Sonny Chorre
| Suni War Cloud | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Joseph Vance Chorre Jr. |
| Born | November 14, 1914[1] Los Angeles, California, U.S.[1] |
| Died | June 14, 1987 (aged 72) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Family | Gertrude Chorre (mother) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Suni War Cloud Chief Suni War Cloud Chief War Cloud Chief Crazy Horse Sitting Bull Steven Crazy Horse |
| Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Billed weight | 231 lb (105 kg) |
| Trained by | Mike Mazurki[1] |
| Debut | 1947[1] |
| Retired | 1969[1] |
Joseph Vance "Sonny" Chorre Jr. (November 14, 1914 – June 14, 1987), better known by his ring name Suni War Cloud, was a professional wrestler and actor in the United States.[2]
His mother was actress Gertrude Chorre, a Luiseño.[3] He appeared in films with her. He attended Sherman Indian High School in Riverside. An athlete, he ran marathons.
His sister Marie Chorte also acted. Jim Thorpe managed him. Chorre performed a rain dance before wrestling bouts.[4]
Many of his film roles were uncredited.
Personal life
Chorre married his first wife, Scottish-born actress Lillian Douglas (1928–2023), in c. 1950 and settled in Buffalo, New York. They had two sons, Gary Stewart Chorre (b. 1951) and Ronald James Chorre (1952–2022),[5][6] before divorcing in November 1954.[7] He remarried in 1961 to Anna Bell Spears (1935–1989), a U.S. Army nurse during the Korean War, and remained together until his death.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | Wolf Riders | Young Bear | Uncredited | |
| 1936 | Rose Marie | Dancer in Totem Tom Tom | Uncredited | |
| Ramona | Indian | Uncredited | ||
| Ride, Ranger, Ride | Comanche Warrior | Uncredited | ||
| The Plainsman | Indian #2 with Painted Horse | Uncredited | ||
| 1937 | Ebb Tide | Attwater's Guard | Uncredited | |
| 1938 | Her Jungle Love | Guard | Uncredited | |
| Flaming Frontiers | Indian | Uncredited | ||
| Hawk of the Wilderness | White Eagle | Uncredited | ||
| 1939 | Union Pacific | Indian | Uncredited | |
| Man of Conquest | Cherokee Tribesman | Uncredited | ||
| 1940 | The Notorious Elinor Lee | Indian Prizefighter knocked out by Benny Blue | Uncredited | |
| Buck Benny Rides Again | Indian | Uncredited Also stunt performer |
||
| North West Mounted Police | Indian | Uncredited | ||
| Hudson's Bay | Indian | Uncredited | ||
| 1941 | Western Union | Indian | Uncredited | |
| 1942 | Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake | Native | Uncredited Also stunt performer |
|
| 1947 | Joe Palooka in the Knockout | Cardona | Uncredited | |
| 1948 | The Dude Goes West | Indian Brave | Uncredited | |
| The Paleface | Uncredited | |||
| 1949 | Red Canyon | Indian | Uncredited | |
| Joe Palooka in the Counterpunch | Angelo Cardona | Credited as Suni Chorre | ||
| 1950 | The Traveling Saleswoman | Indian | Uncredited | |
| 1951 | Jim Thorpe - All-American | Wally Denny | Credited as Suni Warcloud | |
| 1957 | Hot Summer Night | Rosey | Uncredited | |
| Tip on a Dead Jockey | Chauffeur | Uncredited |
Championships and accomplishments
- Arizona Athletic Association
- Salt Lake Wrestling Club
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Idaho & Utah version) - with Chief Kit Fox
- Tri-State Sports
References
General
- "Joseph V. Chorre – a life in the movies". Valley Roadrunner. June 30, 2017. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
Specific
- ^ a b c d e Johnson, Steven (June 21, 2021). "Remembering actor/wrestler Chief Suni War Cloud". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved June 21, 2025.
- ^ Berumen, Frank Javier Garcia (2020). American Indian Image Makers of Hollywood. McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers. p. 81. ISBN 978-1-4766-7813-9.
- ^ Black, Liza (December 20, 2022). Picturing Indians: Native Americans in Film, 1941–1960. U of Nebraska Press. pp. 75, 198. ISBN 978-1-4962-3264-9 – via Google Books.
- ^ Buford, Kate (October 26, 2010). Native American Son: The Life and Sporting Legend of Jim Thorpe. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-307-59429-7 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Homeless man's life honored in ceremony". Keizertimes. May 6, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
- ^ "Lillian Matteucci". Valencia County News-Bulletin. July 6, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
- ^ "DIVORCE DECREES". Alabama Journal. November 30, 1954. p. 18.
Lillian Vance Chorre vs. Joseph Vance Chorre.
- ^ Royal Duncan; Gary Will (2000). "ARIZONA: Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 292. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ "Southwestern Tag Team Title (Arizona)". Wrestling-Titles.com. Puroresu Dojo. 2003. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
- ^ "Idaho Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Puroresu Dojo. 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
- ^ "NWA Western Tag Team Title (Idaho & Utah)". Wrestling-Titles.com. Puroresu Dojo. 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2025.