Skip to content
MovieCove
Chief Thundercloud

Chief Thundercloud

Actor · Died December 1, 1955, aged 56 · Santa Cruz County, Arizona

Victor Daniels (April 12, 1899 – December 1, 1955), known professionally as Chief Thundercloud, was an American character actor in Westerns. He is noted for being the first actor to play the role of Tonto, the Lone Ranger's Native-American companion, on the screen.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 12, 1899
Died
December 1, 1955 (aged 56)
From
Santa Cruz County, Arizona
Works as
Actor
Titles
33 on MovieCove · 57 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Up 21% in 30 days

What are Chief Thundercloud's films like?

Across their 17 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
50%
Bonds
25%
Power
8%
Survival
8%
Society
7%
Ideas
2%
Justice12 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal2 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 17 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 11 · Serious 5 · Dark 1

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 16 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 6 · Charged 11 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 13 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 11 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 12 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 13 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 17 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

10 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 6 of 10 analyzed roles.

Ally
6 of 10
Threshold guardian
1 of 10
Hero
1 of 10
Shadow
1 of 10
Herald
1 of 10
Show the 10 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
11
Thrilling
11
Hopeful
8
Warm
3
Melancholic
2
Other
4

How their films linger

Fun8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy11
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Chief Thundercloud's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 19 of their 33 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (13).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Chief Thundercloud's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

57 credits, 33 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Half-Breed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Apache (uncredited)

  • Buffalo Bill in Tomahawk Territory(1952)

    as Black Hawk

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Santa Fe(1951)

    as Chief Longfeather

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • I Killed Geronimo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Geronimo

  • The Iroquois Trail(1950)

    as Ottawa Chief (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Colt .45(1950)

    as Walking Bear

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • A Ticket to Tomahawk(1950)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • The Traveling Saleswoman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Running Deer

  • Ambush(1950)

    as Tana

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Davy Crockett, Indian Scout(1950)

    as Sleeping Fox

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Mrs. Mike (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Indian (uncredited)

  • Call of the Forest(1949)

    as Stormcloud

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • The Senator Was Indiscreet(1947)

    as Indian (as Chief Thunder Cloud)

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Prairie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Eagle Feather

  • Renegade Girl(1946)

    as Chief White Cloud

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Badman's Territory(1946)

    as Chief Tahlequah

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Romance of the West(1946)

    as Chief Eagle Feather

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Phantom Rider (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Chief Yellow Wolf

  • Sonora Stagecoach(1944)

    as Chief Thundercloud

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Outlaw Trail(1944)

    as Thundercloud

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Fighting Seabees(1944)

    as Indian Seabee (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Law Rides Again(1943)

    as Thundercloud

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Daredevils of the West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Indian Chief

  • Overland Mail(1942)

    as Chief Many Moons

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Lady in a Jam(1942)

    as Thundercloud (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Shut My Big Mouth(1942)

    as Indian Interpreter

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Silver Stallion(1941)

    as Freshwater Jackson (as Chief 'Tonto' Thundercloud)

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Pirates on Horseback(1941)

    as Flying Cloud

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Western Union(1941)

    as Indian Leader

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Hudson's Bay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Orimha

  • North West Mounted Police(1940)

    as Wandering Spirit

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Wyoming (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Lightfoot

  • Typhoon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Kehi

  • Young Buffalo Bill(1940)

    as Akuna

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Hi-Yo Silver (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Tonto

  • Murder on the Yukon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Henchman Manti

  • Geronimo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Geronimo

  • Fighting Mad(1939)

    as Indian

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Cat and the Canary(1939)

    as Indian Guide

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Union Pacific(1939)

    as Indian (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Lone Ranger Rides Again(1939)

    as Tonto

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Flaming Frontiers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Thunder Cloud

  • The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Chief Gray Eagle

  • The Lone Ranger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Tonto

  • Renfrew of the Royal Mounted(1937)

    as Indian henchman

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Riders of the Whistling Skull(1937)

    as High Priest

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Ride, Ranger, Ride(1936)

    as Little Wolf

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Ramona (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Pablo

  • For the Service (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Indian Brave (uncredited)

  • Custer's Last Stand(1936)

    as Yellow Wolf

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Silly Billies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Indian

  • Custer's Last Stand (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Young Wolf

  • Saddle Aces (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Canejo Rider Jose

  • Rustler's Paradise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Henchman (as Thunder Cloud)

  • Wagon Trail(1935)

    as Henchman

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Cyclone of the Saddle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Yellow Wolf

  • Rustlers of Red Dog (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Chief Grey Wolf [Chs. 1, 5, 11]

Career shape

Star power in the 71st percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 57 titles from 1935 to 1952.

Highest rated

Colt .45 (1950)

Midcredits 45th

Most popular right now

The Lone Ranger Rides Again (1939)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting57 of 57: 57 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score41st

By decade

1930s21 · acting1940s26 · acting1950s10 · acting

Billing

usually 15th · top billed in 0% of 5 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Chief Thundercloud's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 41st percentile, the median of all 33; across their 17 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 28th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

28thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Approval · how many liked their films

14thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Reach · how many have seen their films

8thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Midcredits score across 33 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th10
  • 25th to 49th10
  • Below 25th11

Shape of the crowd

19 of their 33 titles are Mixed.

  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed19

Most divisive · actor

The Lone Ranger Rides Again (1939)

74th percentile spread · 15% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Cat and the Canary (1939)

Midcredits 83rd · 74% liked

Reviewers score the acting 47/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles; fans 62, detractors 35. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Chief Thundercloud work with?

People who share at least 2 of Chief Thundercloud's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Robert Emmett Tansey shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles