Iron Eyes Cody
Iron Eyes Cody (born Espera Oscar de Corti), was an Italian American actor. He portrayed Native Americans in Hollywood films, famously as Chief Iron Eyes in Bob Hope's The Paleface. He also played a Native American shedding a tear about litter in one of the country's most well-known television public service announcements, "Keep America Beautiful". Cody began acting in the early 1930s. He worked in film and television until his death. Cody claimed his father was Cherokee (and his mother Cree), also naming several different tribes, and frequently changing his claimed place of birth. To those unfamiliar with Indigenous American or First Nations cultures and people, he gave the appearance of living "as if" he were Native American, fulfilling the stereotypical expectations by wearing his film wardrobe as daily clothing—including braided wig, fringed leathers and beaded moccasins—at least when photographers were visiting, and in other ways continuing to play the same Hollywood-scripted roles off-screen as well as on.
He appeared in more than 200 films, including The Big Trail with John Wayne; The Scarlet Letter, with Colleen Moore; Sitting Bull, as Crazy Horse; The Light in the Forest as Cuyloga; The Great Sioux Massacre, with Joseph Cotten; Nevada Smith, with Steve McQueen; A Man Called Horse, with Richard Harris; and Ernest Goes to Camp as Chief St. Cloud, with Jim Varney.
In 1953, he appeared twice in Duncan Renaldo's syndicated television series, The Cisco Kid as Chief Sky Eagle. He guest starred on the NBC western series, The Restless Gun, starring John Payne, and The Tall Man, with Barry Sullivan and Clu Gulager. In 1961, he played the title role in "The Burying of Sammy Hart" on the ABC western series, The Rebel, starring Nick Adams. A close friend of Walt Disney, Cody appeared in a Disney studio serial titled The First Americans, and in episodes of The Mountain Man, Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone. In 1964 Cody appeared as Chief Black Feather on The Virginian in the episode "The Intruders." He also appeared in a 1968 episode of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood featuring Native American dancers.
Cody was widely seen as the "Crying Indian" in the "Keep America Beautiful" public service announcements (PSA) in the early 1970s.The environmental commercial showed Cody in costume, shedding a tear after trash is thrown from the window of a car and it lands at his feet. The announcer, William Conrad, says: "People start pollution; people can stop it."
The Joni Mitchell song "Lakota", from the 1988 album, Chalk Mark in a Rainstorm, features Cody's chanting. He made a cameo appearance in the 1990 film Spirit of '76.
Living in Hollywood, he began to insist, even in his private life, that he was Native American, over time claiming membership in several different tribes. In 1996, Cody's half-sister said that he was of Italian ancestry, but he denied it. After his death, it was revealed that he was of Sicilian parentage, and not Native American at all.
Cody, at age 94, died of mesothelioma at his home in Los Angeles on January 4, 1999.
Known for
The A-Team
Chief Watashi
Maverick
Indian (uncredited)
Cheyenne
The Virginian
Chief Black Feather
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Nemanna
The Rebel
Sammy Hart
Medical Center
Chanter
Rawhide
Medicine Man (uncredited)
Rawhide
John Redcloud
Gunsmoke
Indian
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
The F.B.I.
Medicine Man
Lawman
Mister Ed
Chief Thundercloud
Here's Lucy
Medicine Man
Sugarfoot
Joe White Cloud
Branded
Gun Fever
1st Indian Chief
Then Came Bronson
Chief John Carbona
The Tall Man
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
Kit Carson
Indian
Broken Arrow
Teese (uncredited)
The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
Rose Marie
Indian Dancer (uncredited)
Apache Country
Indian with Pat (uncredited)
Outlaws
The Cisco Kid
Chief Big Cloud
Massacre River
Chief Yellowstone
The Thin Man
Hondo
El Condor
Santana
Western Union
Indian Who Drinks Chemical Solution
Arizona
Indian (uncredited)
Sitting Bull
Crazy Horse
Crashing Thru
Indian Joe - Harrington's Henchman
Unconquered
Red Corn
Saddlemates
Black Eagle
Colorado
Indian Henchman
The Viking
Indian (uncredited)
Night Raiders
Henchman Cherokee
The Paleface
Chief Iron Eyes
Johnny Moccasin
Mountain Cloud
Red Mountain
Ute Indian
Overland Mail
Indian Chief
Fast Company
Ben Iron Mountain
The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour
Eskimo Pilot (uncredited)
The Phantom
Native (uncredited)
Massacre
Indian (uncredited)
Sergeant Preston of the Yukon
Mrs. Mike
Chief Iron Eyes (uncredited)
Nevada Smith
Taka-Ta (uncredited)
A Man Called Horse
Medicine Man
Bowery Buckaroos
Indian Joe
Ride 'Em Cowboy
Indian (uncredited)
Blood on the Moon
Toma (uncredited)
Lawless Plainsmen
Indian
The Quest
Old Indian
Hollywood
Self
Indian Agent
Wovoka
Fighting Mad
2nd Indian at Post
The Farmer Takes a Wife
Indian
Ace in the Hole
Indian Copy Boy (uncredited)
Prairie Thunder
Indian (uncredited)
The Immortal
Murders in the Rue Morgue
Indian at Sideshow (uncredited)
Ernest Goes to Camp
Old Indian Chief
Guestward, Ho!
Apache War Smoke
Apache with Major Dekker's Hat
Green Hell
Indian (uncredited)
The Great Sioux Massacre
Crazy Horse
Westward Ho, The Wagons!
Many Stars
Oklahoma Jim
War Eagle
The Light in the Forest
Cuyloga's Counsellor
Grayeagle
Standing Bear
Custer's Last Stand
Chief Brown Fox
The Spirit of '76
Iron Eyes Cody
Ten Gentlemen from West Point
Indian (uncredited)
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion
Self
The Cowboy and the Lady
Rodeo Indian (uncredited)
Arrow In The Dust
Chief Rasacura (uncredited)
Alias Jesse James
2nd Indian on Train (uncredited)
Fighting With Kit Carson
Cheyenne Rider
The Cowboy and the Indians
Indian Farmer (uncredited)
Scouts to the Rescue
Indian
Winners of the West
indian
The Gallant Legion
Indian Warrior
The Return of Chandu
Cat Man
King of the Texas Rangers
Carlos
Can't Help Singing
Indian Scaring Caroline (uncredited)
Hudson's Bay
Indian (uncredited)
Across the Plains
Brave
Lost in Alaska
Canook (uncredited)
Something for a Lonely Man
Chief
Dawn on the Great Divide
Indian
The Rainbow Trail
John Tom
The Boss Rider of Gun Creek
Pierre of the Plains
Indian (uncredited
Pierre of the Plains
Indian
King of the Arena
Circus Indian
Valley of the Sun
Indian (uncredited)
Chandu on the Magic Island
Cat Man
Cody of the Pony Express
Indian Who Slugs Cody (archive footage) (uncredited)
Train to Alcatraz
Geronimo
Gun for a Coward
Chief
My Gal Sal
Indian (uncredited)
The Oregon Trail
Crow Foot
The Kid From Texas
Wild West Show Indian
Ride Out for Revenge
Cheyenne Indian (uncredited)
The Omaha Trail
1st Friendly Indian
Perils of Nyoka
Arab
Wild Girl
Indian (uncredited)
The Iroquois Trail
The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County
Crazy Foot
Union Pacific
Indian (uncredited)
In Old Cheyenne
Indian
The Bold Caballero
Indian (uncredited)
This Woman Is Mine
Hostile Indian
Young Bill Hickok
Big Bear
The Senator Was Indiscreet
Indian
Young Buffalo Bill
Acuna's Aide
Springtime in the Rockies
White Cloud (uncredited)
Too Many Girls
Indian
The Hypocrite
Crying Indian (archival footage)
Ride, Ranger, Ride
Comanche War Party Leader (uncredited)
Overland Mail
Indian
Treachery Rides the Range
Little Deer
Son of Paleface
Chief Yellow Cloud
Fort Defiance
Brave Bear (as Iron Eyes)
The Lone Ranger
Bullet-Bringer
North West Mounted Police
Indian Brave (Uncredited)
Fort Osage
Osage Brave - Blue Shirt
Texas Pioneers
Little Eagle
Ellis in Freedomland
Male Model
California Passage
Indian
Apache Ambush
Cherokee Uprising
Longknife
Pony Post
Indian
Untamed
Indian (uncredited)
Custer's Last Stand
Chief Brown Fox
Overland with Kit Carson
Running Wolf
The Wild Dakotas
Red Rock
Black Gold
Charlie Two-Bits
King of the Stallions
Young Eagles
Temple Guard
Don Winslow of the Navy
Native Henchman at Mill [Ch. 5]
The Great Indian Wars 1840-1890
Sand
Indian (uncredited)
Maintain the Right
Killer
The Mike Douglas Show
Self