Deter Latoni, also spelt Dittar Latoni, was the leader of the Utubi Indians and a friend of George Cranleigh, whom his people rescued from torture. He took George back to his family in England and cared for him in secret.
Biography
Deter[source needed] or Dittar Latoni was the leader of the Utubi Indian tribe in either Venezuela (PROSE: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (novelisation)"]) or Brazil. In 1923, his tribe saved George Cranleigh (TV: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (TV story)"]) after a week of torture at the hands of the Butiu (PROSE: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (novelisation)"]) or Kojabe Indians. Latoni befriended him and returned him to England where he chose to stay, caring for George in Cranleigh Hall with the knowledge of only Madge and Charles. (TV: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (TV story)"])
By 1925, Latoni had begun to fall ill because of the stresses of caring for George and Lady Cranleigh hired Raymond Digby to assist him. (PROSE: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (novelisation)"])
On 11 June 1925, Latoni was violently attacked when George's insanity drove him to wanting to escape and elope with Ann. He was left for dead but, in his last conscious moments, managed to slip the key to George's room through a crack in the floorboards. (TV: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (TV story)"])
Appearance
Latoni had shoulder-length black hair and a protuberant lower lip. (TV: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (TV story)"])
Behind the scenes
- It is unclear on-screen as to whether George does actually kill Latoni, or if Latoni is merely rendered unconscious by the attack — as stated in Terence Dudley's novelisation of the story. Whatever the case, Latoni is not seen on-screen again after George's escape.