[3] He met his wife Wanna Eagle, a professional diver and swimmer, while working at Coney Island's Dreamland.

Wanna returned to Greenville, Maine with Perley, where she established the Eagle Haven recovery swim camp on Sugar Island for polio victims.

[6] During his time working with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and Barnum and Bailey's Circus, Perley attracted much attention from Hollywood talent scouts looking to bring "authenticity" to their productions.

[5] He appeared in numerous silent films with actors and actresses such as Mary Pickford, the Gish Sisters, Rudolph Valentino, and Richard Dix.

[2] The recognition Perley gained from appearing in the silent films landed him parts in six different Broadway plays, including Cole Porter's 1916 musical comedy See America First.

Focusing on the New England, he often highlighted the Native American presence in these areas to counteract the myth that they had disappeared from the northeast of the United States.