – 9/9/1975, Hobbema, Alberta, Canada] – Samson Cree Indian, film actor, married and the father of eight children, great grandfather of actor Joe Buffalo (Joe Dion Buffalo) [1976-    ], member of Albert Lightning Pow-Wow Dancers.

The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw – 1958 (Red Wolf)

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