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.
Acted in
The Hypocrite
2024
as Crying Indian (archival footage)
The Great Indian Wars 1840-1890
1991
The Spirit of '76
1990
as Iron Eyes Cody
Ernest Goes to Camp
1987
as Old Indian Chief
The A-Team
1983
as Chief Watashi
Hollywood
1980
as Self
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion
1979
as Self
Grayeagle
1977
as Standing Bear
The Quest
1976
as Old Indian
The Immortal
1970
El Condor
1970
as Santana
A Man Called Horse
1970
as Medicine Man
The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County
1970
as Crazy Foot
Then Came Bronson
1969
Something for a Lonely Man
1968
as Chief
Here's Lucy
1968
as Medicine Man
Hondo
1967
Nevada Smith
1966
as Taka-Ta (uncredited)
The F.B.I.
1965
as Medicine Man
The Great Sioux Massacre
1965
as Crazy Horse
Branded
1965
The Virginian
1962
as Chief Black Feather
Black Gold
1962
as Charlie Two-Bits
Guestward, Ho!
1960
Outlaws
1960
The Tall Man
1960
The Rebel
1959
as Sammy Hart
Alias Jesse James
1959
as 2nd Indian on Train (uncredited)
Rawhide
1959
as Medicine Man (uncredited)
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958
Lawman
1958
The Light in the Forest
1958
as Cuyloga's Counsellor
Gun Fever
1958
as 1st Indian Chief
The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour
1957
as Eskimo Pilot (uncredited)
Ride Out for Revenge
1957
as Cheyenne Indian (uncredited)
The Saga of Andy Burnett
1957
as Mad Wolf
Maverick
1957
The Thin Man
1957
Sugarfoot
1957
as Joe White Cloud
Gun for a Coward
1956
as Chief
Westward Ho, The Wagons!
1956
as Many Stars
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956
as Nemanna
Johnny Moccasin
1956
as Mountain Cloud
The Wild Dakotas
1956
as Red Rock
Sergeant Preston of the Yukon
1955
Cheyenne
1955
Gunsmoke
1955
as Indian
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
1955
Apache Ambush
1955
Sitting Bull
1954
as Crazy Horse
Arrow In The Dust
1954
as Chief Rasacura (uncredited)
Fast Company
1953
as Ben Iron Mountain
Apache War Smoke
1952
as Apache with Major Dekker's Hat
Lost in Alaska
1952
as Canook (uncredited)
Son of Paleface
1952
as Chief Yellow Cloud
Ellis in Freedomland
1952
as Male Model
Apache Country
1952
as Indian with Pat (uncredited)
Fort Osage
1952
as Osage Brave - Blue Shirt
Night Raiders
1952
as Henchman Cherokee
Red Mountain
1951
as Ute Indian
Fort Defiance
1951
as Brave Bear (as Iron Eyes)
Ace in the Hole
1951
as Indian Copy Boy (uncredited)
The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
1951
California Passage
1950
as Indian
Cherokee Uprising
1950
as Longknife
Broken Arrow
1950
as Teese, Court Jester
The Iroquois Trail
1950
Comanche Territory
1950
as Comanche (uncredited)
Cody of the Pony Express
1950
as Indian Who Slugs Cody (archive footage) (uncredited)
Mrs. Mike
1949
as Chief Iron Eyes (uncredited)
The Cowboy and the Indians
1949
as Indian Farmer (uncredited)
Sand
1949
as Indian (uncredited)
Massacre River
1949
as Chief Yellowstone
The Paleface
1948
as Chief Iron Eyes
Indian Agent
1948
as Wovoka
Blood on the Moon
1948
as Toma (uncredited)
Train to Alcatraz
1948
as Geronimo
The Gallant Legion
1948
as Indian Warrior
The Senator Was Indiscreet
1947
as Indian
Bowery Buckaroos
1947
as Indian Joe
Unconquered
1947
as Red Corn
Can't Help Singing
1944
as Indian Scaring Caroline (uncredited)
The Phantom
1943
as Native (uncredited)
Dawn on the Great Divide
1942
as Indian
Springtime in the Rockies
1942
as White Cloud (uncredited)
Overland Mail
1942
as Indian
King of the Stallions
1942
The Omaha Trail
1942
as 1st Friendly Indian
Pierre of the Plains
1942
as Indian (uncredited
Pierre of the Plains
1942
as Indian
Perils of Nyoka
1942
as Arab
Ten Gentlemen from West Point
1942
as Indian (uncredited)
My Gal Sal
1942
as Indian (uncredited)
Lawless Plainsmen
1942
as Indian
Ride 'Em Cowboy
1942
as Indian (uncredited)
Valley of the Sun
1942
as Indian
Don Winslow of the Navy
1942
as Native Henchman at Mill [Ch. 5]
King of the Texas Rangers
1941
as Carlos
This Woman Is Mine
1941
as Hostile Indian
Saddlemates
1941
as Black Eagle
In Old Cheyenne
1941
as Indian
Western Union
1941
as Indian Who Drinks Chemical Solution
Arizona
1940
as Indian (uncredited)
Pony Post
1940
as Indian
Young Bill Hickok
1940
as Big Bear
Too Many Girls
1940
as Indian
Colorado
1940
as Indian Henchman
Kit Carson
1940
as Indian
Untamed
1940
as Indian (uncredited)
Winners of the West
1940
as indian
Young Buffalo Bill
1940
as Acuna's Aide
Green Hell
1940
as Indian (uncredited)
Crashing Thru
1939
as Indian Joe - Harrington's Henchman
Overland Mail
1939
as Indian Chief
Fighting Mad
1939
as 2nd Indian at Post
Overland with Kit Carson
1939
as Running Wolf
The Oregon Trail
1939
as Crow Foot
Across the Plains
1939
as Brave
Union Pacific
1939
as Indian (uncredited)
The Kid From Texas
1939
as Wild West Show Indian
Scouts to the Rescue
1939
as Indian
The Cowboy and the Lady
1938
as Rodeo Indian (uncredited)
The Lone Ranger
1938
as Bullet-Bringer
Prairie Thunder
1937
as Indian (uncredited)
The Boss Rider of Gun Creek
1936
The Bold Caballero
1936
as Indian (uncredited)
Ride, Ranger, Ride
1936
as Comanche War Party Leader (uncredited)
Treachery Rides the Range
1936
as Little Deer
Custer's Last Stand
1936
as Chief Brown Fox
Rose Marie
1936
as Indian Dancer (uncredited)
Custer's Last Stand
1936
as Chief Brown Fox
The Farmer Takes a Wife
1935
as Indian
Chandu on the Magic Island
1935
as Cat Man
The Return of Chandu
1934
as Cat Man
Young Eagles
1934
as Temple Guard
Massacre
1934
as Indian (uncredited)
Fighting With Kit Carson
1933
as Cheyenne Rider
King of the Arena
1933
as Circus Indian
Wild Girl
1932
as Indian (uncredited)
Texas Pioneers
1932
as Little Eagle
Murders in the Rue Morgue
1932
as Indian at Sideshow (uncredited)
The Rainbow Trail
1932
as John Tom
Oklahoma Jim
1931
as War Eagle
The Viking
1928
as Indian (uncredited)