IC
Iron Eyes Cody
Actor
Died January 3, 1999 (91 years)
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.
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.
Movies & Shows on Plex
Filmography
| 2004 | Hit Celebrity TV Commercials · as Native American - For Psa For 'keep America Beautiful' Campaign |
| 1991 | |
| 1987 | Ernest Goes to Camp · as Old Indian Chief |
| 1983 | The A-Team (TV Series) · as Chief Watashi |
| 1982 | Newhart (TV Series) · as American Indian |
| 1979 | Matt and Jenny (TV Series) · as Shaman |
| 1977 | Grayeagle · as Standing Bear |
| 1977 | Fantasy Island (TV Series) · as Chief Daniel Tenquot |
| 1976 | The Quest · as Old Indian |
| 1976 | Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch · as Indian Henchman |
| 1976 | How the West Was Won (TV Series) · as Medicine Man |
| 1973 | Dusty's Trail (TV Series) · as Full Moon |
| 1970 | El Condor · as Santana |
| 1970 | The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County · as Crazy Foot |
| 1970 | A Man Called Horse · as Medicine Man |
| 1969 | The Immortal (TV Series) |
| 1969 | The Governor & J.J. (TV Series) · as Chief Running Bear |
| 1969 | Medical Center (TV Series) · as Chanter |
| 1969 | Then Came Bronson (TV Series) |
| 1968 | Something for a Lonely Man · as Chief |
| 1968 | Here's Lucy (TV Series) · as Medicine Man |
| 1967 | Hondo (TV Series) |
| 1967 | The Fastest Guitar Alive · as 1st Indian |
| 1966 | Nevada Smith · as Taka-Ta (uncredited) |
| 1965 | The F.B.I. (TV Series) · as Medicine Man |
| 1965 | The Great Sioux Massacre · as Crazy Horse |
| 1965 | Branded (TV Series) |
| 1964 | Daniel Boone (TV Series) · as Medicine Man |
| 1964 | Destry (TV Series) · as Iron Eyes |
| 1963 | The Great Adventure (TV Series) · as Iron Eyes |
| 1962 | The Virginian (TV Series) · as Chief Black Feather |
| 1962 | Black Gold · as Charlie Two-Bits |
| 1961 | Frontier Circus (TV Series) · as The Indian |
| 1961 | Mister Ed (TV Series) · as Chief Thundercloud |
| 1960 | Outlaws (TV Series) |
| 1960 | Guestward Ho! (TV Series) |
| 1960 | The Tall Man (TV Series) |
| 1960 | Heller in Pink Tights · as Indian |
| 1959 | |
| 1959 | |
| 1959 | Alias Jesse James · as 2nd Indian On Train (uncredited) |
| 1959 | Rawhide (TV Series) · as Medicine Man (uncredited) |
| 1958 | U.S. Marshal (TV Series) · as Ken Maple |
| 1958 | Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (TV Series) |
| 1958 | Lawman (TV Series) |
| 1958 | Mackenzie's Raiders (TV Series) · as Old Indian |
| 1958 | The Light in the Forest · as Cuyloga's Counsellor |
| 1958 | Gun Fever · as 1st Indian Chief |
| 1957 | The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (TV Series) · as Eskimo Pilot (uncredited) |
| 1957 | Ride Out for Revenge · as Cheyenne Indian (uncredited) |
| 1957 | The Restless Gun (TV Series) · as George Washington Smith |
| 1957 | Maverick (TV Series) |
| 1957 | The Thin Man (TV Series) |
| 1957 | Wagon Train (TV Series) · as Seeba |
| 1957 | Sugarfoot (TV Series) · as Joe White Cloud |
| 1957 | Tales of Wells Fargo (TV Series) · as The Medicine Man |
| 1956 | Gun for a Coward · as Chief |
| 1956 | Westward Ho, the Wagons! · as Many Stars |
| 1956 | Zane Grey Theater (TV Series) · as Nemanna |
| 1956 | Comanche · as Medicine Arrow - The Medicine Man |
| 1956 | The Wild Dakotas · as Red Rock |
| 1955 | Sergeant Preston of the Yukon (TV Series) |
| 1955 | Cheyenne (TV Series) |
