“Her Work in Indian Parts is Recognized as Having Special Merit in the Film World”: The Twilight of the Acting Career of Josephine M. Workman/Princess Mona Darkfeather, 1917-1920, Part One

by Paul R. Spitzzeri

Three years ago, as astounding phone call led to a remarkable donation by the Baltazar Madrid Estate of photographs and other items, stored in a Victorian-era Lincoln Heights residence for decades, once belonging to Josephine M. Workman (1882-1977), a granddaughter of Homestead founders William Workman and Nicolasa Urioste who for several years in the early days of film was a major movie star with the stage name of Princess Mona Darkfeather.

As prior posts here have noted, the very loose appropriation of identity, whether of indigenous people, Blacks and Asians, among others, in that period is a world away from the conditions of our time. While it is certainly possible that Workman had some native ancestry, through one or both of her grandmothers, her mother’s mother, Viviana Asorca de Belt, who hailed from Chile, or her father’s mother, Nicolasa Urioste de Workman, who was from Taos, New Mexico (and baptized Workman’s father, José Manuel, in the Roman Catholic Church in the Indian pueblo there), the adoption of costume, especially, as well as her claims to ties to tribal groups throughout the American Midwest and West, were anything but authentic in almost all respects.

Workman’s entry into film was explained in an article that appeared as her star was on the descent in the 10 September 1918 edition of the Portland Oregonian, in which she “asserts the she is the first ‘extra’ ever hired in the Los Angeles studios.” The article then continued,

It all happened nearly eight years ago, when Mona—it was Mona Workman then, for her father is an Englishman and her mother a pure Castilian, overcame parental scruples and [invaded?] the old Essanay studios. She was hired as an extra—the first of [them] all, she asserts—and three days later the illness of the leading woman [led] her into that enviable position. And leading woman she has [been] from that day to this.

Given the penchant in Hollywood for chronic self-invention and all manner of personalized storylines, we should stop and note that Mona was not a name adopted until Workman became an actor, that her father was born in Taos to an English father and that her mother, Josephine Belt, was a native of Stockton, California and to a father hailing from Maryland.

As to her claims to being the first extra, that seems extremely doubtful because, though some accounts of her career state that she entered the movie business in 1909, the year the first local films were shot here (her husband, Frank E. [Akley] Montgomery, did film a picture in Los Angeles that year), it is notable that the Oregonian article stated that it was almost eight yeas prior that she was hired by Essanay.

This is because the earliest located reference to her as an actor was in advertising on 22 December 1910 for the Superba Theatre when “Miss Mona Darkfeather” appeared in “A Child of the Wild” with she described as “a full-blooded Indian girl with strong dramatic talent.” While the latter part of that statement was the case, the former obviously was not. The word “child” in the title is also one to observe because, though she was then 28 years old (some sources state she was 27 at the time, but it doesn’t make that much difference), the 5’1″ actor was petite and youthful enough to appear years younger.

For the next several years, Princess Mona Darkfeather was a very popular performer in the burgeoning film world, which was largely comprised of short movies, generally of one or two reels and lasting perhaps 10-20 minutes in length. Working mainly with Montgomery, who went from being her director to her husband and co-owner of a production company dedicated to her own films, Darkfeather ascended rapidly up the ever-changing ladder of the industry.

By the mid-Teens, however, she was entering her mid-Thirties and the matter of playing Indian maidens at her advancing age (women, of course, were far more subject to the question of viability in the film world due to aging than men) was conjoined with her desire to try other types of roles, best manifested in a series based on the adventures of English explorer Henry Stanley in central Africa, as “Indian pictures” declined in popularity.

In the first part of 1917, Darkfeather’s last major films were released, though, it is striking that there were virtually no references to her in Los Angeles, except for the release of “The Crimson Arrow” in a San Pedro venue and the name of the film was misspelled. Throughout the rest of the nation, however, these final pictures were screened frequently and these pictures included “The Red Goddess,” “Seeds of Jealousy,” and “The Uprising.”

By late spring, she was featured in theater ads in the Santa Ana Register for “The Hidden Danger,” said to be “a beautiful Indian romance, but, after July, the only mention of Darkfeather and her films was for the re-release of one of her 1915 African-themed pictures, “Stanley Among the Voodoo Worshippers” (one can only imagine how that subject matter was portrayed!).

It may be that Darkfeather’s contract with Universal Pictures ended and she had no other options, though it is possible there might have been a behind-the-scenes incident that led to something of an exile for her and Montgomery, as the latter soon decamped to Spokane, Washington, hardly a likely place to continue a film-related career. There, the city’s Chronicle of 23 November reported,

The Montgomery college of motion picture acting will open Monday . . . Frank E. Montgomery of Los Angeles, head of the institution, announced . . . the regular work will open Monday, with about 25 pupils.

Situated on the third floor of the Clemmer Theatre building, the institution had an office and reception room as well as newly-constructed dressing rooms, and a stage with a lighting system, and was considered “complete in every detail for modern motion picture photography.”

