FK
Frank De Kova
Actor
Born March 17, 1910Died October 15, 1981 (71 years)
Frank DeKova parlayed a sinister scowl, piercing eyes and an all-around menacing attitude into a long career of playing cold-blooded trigger-men, rampaging Indian chiefs, brutal Mexican army officers and the like. So it would probably come as a shock to those who know his work to discover that, before he became an actor, he was--of all things--a schoolteacher.
Born in New York in 1910, DeKova gave up teaching for the stage, and played in many Shakespearean productions before getting work on Broadway. One of his first starring roles was in the classic detective play "Detective Story", which got him noticed and brought to Hollywood. He debuted in Viva Zapata! (1952) as the devious Mexican colonel who sets up Zapata's assassination. For the next several years he played an assortment of gangsters, killers, gunfighters and Indians--with time out to play a prehistoric patriarch in Roger Corman's campy Teenage Cave Man (1958)--and did much television work, including a standout job as a Mafia hit-man assigned to kill Elliot Ness in Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse: The Untouchables: Part 1 (1959). The role for which he will be most remembered, however, is probably the one that was his most atypical: the scheming, somewhat untrustworthy but very funny Hekawi Chief Wild Eagle, the partner to Forrest Tucker's Sgt. O'Rourke in O'Rourke's various schemes to make money, in the western comedy series F Troop (1965). He showed a previously unknown talent for comedy and managed to steal most of the scenes he was in from such veterans as Tucker and Larry Storch. He died in his sleep in 1981.
Born in New York in 1910, DeKova gave up teaching for the stage, and played in many Shakespearean productions before getting work on Broadway. One of his first starring roles was in the classic detective play "Detective Story", which got him noticed and brought to Hollywood. He debuted in Viva Zapata! (1952) as the devious Mexican colonel who sets up Zapata's assassination. For the next several years he played an assortment of gangsters, killers, gunfighters and Indians--with time out to play a prehistoric patriarch in Roger Corman's campy Teenage Cave Man (1958)--and did much television work, including a standout job as a Mafia hit-man assigned to kill Elliot Ness in Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse: The Untouchables: Part 1 (1959). The role for which he will be most remembered, however, is probably the one that was his most atypical: the scheming, somewhat untrustworthy but very funny Hekawi Chief Wild Eagle, the partner to Forrest Tucker's Sgt. O'Rourke in O'Rourke's various schemes to make money, in the western comedy series F Troop (1965). He showed a previously unknown talent for comedy and managed to steal most of the scenes he was in from such veterans as Tucker and Larry Storch. He died in his sleep in 1981.
Movies & Shows on Plex
Known For
Filmography
| 1987 | Bloopermania · as Cast |
| 1982 | Hey Good Lookin' · as Old Vinnie (voice) |
| 1981 | American Pop · as Crisco (voice) |
| 1980 | Mafia on the Bounty · as Rupolo |
| 1978 | Cat in the Cage · as Rachid Khan |
| 1977 | The Incredible Hulk (TV Series) |
| 1975 | Swiss Family Robinson (1975) (TV Series) |
| 1975 | Johnny Firecloud · as White Eagle |
| 1975 | Baretta (TV Series) |
| 1974 | Coonskin · as Managan (voice) / Ruby (voice) (uncredited) |
| 1974 | Baby Needs a New Pair of Shoes · as Big Tony (as Frank Dekova) |
| 1974 | Police Woman (TV Series) · as Vito Angelo |
| 1974 | Run, Joe, Run (TV Series) |
| 1974 | Little House on the Prairie (TV Series) |
| 1974 | The Rockford Files (TV Series) · as Nova (as Frank De Kova) |
| 1974 | Apple's Way (TV Series) · as Connie Demarco |
| 1973 | Heavy Traffic · as Angelo "angie" Corleone (voice) |
| 1973 | The Don Is Dead · as Giunta |
| 1973 | The Slams · as Capiello |
| 1973 | Frasier, the Sensuous Lion · as The Man |
| 1973 | Toma (TV Series) |
| 1973 | Police Story (TV Series) |
| 1972 | The Mechanic · as The Man |
| 1971 | Cannon (TV Series) |
| 1970 | The Wild Country · as Two Dog |
| 1969 | Love, American Style (TV Series) |
| 1968 | Hawaii Five-O (TV Series) · as Phil Kalama |
| 1968 | It Takes a Thief (TV Series) · as Gen. Tashkov |
| 1967 | The High Chaparral (TV Series) · as Aguirre |
| 1967 | The Legend of the Boy and the Eagle · as Narrator (voice) |
| 1965 | The F.B.I. (TV Series) · as Faber |
| 1965 | F Troop (TV Series) · as Chief Wild Eagle |
| 1965 | The Greatest Story Ever Told · as The Tormentor |
| 1965 | The Sword of Ali Baba · as Old Baba |
| 1965 | Those Calloways · as Nigosh |
| 1964 | Daniel Boone (TV Series) · as Talakum |
| 1964 | Valentine's Day (TV Series) · as Chief Bald Eagle |
| 1963 | The Raiders · as Pawnee Chief |
| 1963 | Kraft Suspense Theatre (TV Series) · as Edward |
| 1963 | The Greatest Show on Earth (TV Series) |
| 1963 | The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (TV Series) · as Chief |
| 1962 | The Gallant Men (TV Series) |
| 1962 | Stoney Burke (TV Series) · as Mr. Tecas |
| 1962 | The Dakotas (TV Series) |
| 1962 | Follow That Dream · as Jack (as Frank De Kova) |
| 1961 | Portrait of a Mobster · as Anthony Parazzo |
| 1961 | Alcoa Premiere (TV Series) · as Gavril's Father |
| 1961 | Frontier Circus (TV Series) · as Karl Maynard |
| 1961 | Ben Casey (TV Series) |
| 1961 | Atlantis: The Lost Continent · as Sonoy The Astrologer |
| 1961 | Gunslinger (TV Series) · as Don Ignacio Alesandro |
| 1960 | The Roaring 20's (TV Series) · as Ben Dorschel |
| 1960 | |
| 1960 | SurfSide 6 (TV Series) · as Stinger |
| 1960 | Outlaws (TV Series) |
| 1960 | Thriller (TV Series) · as Lieutenant Vincoli |
| 1960 | The Tall Man (TV Series) |
| 1960 | The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond · as Syndicate Chairman |
| 1960 | Hong Kong (TV Series) · as Cesaro |
| 1960 | Overland Trail (TV Series) · as Chief |
| 1959 | Shotgun Slade (TV Series) · as Red Hawk |
| 1959 | The Detectives (1959) (TV Series) · as Nordoff |
| 1959 | The Jayhawkers! · as Evans |
| 1959 | Hawaiian Eye (TV Series) · as Pete Dailey |
| 1959 | Adventures in Paradise (TV Series) · as Captain Bultian |
| 1959 | The Alaskans (TV Series) |
| 1959 | |
| 1959 | Five Fingers (TV Series) · as Landau |
| 1959 | Hotel de Paree (TV Series) · as Indian |
| 1959 | Laramie (TV Series) |
| 1959 | The Deputy (TV Series) · as Cowan |
| 1959 | Johnny Staccato (TV Series) |
| 1959 | Day of the Outlaw · as Denver, Bruhn's Gang |
| 1959 | The Scarface Mob · as Jimmy Napoli |
| 1959 | The Lawless Years (TV Series) |
| 1959 | The Third Man (TV Series) · as Arlatti |
| 1959 | The Untouchables (TV Series) · as Louis Campagne |
| 1959 | Black Saddle (TV Series) · as Calderon |
| 1959 | Rawhide (TV Series) · as Chief Tawyawp |
| 1958 | U.S. Marshal (TV Series) · as Red Slade |
| 1958 | 77 Sunset Strip (TV Series) · as Jerry Gordon |
| 1958 | Man with a Camera (TV Series) · as The Man |
| 1958 | Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (TV Series) · as Jimmy Napoli |
| 1958 | Lawman (TV Series) · as Jed Barker |
| 1958 | The Rifleman (TV Series) · as Chief Hostay |
| 1958 | The Texan (TV Series) · as Mandan |
| 1958 | Union Pacific (TV Series) · as Indian Chief |
| 1958 | Peter Gunn (TV Series) |
| 1958 | Apache Territory · as Lugo (as Frank Dekova) |
| 1958 | Buckskin (TV Series) · as Potato Man |
| 1958 | Teenage Cave Man · as The Black-Bearded One |
| 1958 | Machine-Gun Kelly · as Harry |
| 1958 | Cowboy · as Alcaide |
| 1958 | The Brothers Karamazov · as Capt. Vrublevski |
| 1958 | Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer (1958) (TV Series) · as Al Adams |
| 1957 | Ride Out for Revenge · as Chief Yellow Wolf |
| 1957 | The Californians (TV Series) · as Jacko |
| 1957 | The Restless Gun (TV Series) · as Lupo Lazaro |
| 1957 | Maverick (TV Series) |
| 1957 | Wagon Train (TV Series) · as Obuki |
| 1957 | Run of the Arrow · as Red Cloud (as Frank De Kova) |
| 1957 | Appointment with a Shadow · as Dutch Hayden |
| 1957 | The Silent Service (TV Series) · as Arturo |
| 1957 | Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans (TV Series) · as Ottawa Chief |
| 1957 | Tales of Wells Fargo (TV Series) · as Iron Hand |
| 1956 | Reprisal! · as Charlie Washackle |
| 1956 | The White Squaw · as Yellow Elk |
| 1956 | Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers (TV Series) |
| 1956 | The Ten Commandments · as Abiram |
| 1956 | Pillars of the Sky · as Zachariah |
| 1956 | Santiago · as Jingo |
| 1956 | The Lone Ranger · as Chief Red Hawk |
| 1955 | Shack Out on 101 · as Prof. Claude Dillon |
| 1955 | Hold Back Tomorrow · as Priest |
| 1955 | Crossroads (1955) (TV Series) · as Black Hawk |
| 1955 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV Series) · as Senor Vargas |
| 1955 | The Phil Silvers Show (TV Series) · as Judge's Assistant |
| 1955 | |
| 1955 | Gunsmoke (TV Series) · as Tobeel |
| 1955 | The Man from Laramie · as Padre |
| 1955 | Strange Lady in Town · as Anse Hatlo |
| 1954 | They Rode West · as Isatai |
| 1954 | Drum Beat · as Modoc Jim |
| 1954 | Disneyland (TV Series) · as Narrator |
| 1954 | The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin (TV Series) |
| 1954 | Passion · as Martinez (as Frank De Kova) |
| 1954 | Valley of the Kings · as Akmed Salah (uncredited) |
| 1953 | King of the Khyber Rifles · as Ali Nur |
| 1953 | The Robe · as Slave Dealer |
| 1953 | Fighter Attack · as Benedetto |
| 1953 | All the Brothers Were Valiant · as Stevenson |
| 1953 | Arrowhead · as Chief Chattez |
| 1953 | The Desert Song · as Mindar |
| 1953 | Raiders of the Seven Seas · as Captain Romero |
| 1953 | Split Second · as Dummy |
| 1952 | Pony Soldier · as Custin |
| 1952 | The Big Sky · as Moleface (uncredited) |
| 1952 | Ford Theatre: All Star Theatre (TV Series) · as Delwin Slater |
| 1952 | Holiday for Sinners · as The Wiry Man |
| 1952 | Death Valley Days (TV Series) · as Chief Colorow |
| 1952 | Viva Zapata! · as Colonel Guajardo |
| 1951 | The Mob · as Culio |
| 1951 | Up Front · as Italian Man |
| 1950 | Ashley Banjo’s Big Town Dance (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1950 | Dick Tracy (1950) (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1950 | The Web (1950) (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1950 | Robert Montgomery Presents Your Lucky Strike Theatre (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1949 | Martin Kane, Private Eye (TV Series) · as Thomas Randall |
| 1948 | Ford Theatre (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1948 | The Philco Television Playhouse (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1947 | Kiss of Death · as Con Library (uncredited) |