Iron Eyes Cody
Biography
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
Indian with Pat (uncredited)
Apache Country
Male Model
Ellis in Freedomland
Taka-Ta (uncredited)
Nevada Smith
Chief Iron Eyes (uncredited)
Mrs. Mike
Chief Yellow Cloud
Son of Paleface
Cuyloga's Counsellor
The Light in the Forest
Standing Bear
Grayeagle
Medicine Man
A Man Called Horse
Teese, Court Jester
Broken Arrow
Indian
The Senator Was Indiscreet
Chief Iron Eyes
The Paleface
Old Indian Chief
Ernest Goes to Camp
Indian Scaring Caroline (uncredited)
Can't Help Singing
The Iroquois Trail
Cheyenne Rider
Fighting With Kit Carson
Self
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion
Running Wolf
Overland with Kit Carson
Bullet-Bringer
The Lone Ranger
Santana
El Condor
Indian (uncredited
Pierre of the Plains
Chief Rasacura (uncredited)
Arrow In The Dust
Crazy Horse
Sitting Bull
Native (uncredited)
The Phantom
Geronimo
Train to Alcatraz
Apache with Major Dekker's Hat
Apache War Smoke
Mountain Cloud
Johnny Moccasin
Indian (uncredited)
Wild Girl
Old Indian
The Quest
Brave Bear (as Iron Eyes)
Fort Defiance
Indian Who Slugs Cody (archive footage) (uncredited)
Cody of the Pony Express
Apache Ambush
indian
Winners of the West
Charlie Two-Bits
Black Gold
Indian Dancer (uncredited)
Rose Marie
Cat Man
Chandu on the Magic Island
Cat Man
The Return of Chandu
The Boss Rider of Gun Creek
Iron Eyes Cody
The Spirit of '76
John Tom
The Rainbow Trail
Indian (uncredited)
The Viking
Rodeo Indian (uncredited)
The Cowboy and the Lady
Acuna's Aide
Young Buffalo Bill
Mad Wolf
The Saga of Andy Burnett
Indian (uncredited)
Sand
Chief
Something for a Lonely Man
Temple Guard
Young Eagles
Brave
Across the Plains
Indian Joe - Harrington's Henchman
Crashing Thru
Indian (uncredited)
Ride 'Em Cowboy
Chief Brown Fox
Custer's Last Stand
Indian Farmer (uncredited)
The Cowboy and the Indians
Canook (uncredited)
Lost in Alaska
Indian Chief
Overland Mail
Crow Foot
The Oregon Trail
Little Deer
Treachery Rides the Range
Indian (uncredited)
Union Pacific
2nd Indian at Post
Fighting Mad
Henchman Cherokee
Night Raiders
Wild West Show Indian
The Kid From Texas
Cheyenne Indian (uncredited)
Ride Out for Revenge
Comanche War Party Leader (uncredited)
Ride, Ranger, Ride
Crazy Foot
The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County
Indian (uncredited)
Arizona
Indian (uncredited)
Green Hell
Indian (uncredited)
The Bold Caballero
Arab
Perils of Nyoka
Indian
Pony Post
Indian Henchman
Colorado
Big Bear
Young Bill Hickok
Indian
Kit Carson
Carlos
King of the Texas Rangers
Indian Copy Boy (uncredited)
Ace in the Hole
Chief Yellowstone
Massacre River
Crying Indian (archival footage)
The Hypocrite
Indian (uncredited)
Prairie Thunder
Indian
Too Many Girls
Chief
Gun for a Coward
Indian (uncredited)
Untamed
Crazy Horse
The Great Sioux Massacre
Indian (uncredited)
My Gal Sal
Indian at Sideshow (uncredited)
Murders in the Rue Morgue
Indian (uncredited)
Massacre
Indian
California Passage
Indian Warrior
The Gallant Legion
Longknife
Cherokee Uprising
Indian Joe
Bowery Buckaroos
Osage Brave - Blue Shirt
Fort Osage
Black Eagle
Saddlemates
Hostile Indian
This Woman Is Mine
Many Stars
Westward Ho, The Wagons!
Red Rock
The Wild Dakotas
Chief Brown Fox
Custer's Last Stand
Indian
Lawless Plainsmen
Wovoka
Indian Agent
Indian
In Old Cheyenne
Indian Who Drinks Chemical Solution
Western Union
Indian
Valley of the Sun
1st Friendly Indian
The Omaha Trail
Circus Indian
King of the Arena
Indian
Overland Mail
Indian
Dawn on the Great Divide
Comanche (uncredited)
Comanche Territory
Indian
Pierre of the Plains
Indian (uncredited)
Ten Gentlemen from West Point
Native Henchman at Mill [Ch. 5]
Don Winslow of the Navy
1st Indian Chief
Gun Fever
White Cloud (uncredited)
Springtime in the Rockies
Toma (uncredited)
Blood on the Moon
The Great Indian Wars 1840-1890
Indian
Scouts to the Rescue
King of the Stallions
Red Corn
Unconquered
2nd Indian on Train (uncredited)
Alias Jesse James
Ben Iron Mountain
Fast Company
Ute Indian
Red Mountain
War Eagle
Oklahoma Jim
Little Eagle
Texas Pioneers
Indian
The Farmer Takes a Wife
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
118
Gender
Male
Birthday
1907-04-03
Place of Birth
Gueydan, Louisiana, USA
Also Known As
Iron Eyes