The Spokane Review of 16 December observed that,

Princess Mona Darkfeather, known to filmdom as the leading feminine impersonator of Indian characters, will arrive in Spokane tonight to become association as instructor with the Montgomery School of Moving Picture Acting . . . She also will confer with C.J. Ward, general manager of the Washington Motion Picture corporation, in regard to a contract whereby she will be starred in western and Indian photoplays to be taken in the Inland Empire [eastern Washington].

The paper remarked that “in private life Princess Mona Darkfeather is the wife of Frank E. Montgomery, director of the local school” while it added “her moving picture career has been extensive and she has been in nearly every big photoplay where a central role was taken by an Indian girl” and “in many productions of which she appeared under Mr. Montgomery’s direction.”

Note the conflict between referencing “an Indian girl” and “impersonator of Indian characters,” while the piece ended with the comment that “Princess Mona is not an Indian, as many have supposed, but is Spanish. Her family was one of the old California Spanish families.” As noted above, this was not the case.

The Chronicle of the 18th included a standard photo of Workman in her Darkfeather costume in an article with the headline: “‘Princess’ Says Spokane Is Fine Movie Territory” and quoted her as uttering, “I am charmed with the scenery about Spokane and I certainly think the possibilities here for the production of pictures are quite the equal of California.” This was given the imprimatur of authority because of her eight years of acting in films.

While repeating that Darkfeather was to assist her husband in the operation of the acting college, as well as working for the Washington film company and commenting that “her work in Indian parts is recognized as having special merit in the film world, the paper provided another notable quote, in which she remarked,

I love my work in pictures and could not be happy doing anything else. I expect to become part of the organization of one of the two companies being formed here, for I believe there is going to be a big future in this work in Spokane.

The first located advertisement for what was officially called the Montgomery College of Motion Picture Acting and Expression, found in the Review of the 23rd, was ringed with question marks and offered four queries as to what profession paid the most, was the “most fascinating,” would make a person famous, and would be the one “you eventually follow.”

The answer was obvious “and you can learn it from one of the best directors in the profession” who “teaches you not as a teacher, but as a recognized director of experience.” Montgomery, it was asserted, provided an environment in which “men, women, [and] children of all ages, sizes, types and shapes take advantage of this opportunity, as there is a large demand,” particularly for exempted draft-age men because, it was stated, 30% of male movie stars were serving their country in the American Expeditionary Force that was fighting in Europe in the First World War.

After noting that there were day and night courses and that interested persons should call or write the College, it was added as a note that “Princess Mona Darkfeather, the famous photoplay star and who will produce several photo[play] dramas here this summer, is now the assistant to Mr. Montgomery.”

With the dawn of 1918, another ad for the College told readers that “the Washington Motion Picture Corporation will begin work shortly at Minnehaha park, giving employment to hundreds of people,” this location being in the northeast part of town, so those interested in attending were exhorted “DON’T LET THEM SEND TO CALIFORNIA FOR TALENT” as students could “learn the profession here and be competent to accept the position that may await you.”

Moreover, the promotional piece made the extraordinary claim that the school, under Montgomery’s leadership, “will teach you more about the business in one lesson than others teach in six months.” After insisting that those wanting to give the school a try, inquire with the director’s students, it was added that “Princess Mona Darkfeather, the assistant director, will be pleased to interview all applicants.”

At the end of February, the Review reported that Darkfeather appeared in a war savings stamp drive, an effort, along with others, including war savings bonds, that raised funds for the American effort in the European conflict. Meanwhile, the actor’s efforts to reignite her flagging career got some outside attention, as the Cleveland Plain Dealer of 9 March briefly observed that “Mona Darkfeather, feminine Indian star of the screen, is in Spokane, Wash., arranging for the setting of a number of photo plays in which she is to be starred,” citing the work of the Washington company.

In another Montgomery College ad from the Spokane Press of 27 April, it was asserted that “the ‘Movies’ will shortly begin operation” in the city and “employing hundreds of people of all AGES and TYPES,” so readers were advised “get ‘camera broke’ so that you will be able to secure employment.” They were also admonished that “this is your last chance and GREATEST OPPORTUNITY.”

There was a change, however, in the association Montgomery and Darkfeather had, as the tie with the Washington Motion Picture Corporation, for reasons unknown, was severed—the company did produce a film, “Fool’s Gold,” that starred Evelyn Brent, who later achieved some major success on the big screen, and “Vitagraph Girl” Florence Turner, whose star had dimmed by that time after fame earlier in the decade, while lead Mitchell Lewis was an MGM contract player in many movies before his death in the mid-Fifties.

The new entity was the Titan Feature Photoplay Company, which organized in April with President J. Don Alexander telling the Spokesman-Review of the 21st that “a contract had been made with Frank E. Montgomery under which his exclusive services are secured as general manager for one year.” An inset photo of Montgomery and a larger image of the new administration building, situated on Castle Hill near Fort George Wright in the northwest section of Spokane, were featured.

With this new direction, we’ll halt here and return tomorrow with part two, so be sure to check back with us then.