Frank de Kova
Frank de Kova (March 17, 1910 – October 15, 1981) was an American character actor in films, stage, and TV.
Also recorded as Frank deKova · Frank De Kova
Frank de Kova
- Name
- Frank de Kova
- Born
- 17 March 1910
- Birthplace
- Johnstown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
- Died
- 15 October 1981
- Place of death
- North Hills, Los Angeles, California, California, U.S.
- Birth Name
- Frank Campanella
- Occupation
- Actor
- Nationality
- United States
- Fields
- Western
- Languages
- English
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Frank de Kova (March 17, 1910 – October 15, 1981) was an American character actor in films, stage, and TV.
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Frank de Kova • Born — 17 March 1910 • Birthplace — Johnstown, Pennsylvania, U.S. • Died — 15 October 1981 • Place of death — North Hills, Los Angeles, California, California, U.S. • Resting Place — Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills, California • Birth Name — Frank Campanella • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1946–1981
Biography
Biography
De Kova was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania to two Sicilian parents. Before acting he was an English teacher and earned a Master of Arts in English from Columbia University. He went on to join a Shakespeare repertory group. He made his Broadway debut in Detective Story, and was discovered by director Elia Kazan. Moving to Hollywood, he appeared in Viva Zapata! (1952) as the Mexican Colonel, and The Big Sky (1952) with Kirk Douglas. He played Abiram in The Ten Commandments, appeared in Cowboy (1958) with Glenn Ford and Jack Lemmon, and in The Mechanic (1972) with Charles Bronson and Jan-Michael Vincent and the Ralph Bakshi film American Pop. He did much television work, including a role as Mafia hitman Jimmy Napoli in the ABC crime drama The Untouchables, and an occasional recurring role in Gunsmoke as "Tobeel", a Kiowa Indian who is a friend of Marshal Matt Dillon. He played the Arapaho Medicine Man in the Wagon Train" season 1 episode "The Gabe Carswell Story" (aired 1/14/1958). His best-known television role was as "Chief Wild Eagle", chief of the Hekawi tribe, on the western comedy F Troop (1965–1967). He also guest-starred in the ABC/Warner Brothers drama, The Roaring 20s. He appeared as Phil Kalama in "Along Came Joey" on Hawaii Five-O in 1968. In 1981, de Kova died of heart failure in his sleep at his home in North Hills, California. He is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, California.
Television
Television
• Year || Series || Role || Episode • 1956 — Gunsmoke — Tobeel — Season 2 Episode 10: "Greater Love" • 1956 — The Ford Television Theatre — Delwin Slater — Season 4 Episode 25: "Double Trouble" • 1956 — Crusader — Juan Perez — Season 1 Episode 32: "The Ballot Box" • 1956 — Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers — Season 1 Episode 3: "The Hostage" • 1957 — Gunsmoke — Tobeel — Season 2 Episode 18: "Kick Me" • 1957 — Gunsmoke — Mulligan Rives — Season 2 Episode 26: "Last Fling" • 1957 — Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans — Ottawa Chief — Season 1 Episode 1: "Hawkeye's Homecoming" • 1957 — Crossroads — Black Hawk — Season 2 Episode 30: "Jhonakehunkga called Jim" • 1957 — The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin — Culebra — Season 3 Episode 37: "Major Swansons' Choice" • 1957 — The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin — Okoma — Season 4 Episode 1: "Return to Fort Apache" • 1957 — Cheyenne — Sitting Bull — Season 2 Episode 20: "The Broken Pledge" • 1957 — Tales of Wells Fargo — Pablo — Season 1 Episode 7: "The Lynching" • 1957 — Wagon Train — True Oak — Season 1 Episode 7: "The Emily Rossiter Story" • 1958 — Wagon Train — Running Bear — Season 1 Episode 18: "The Gabe Carswell Story" • 1958 — Tales of Wells Fargo — Iron Hand — Season 3 Episode 7: "End of the Trail" • 1958 — The Restless Gun — Lupo Lazaro — Season 2 Episode 2: "Dragon for a Day" • 1958 — Cheyenne — Sioux Chief — Season 3 Episode 15: "Wagon-Tongue North" • 1958 — Gunsmoke — Tobeel — Season 4 Episode 3: "Gunsmuggler" • 1958 — The Californians — Up-A-Mug — Season 2 Episode 11: "The Painless Extractionist" • 1959 — Alfred Hitchcock Presents — Pedro — Season 4 Episode 15: "A Personal Matter" • 1959 — Cheyenne — Benito Juarez — Season 4 Episode 3: "Rebellion" • 1959 — Buckskin — Potato Man — Season 1 Episode 23: "Coup Stick" • 1959 — Gunsmoke — Leader — Season 5 Episode 1: "Target" • 1959 — Black