Ray Mala facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ray Mala
|
|
|---|---|
Photograph by Melbourne Spurr, c. 1933
|
|
| Born |
Ray Wise
December 27, 1906 District of Alaska, U.S.
|
| Died | September 23, 1952 (aged 45) Hollywood, California, U.S.
|
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1921–1952 |
| Spouse(s) |
Gertrude Becker
(m. 1932, divorced)Galina Kropotkin Liss
(m. 1937) |
Ray Mala (born Ray Agnaqsiaq Wise, also known as Ach-nach-chiak; December 27, 1906 – September 23, 1952) was a famous Native American actor in Hollywood. He was one of the first Native American movie actors to have a successful career. Other actors like Lillian St. Cyr and Will Rogers also became well-known during that time.
Mala's career was most successful in the 1930s. He was best known for his main role in the 14-part adventure series Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island (1936). He also starred in MGM's movie Eskimo (1933). In 2009, TIME Magazine named him one of the "Top Ten Alaskans."
Early life in Alaska
Ray Mala was born Ray Wise in a small village called Candle, Alaska. His father was an immigrant from Russia, and his mother was a Native Alaskan Inupiaq. Ray was born when Alaska was still a territory of the United States. Many Americans thought of Alaska as a huge, mysterious place.
In 1921, an explorer named Captain Frank Kleinschmidt came to Alaska. He was making a film called Primitive Love. A 14-year-old Ray Mala got his first chance to act in this movie. He had a small role and sometimes helped as a cameraman. From 1921 to 1924, Ray also worked as a cameraman for Knud Rasmussen. Rasmussen was a Danish explorer who traveled to collect Inuit songs and stories.
Hollywood career
In 1925, Ray Mala moved to Hollywood. He first got a job as a cameraman at Fox Film Corporation. Soon after, he got his first main acting role in a silent film called Igloo for Universal Pictures.
Igloo was a successful movie. This led to Ray being cast as the main character in MGM's film Eskimo. This movie was also known as Mala the Magnificent. The director, Woody Van Dyke, went to Alaska to film it. Many Alaska Natives acted in the movie, along with other actors.
Eskimo premiered in New York City in 1933. MGM called it "the biggest picture ever made." However, the movie did not do as well as expected. The studio even changed its title to Eskimo Wife-Traders. Even with the change, the movie lost money. But the movie's editor, Conrad A. Nervig, won the first Oscar for Best Film Editing for his work on it.
More movie roles
After Eskimo, Ray Mala received a lot of praise. MGM then cast him in Last of the Pagans (1935). This movie was filmed in Tahiti. His next important role was in The Jungle Princess (1936). This film helped start the career of actress Dorothy Lamour. The Jungle Princess was a big success and earned a lot of money for the studio.
Ray Mala also played the main character in Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island (1936). This was one of the first adventure series made by Republic Pictures. He also starred with Herman Brix in Hawk of the Wilderness (1938). Other movies he appeared in include Green Hell (1940), Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940), and Cecil B. DeMille's Union Pacific (1939). He was also in Son of Fury (1942) and The Tuttles of Tahiti (1942).
Behind the camera
Ray Mala also spent time working behind the camera as a cameraman. He worked with Oscar winner Joseph LaShelle on several films. These included Laura (1944) and Les Misérables (1952). He was also a cameraman for Alfred Hitchcock's movie Shadow of a Doubt (1943). Other films he worked on were Meet Me After the Show (1951) and The Fan (1949).
In 1952, Mala acted again in front of the camera in the movie Red Snow. This film was one of the first to talk about the Cold War.
Death
Ray Mala passed away shortly after Red Snow was released. He died from heart problems while working on his last film. He was only 45 years old. His career in Hollywood lasted for almost 30 years. Fifty years after his death, his remains were brought back to Alaska. A reburial ceremony was held in 2018 in Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery.