| 1955 | Gunsmoke (TV Series) · as Indian |
| 1955 | The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (TV Series) |
| 1955 | |
| 1955 | White Feather · as Indian Chief |
| 1954 | Disneyland (TV Series) · as Mad Wolf |
| 1954 | The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin (TV Series) · as Long Buffalo |
| 1954 | Sitting Bull · as Crazy Horse |
| 1954 | Arrow in the Dust · as Chief Rasacura (uncredited) |
| 1953 | Fast Company · as Ben Iron Mountain |
| 1953 | Meet Me at the Fair · as Chief Rain-In-The-Face |
| 1952 | Montana Belle · as Cherokee |
| 1952 | The Big Sky · as Blackfoot Subchief |
| 1952 | Cavalcade of America (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1952 | Apache War Smoke · as Apache With Major Dekker's Hat |
| 1952 | The Savage · as Warrior |
| 1952 | Lost in Alaska · as Canook (uncredited) |
| 1952 | Son of Paleface · as Chief Yellow Cloud |
| 1952 | Apache Country · as Indian With Pat (uncredited) |
| 1952 | Death Valley Days (TV Series) · as Chief |
| 1952 | Fort Osage · as Osage Brave - Blue Shirt |
| 1952 | Night Raiders · as Henchman Cherokee |
| 1951 | Red Mountain · as Ute Indian |
| 1951 | Fort Defiance · as Brave Bear (as Iron Eyes) |
| 1951 | The Redhead and the Cowboy · as Loukai - Lamartine's Indian Scout |
| 1951 | Ace in the Hole · as Indian Copy Boy (uncredited) |
| 1951 | Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (TV Series) |
| 1951 | The Last Outpost · as Mangas Coloradas |
| 1950 | California Passage · as Indian |
| 1950 | North of the Great Divide · as Headdress Presenter |
| 1950 | Broken Arrow · as Teese, Court Jester |
| 1950 | |
| 1950 | Comanche Territory · as Comanche (uncredited) |
| 1950 | The Cisco Kid (TV Series) · as Chief Big Cloud |
| 1950 | Davy Crockett, Indian Scout · as Lone Eagle's Brave |
| 1949 | Mrs. Mike · as Chief Iron Eyes (uncredited) |
| 1949 | The Cowboy and the Indians · as Indian Farmer (uncredited) |
| 1949 | Sand · as Indian (uncredited) |
| 1949 | Massacre River · as Chief Yellowstone |
| 1949 | |
| 1948 | The Paleface · as Chief Iron Eyes |
| 1948 | Indian Agent · as Wovoka |
| 1948 | Blood on the Moon · as Toma (uncredited) |
| 1948 | Train to Alcatraz · as Geronimo |
| 1948 | The Dude Goes West · as Pipe-Smoking Indian |
| 1948 | The Gallant Legion · as Indian Warrior |
| 1947 | The Senator Was Indiscreet · as Indian |
| 1947 | Bowery Buckaroos · as Indian Joe |
| 1947 | The Last Round-up · as Indian |
| 1947 | Unconquered · as Red Corn |
| 1946 | Plainsman and the Lady · as Indian |
| 1946 | Under Nevada Skies · as Indian |
| 1944 | Can't Help Singing · as Indian Scaring Caroline (uncredited) |
| 1944 | Raiders of Ghost City · as Indian |
| 1943 | The Phantom · as Native (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Dawn on the Great Divide · as Indian |
| 1942 | The Valley of Vanishing Men · as Many Eyes |
| 1942 | Springtime in the Rockies · as White Cloud (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Here We Go Again · as Indian |
| 1942 | My Gal Sal · as Indian (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Overland Mail · as Indian |
| 1942 | |
| 1942 | The Omaha Trail · as 1st Friendly Indian |
| 1942 | Pierre of the Plains · as Indian |
| 1942 | Perils of Nyoka · as Arab |
| 1942 | Ten Gentlemen from West Point · as Indian (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Klondike Fury · as Trading Post Indian |
| 1942 | Shut My Big Mouth · as Indian |