Saddle — Rubio Calderone — Season 1 Episode 8: "Client Martinez" • 1959 — Peter Gunn — Joe Taber — Season 1 Episode 27: "Breakout" • 1959 — U.S. Marshal — Red Slade — Season 1 Episode 34: "Maryjo Is Missing" • 1959 — The Untouchables — Jimmy Napoli — Season 1 Pilot Episode • 1959 — The Californians — Up-A-Mug — Season 2 Episode 32: "An Act of Faith" • 1959 — The Alaskans — Fantan — Season 1 Episode 4: "Petticoat Crew" • 1959 — The Alaskans — Fantan — Season 1 Episode 7: "Contest at Gold Bottom" • 1959 — Wagon Train — Obuki — Season 2 Episode 25: "The Sister Rita Story" • 1959 — Wagon Train — Ocheo — Season 2 Episode 36: "The Rodney Lawrence Story" • 1959 — The Rifleman — Chief Hostay — Season 1 Episode 21: "The Indian" • 1959 — Rawhide — Villegro — Season 2 Episode 12: "Incident at Spanish Rock" • 1959 — Laramie — Yellow Knife — Season 1 Episode 3: "Circle of Fire" • 1959 — Laramie — Sitting Bull — Season 1 Episode 12: "Man of God" • 1959 — The Texan — Mandan — Season 2 Episode 9: "Showdown at Abilene" • 1960 — Cheyenne — Dull Knife — Season 4 Episode 8: "Gold, Glory and Custer – Requiem" • 1960 — The Untouchables — Louis Campagna — Season 1 Episode 20: "The Unhired Assassin: Part 1" • 1960 — The Untouchables — Louis 'Little New York' Campagna — Season 1 Episode 21: "The Unhired Assassin: Part 2" • 1960 — The Untouchables — Louis Campagna — Season 1 Episode 28: "The Frank Nitti Story" • 1960 — The Untouchables — Bugs Donovan — Season 2 Episode 4: "The Waxey Gordon Story" • 1960 — The Alaskans — Fantan — Season 1 Episode 20: "The Seal-Skin Game" • 1960 — The Rifleman — Carl Miller — Season 2 Episode 34: "Meeting at Midnight" • 1960 — Tales of Wells Fargo — Joe Black — Season 4 Episode 22: "Red Ransom" • 1960 — The Islanders — Carlos Roca — Season 1 Episode 12: "The Widow from Richmond" • 1960 — Johnny Staccato — Eddie Wayneright — Season 1 Episode 19: "Night of Jeopardy" • 1960 — Overland Trail — Shoshone Chief — Season 1 Episode 3: "West of Boston" • 1960 — Five Fingers — Landau — Season 1 Episode 13: "The Judas Goat" • 1960 — Lawman — Jed Barker — Season 3 Episode 13: "Cornered" • 1960 — Wagon Train — Indian Chief — Season 3 Episode 21: "The Tom Tuckett Story" • 1961 — Wagon Train — Arapaho Chief — Season 5 Episode 13: "Clyde" • 1961 — The Untouchables — Judge Foley — Season 2 Episode 18: "The Underground Court" • 1961 — Rawhide — Chief Tawyawp — Season 3 Episode 20: "Incident of the Boomerang" • 1961 — The Tall Man — Mike Gray Eagle — Season 1 Episode 33: "The Cloudbusters" • 1961 — The Rebel — Richard Aloysius "Dick" Sturgis — Season 2 Episode 27: "Shriek of Silence" • 1961 — Cheyenne — Chief Spotted Bull — Season 6 Episode 3: "Cross Purpose" • 1961 — Laramie — Chief Red Wolf — Season 3 Episode 9: "Wolf Cub" • 1962 — The Untouchables — The Man — Season 3 Episode 20: "The Maggie Storm Story" • 1962 — The Untouchables — Anthony 'Tough Tony' Lamberto — Season 4 Episode 10: "A Fist of Five" • 1962 — Alfred Hitchcock Presents — Señor Vargas — Season 7 Episode 19: "Strange Miracle" • 1962 — Cheyenne — White Cloud — Season 7 Episode 6: "Indian Gold" • 1962 — Cheyenne — Red Knife — Season 7 Episode 8: "Pocketful of Stars" • 1962 — Wagon Train — Running Bear — Season 5 Episode 26: "The George B. Hanrahan Story" • 1962 — Thriller — Lieutenant Vincoli — Season 2 Episode 17: "La Strega" • 1963 — Laramie — Tah-sa — Season 4 Episode 23: "The Unvanquished" • 1964 — Daniel Boone — Chief Talakum — Season 1 Episode 7: "The Sound of Wings" • 1965 — Daniel Boone — Saugus — Season 1 Episode 24: "Four-Leaf Clover" • 1965 — Wagon Train — Isaiah Quickfox — Season 8 Episode 17: "The Isaiah Quickfox Story" • 1965-1967 — F Troop — Chief Wild Eagle — 63 episodes • 1968 — Hawaii Five-0 — Phil Kalama — Season 1 Episode 18: "Along Came Joey" • 1968 — The High Chaparral — Mitch — Season 2 Episode 12: "A Way of Justice" • 1975 — Police Woman — Vito Angelo — Season 1 Episode 19: "The Company" • 1976 — Cannon — Lucius Delgado — Season 5 Episode 18: "Revenge" • 1977 — The Rockford Files — Nova — Season 4 Episode 10: "Hotel of Fear" • 1979 — Little House on the Prairie — Brower — Season 5 Episode 15: "The Craftsman" • 1979 — Little House on the Prairie — Indian Chief Kilowatt — Season 6 Episode 7: "The Halloween Dream" • 1980 — The Incredible Hulk — Sam Monte — Season 3 Episode 22: "Nine Hours"
Identity
Identity
Frank de Kova is recorded as actor.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1981
Frank de Kova died in 1981 at North Hills.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
New York City.
