Iron Eyes Cody
Acting
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.
The Hypocrite
Crying Indian (archival footage)
The Great Indian Wars 1840-1890
The Spirit of '76
Iron Eyes Cody
Ernest Goes to Camp
Old Indian Chief
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion
Self
Grayeagle
Standing Bear
The Quest
Old Indian
El Condor
Santana
A Man Called Horse
Medicine Man
The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County
Crazy Foot
Something for a Lonely Man
Chief
Nevada Smith
Taka-Ta (uncredited)
The Great Sioux Massacre
Crazy Horse
Black Gold
Charlie Two-Bits
Alias Jesse James
2nd Indian on Train (uncredited)
The Light in the Forest
Cuyloga's Counsellor
Gun Fever
1st Indian Chief
Ride Out for Revenge
Cheyenne Indian (uncredited)
Gun for a Coward
Chief
Westward Ho, The Wagons!
Many Stars
Johnny Moccasin
Mountain Cloud
The Wild Dakotas
Red Rock
Apache Ambush
Sitting Bull
Crazy Horse
Arrow In The Dust
Chief Rasacura (uncredited)
Fast Company
Ben Iron Mountain
Apache War Smoke
Apache with Major Dekker's Hat
Lost in Alaska
Canook (uncredited)
Son of Paleface
Chief Yellow Cloud
Ellis in Freedomland
Male Model
Apache Country
Indian with Pat (uncredited)
Fort Osage
Osage Brave - Blue Shirt
Night Raiders
Henchman Cherokee
Red Mountain
Ute Indian
Fort Defiance
Brave Bear (as Iron Eyes)
Ace in the Hole
Indian Copy Boy (uncredited)
California Passage
Indian
Cherokee Uprising
Longknife
Broken Arrow
Teese (uncredited)
The Iroquois Trail
Cody of the Pony Express
Indian Who Slugs Cody (archive footage) (uncredited)
Mrs. Mike
Chief Iron Eyes (uncredited)
The Cowboy and the Indians
Indian Farmer (uncredited)
Sand
Indian (uncredited)
Massacre River
Chief Yellowstone
The Paleface
Chief Iron Eyes
Indian Agent
Wovoka
Blood on the Moon
Toma (uncredited)
Train to Alcatraz
Geronimo
The Gallant Legion
Indian Warrior
The Senator Was Indiscreet
Indian
Bowery Buckaroos
Indian Joe
The Last Round-up
Unconquered
Red Corn
Can't Help Singing
Indian Scaring Caroline (uncredited)
The Phantom
Native (uncredited)
Dawn on the Great Divide
Indian
Springtime in the Rockies
White Cloud (uncredited)
Overland Mail
Indian
King of the Stallions
The Omaha Trail
1st Friendly Indian
Pierre of the Plains
Indian
Pierre of the Plains
Indian (uncredited
Perils of Nyoka
Arab
Ten Gentlemen from West Point
Indian (uncredited)
My Gal Sal
Indian (uncredited)
Lawless Plainsmen
Indian
Valley of the Sun
Indian (uncredited)
Don Winslow of the Navy
Native Henchman at Mill [Ch. 5]
Ride 'Em Cowboy
Indian (uncredited)
King of the Texas Rangers
Carlos
This Woman Is Mine
Hostile Indian
Saddlemates
Black Eagle
In Old Cheyenne
Indian
Western Union
Indian Who Drinks Chemical Solution
Arizona
Indian (uncredited)
Hudson's Bay
Indian (uncredited)
Pony Post
Indian
North West Mounted Police
Indian Brave (Uncredited)
Young Bill Hickok
Big Bear
Too Many Girls
Indian
Colorado
Indian Henchman
Kit Carson
Indian
Untamed
Indian (uncredited)
Winners of the West
indian
Young Buffalo Bill
Acuna's Aide
Green Hell
Indian (uncredited)
Maintain the Right
Killer
Crashing Thru
Indian Joe - Harrington's Henchman
Overland Mail
Indian Chief
Fighting Mad
2nd Indian at Post
Overland with Kit Carson
Running Wolf
The Oregon Trail
Crow Foot
Across the Plains
Brave
Union Pacific
Indian (uncredited)
The Kid From Texas
Wild West Show Indian
Scouts to the Rescue
Indian
The Cowboy and the Lady
Rodeo Indian (uncredited)
The Lone Ranger
Bullet-Bringer
Prairie Thunder
Indian (uncredited)
The Bold Caballero
Indian (uncredited)
The Boss Rider of Gun Creek
Ride, Ranger, Ride
Comanche War Party Leader (uncredited)
Treachery Rides the Range
Little Deer
Custer's Last Stand
Chief Brown Fox
Rose Marie
Indian Dancer (uncredited)
Custer's Last Stand
Chief Brown Fox
The Farmer Takes a Wife
Indian
Chandu on the Magic Island
Cat Man
The Return of Chandu
Cat Man
Young Eagles
Temple Guard
Massacre
Indian (uncredited)
Fighting With Kit Carson
Cheyenne Rider
King of the Arena
Circus Indian
Wild Girl
Indian (uncredited)
Texas Pioneers
Little Eagle
Murders in the Rue Morgue
Indian at Sideshow (uncredited)
The Rainbow Trail
John Tom
Oklahoma Jim
War Eagle
Fighting Caravans
Indian After Firewater (uncredited)
The Viking
Indian (uncredited)