Frank de Kova (1910-1981) was an American character actor in films, stage, and TV, often playing a Native American or Mexican bandit in westerns, or a modern-day gangster, all befitting his craggy face.
Born Frank Campanella, it was imperative a name change was in order so there was no confusion with the film actor of the same name, the older brother of television stalwart, Joseph Campanella. As DeKova, or De Kova, or de Kova—per his grave plot—he made his Broadway debut in Detective Story and was subsequently discovered by director Elia Kazan. In Hollywood, he appeared in Viva Zapata! in 1952 as the Mexican Colonel, and played Abiram in The Ten Commandments. He appeared in three films released in 1958: Cowboy with Glenn Ford and Jack Lemmon, a quirky role in Machine Gun Kelly opposite Charles Bronson, and as the restrictive, old-school tribe counselor in Teenage Caveman, where Robert Vaughn played the cool, teen rebel with the perfect barber shop haircut. De Kova would reunite with Bronson in, The Mechanic in 1972.
De Kova was certainly most visible from his television work, including a role as Mafia hitman Jimmy Napoli in the ABC crime drama, The Untouchables, the western, Cheyenne, and a recurring role in Gunsmoke as a Kiowa Indian who is a trusted friend with Dodge City's marshal. He gained new fame as "Chief Wild Eagle" in the wacky western comedy spoof, F Troop, from 1965-1967. As the Seventies dawned, his work was less frequent, split between television and film.
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