Birth place
North Hills.
Death place
Films
• Year || Film || Role || Notes • 1951 — Up Front — Italian Man — uncredited • 1951 — The Mob — Culio — uncredited • 1952 — Viva Zapata! — Colonel Guajardo — uncredited • 1952 — Holiday for Sinners — The Wiry Man • 1952 — The Big Sky — Moleface — uncredited • 1952 — Pony Soldier — Custin — uncredited • 1953 — Split Second — Dummy • 1953 — The Desert Song — Mindar • 1953 — Raiders of the Seven Seas — Captain Romero • 1953 — Arrowhead — Chief Chattez — | • 1953 — The Robe — Slave Dealer — uncredited • 1953 — All the Brothers Were Valiant — Stevenson • 1953 — Fighter Attack — Benedetto • 1953 — King of the Khyber Rifles — Ali Nur • 1954 — They Rode West — Isatai • 1954 — Valley of the Kings — Akmed Sala, Nomad Guide — uncredited • 1954 — Passion — Martinez • 1954 — Drum Beat — Modoc Jim • 1955 — The Man from Laramie — Padre • 1955 — Strange Lady in Town — Anse Hatlo • 1955 — Hold Back Tomorrow — Priest • 1955 — Shack Out on 101 — Professor Claude Dillon • 1956 — The Lone Ranger — Chief Red Hawk • 1956 — Santiago — Jingo • 1956 — Pillars of the Sky — Zachariah • 1956 — The Ten Commandments — Abiram • 1956 — The White Squaw — Yellow Elk • 1956 — Reprisal! — Charlie Washackle • 1957 — Run of the Arrow — Red Cloud • 1957 — Appointment with a Shadow — Dutch Hayden • 1957 — Ride Out for Revenge — Chief Yellow Wolf • 1958 — Cowboy — Alcalde • 1958 — The Brothers Karamazov — Captain Vrublevski • 1958 — Machine-Gun Kelly — Harry • 1958 — Teenage Cave Man — The Black-Bearded One • 1958 — Apache Territory — Lugo • 1959 — Day of the Outlaw — Denver, Bruhn's Gang • 1959 — The Jayhawkers! — Evans • 1960 — The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond — "The Chairman" • 1961 — Portrait of a Mobster — Anthony Parazzo • 1961 — Atlantis, the Lost Continent — Sonoy the Astrologer • 1962 — Follow That Dream — Jack • 1963 — The Raiders — Pawnee Chief — uncredited • 1965 — Those Calloways — Nigosh • 1965 — The Greatest Story Ever Told — The Tormentor • 1965 — The Sword of Ali Baba — Old Baba • 1967 — The Legend of the Boy and the Eagle — Narrator — voice only • 1970 — The Wild Country — Two Dog • 1972 — The Mechanic — The Man • 1973 — Heavy Traffic — Angelo "Angie" Corleone — voice only • 1973 — The Slams — Capiello • 1973 — The Don Is Dead — Giunta • 1974 — Jive Turkey — Big Tony • 1975 — Coonskin — Mannigan, Ruby — voice only • 1975 — Johnny Firecloud — White Eagle • 1978 — Cat in the Cage — Rachid Khan • 1980 — Mafia on the Bounty • 1981 — American Pop — Crisco • 1982 — Hey Good Lookin — Old Vinnie — voice only (final film role)
Literature
Scholarly footprint
A count of publications is evidence of attention, not of standing, and is given here only as a measure.
Citations
References
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reference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 15 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Film memorabilia
37,408 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
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