| 1942 | Ride 'Em Cowboy · as Indian (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Valley of the Sun · as Indian |
| 1942 | Don Winslow of the Navy · as Native Henchman At Mill [ch. 5] |
| 1941 | King of the Texas Rangers · as Carlos |
| 1941 | This Woman Is Mine · as Hostile Indian |
| 1941 | Jungle Girl · as Native |
| 1941 | Saddlemates · as Black Eagle |
| 1941 | In Old Cheyenne · as Indian |
| 1941 | The Round Up · as Indian |
| 1941 | Western Union · as Indian Who Drinks Chemical Solution |
| 1940 | Arizona · as Indian (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Pony Post · as Indian |
| 1940 | North West Mounted Police · as Indian |
| 1940 | Young Bill Hickok · as Big Bear |
| 1940 | Too Many Girls · as Indian |
| 1940 | |
| 1940 | Kit Carson · as Indian |
| 1940 | Untamed · as Indian (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Winners of the West · as Indian |
| 1940 | Young Buffalo Bill · as Acuna's Aide |
| 1940 | Hi-Yo Silver · as White Feather |
| 1940 | Northwest Passage · as Scout |
| 1940 | Green Hell · as Indian (uncredited) |
| 1939 | Crashing Thru · as Indian Joe - Harrington's Henchman |
| 1939 | Geronimo · as Indian |
| 1939 | Overland Mail · as Indian Chief |
| 1939 | Fighting Mad · as 2nd Indian At Post |
| 1939 | The Oregon Trail · as Crow Foot |
| 1939 | Across the Plains · as Brave |
| 1939 | Man of Conquest · as Indian |
| 1939 | Union Pacific · as Indian (uncredited) |
| 1939 | The Kid from Texas · as Wild West Show Indian |
| 1939 | Scouts to the Rescue · as Indian |
| 1938 | Hawk of the Wilderness · as Storm Cloud |
| 1938 | The Cowboy and the Lady · as Rodeo Indian (uncredited) |
| 1938 | Flaming Frontiers · as Indian Raider |
| 1938 | The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok · as Indian Warrior |
| 1938 | The Lone Ranger · as Bullet-Bringer |
| 1937 | Prairie Thunder · as Indian (uncredited) |
| 1937 | Wild West Days · as Indian [chs. 5-7, 9-13] |
| 1937 | Old Louisiana · as Indian Driving Coach |
| 1937 | Join the Marines · as Native |
| 1937 | Riders of the Whistling Skull · as Indian |
| 1936 | The Bold Caballero · as Indian (uncredited) |
| 1936 | Ride, Ranger, Ride · as Comanche War Party Leader (uncredited) |
| 1936 | The Phantom Rider · as Indian (ch. 9-11) |
| 1936 | Treachery Rides the Range · as Little Deer |
| 1936 | Custer's Last Stand · as Chief Brown Fox |
| 1936 | Rose-Marie · as Indian Dancer (uncredited) |
| 1936 | Custer's Last Stand · as Chief Brown Fox |
| 1935 | Annie Oakley · as Indian In Show |
| 1935 | The Farmer Takes a Wife · as Indian |
| 1935 | The Miracle Rider · as Indian |
| 1935 | Rustlers of Red Dog · as Indian |
| 1935 | Chandu on the Magic Island · as Cat Man |
| 1934 | The Return of Chandu · as Cat Man |
| 1934 | The Scarlet Letter · as Indian |
| 1934 | Young Eagles · as Temple Guard |
| 1934 | Massacre · as Indian (uncredited) |
| 1933 | Fighting with Kit Carson · as Cheyenne Rider |
| 1932 | Wild Girl · as Indian (uncredited) |
| 1932 | The Big Stampede · as Crew's Indian Servant |
| 1932 | Texas Pioneers · as Little Eagle |
| 1932 | The Rider of Death Valley · as Indian |
| 1932 | Murders in the Rue Morgue · as Indian At Sideshow (uncredited) |
| 1931 | Fighting Caravans · as Indian After Firewater |
| 1928 | The Viking · as Indian (uncredited) |
| 1926 | The Scarlet Letter · as Young Indian At Dunking |
| 1925 | The Road to Yesterday · as Indian |