In 1928, Yellow Robe portrayed Chief Chetoga in Burden and Chanler's historical drama film The Silent Enemy, which was released in 1930. Partially funded by the American Museum of Natural History, the film depicted a complex drama of an Ojibwe tribal life before the arrival of Europeans. Yellow Robe played one of the leading roles and helped with technical direction; according to Atalie Unkalunt, the cast consisted solely of Native Americans, though this was later complicated by the appearance of Chief Buffalo Child Long Lance, whose ancestry was questioned. Notably, Yellow Robe delivered the film's sound-on-film speech introduction, wherein he greets the audience, praises the story, and expresses hope for the Ojibwe tribe's future.
