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.
Fotos
Filme (123)
The Hypocrite
2024 · Crying Indian (archival footage)
Vaudeville
1997 · Self
The Great Indian Wars 1840-1890
1991
Spirit of '76
1990 · Iron Eyes Cody
Ernest Goes to Camp
1987 · Old Indian Chief
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion
1979 · Self
Grayeagle
1977 · Standing Bear
The Quest
1976 · Old Indian
El Condor
1970 · Santana
A Man Called Horse
1970 · Medicine Man
The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County
1970 · Crazy Foot
Something for a Lonely Man
1968 · Chief
Nevada Smith
1966 · Taka-Ta (uncredited)
The Great Sioux Massacre
1965 · Crazy Horse
Black Gold
1962 · Charlie Two-Bits
Alias Jesse James
1959 · 2nd Indian on Train (uncredited)
The Light in the Forest
1958 · Cuyloga's Counsellor
Gun Fever
1958 · 1st Indian Chief
Ride Out for Revenge
1957 · Cheyenne Indian (uncredited)
Gun for a Coward
1956 · Chief
Westward Ho, The Wagons!
1956 · Many Stars
Johnny Moccasin
1956 · Mountain Cloud
The Wild Dakotas
1956 · Red Rock
Apache Ambush
1955
Sitting Bull
1954 · Crazy Horse
Arrow In The Dust
1954 · Chief Rasacura (uncredited)
Fast Company
1953 · Ben Iron Mountain
Apache War Smoke
1952 · Apache with Major Dekker's Hat
Lost in Alaska
1952 · Canook (uncredited)
Son of Paleface
1952 · Chief Yellow Cloud
Ellis in Freedomland
1952 · Male Model
Apache Country
1952 · Indian with Pat (uncredited)
Fort Osage
1952 · Osage Brave - Blue Shirt
Night Raiders
1952 · Henchman Cherokee
Fort Defiance
1951 · Brave Bear (as Iron Eyes)
Red Mountain
1951 · Ute Indian
Ace in the Hole
1951 · Indian Copy Boy (uncredited)
California Passage
1950 · Indian
Cherokee Uprising
1950 · Longknife
Broken Arrow
1950 · Teese (uncredited)
The Iroquois Trail
1950 · Huron Indian (uncredited)
Cody of the Pony Express
1950 · Indian Who Slugs Cody (archive footage) (uncredited)
Mrs. Mike
1949 · Chief Iron Eyes (uncredited)
The Cowboy and the Indians
1949 · Indian Farmer (uncredited)
Sand
1949 · Indian (uncredited)
Massacre River
1949 · Chief Yellowstone
The Paleface
1948 · Chief Iron Eyes
Indian Agent
1948 · Wovoka
Blood on the Moon
1948 · Toma (uncredited)
Train to Alcatraz
1948 · Geronimo
The Gallant Legion
1948 · Indian Warrior
The Senator Was Indiscreet
1947 · Indian
Bowery Buckaroos
1947 · Indian Joe
The Last Round-up
1947
Unconquered
1947 · Red Corn
Can't Help Singing
1944 · Indian Scaring Caroline (uncredited)
The Phantom
1943 · Native (uncredited)
Dawn on the Great Divide
1942 · Indian
Springtime in the Rockies
1942 · White Cloud (uncredited)
Overland Mail
1942 · Indian
King of the Stallions
1942 · Indian in Horse-Pursuit Party (uncredited)
The Omaha Trail
1942 · 1st Friendly Indian
Pierre of the Plains
1942 · Indian (uncredited, Indian
Perils of Nyoka
1942 · Arab
Ten Gentlemen from West Point
1942 · Indian (uncredited)
My Gal Sal
1942 · Indian (uncredited)
Lawless Plainsmen
1942 · Indian
Ride 'Em Cowboy
1942 · Indian (uncredited)
Valley of the Sun
1942 · Indian (uncredited)
Don Winslow of the Navy
1942 · Native Henchman at Mill [Ch. 5]
King of the Texas Rangers
1941 · Carlos
This Woman Is Mine
1941 · Hostile Indian
Saddlemates
1941 · Black Eagle
In Old Cheyenne
1941 · Indian
Western Union
1941 · Indian Who Drinks Chemical Solution
Arizona
1940 · Indian (uncredited)
Hudson's Bay
1940 · Indian (uncredited)
Pony Post
1940 · Indian
North West Mounted Police
1940 · Indian Brave (Uncredited)
Young Bill Hickok
1940 · Big Bear
Too Many Girls
1940 · Indian (uncredited)
Colorado
1940 · Indian Henchman
Kit Carson
1940 · Indian
Untamed
1940 · Indian (uncredited)
Winners of the West
1940 · indian
Young Buffalo Bill
1940 · Acuna's Aide
Green Hell
1940 · Indian (uncredited), Stunts
Maintain the Right
1940 · Killer
Crashing Thru
1939 · Indian Joe - Harrington's Henchman
Overland Mail
1939 · Indian Chief
Fighting Mad
1939 · 2nd Indian at Post
Overland with Kit Carson
1939 · Running Wolf
The Oregon Trail
1939 · Crow Foot
Across the Plains
1939 · Brave
Union Pacific
1939 · Indian (uncredited)
The Kid From Texas
1939 · Wild West Show Indian
Stagecoach
1939 · Stunts
Scouts to the Rescue
1939 · Indian
The Cowboy and the Lady
1938 · Rodeo Indian (uncredited)
The Lone Ranger
1938 · Bullet-Bringer
Prairie Thunder
1937 · Indian (uncredited)
The Boss Rider of Gun Creek
1936
The Bold Caballero
1936 · Indian (uncredited)
Ride, Ranger, Ride
1936 · Comanche War Party Leader (uncredited)
Treachery Rides the Range
1936 · Little Deer
Custer's Last Stand
1936 · Chief Brown Fox
Rose Marie
1936 · Indian Dancer (uncredited)
Custer's Last Stand
1936 · Chief Brown Fox
The Farmer Takes a Wife
1935 · Indian
Chandu on the Magic Island
1935 · Cat Man
The Return of Chandu
1934 · Cat Man
Young Eagles
1934 · Temple Guard
Massacre
1934 · Indian (uncredited)
Fighting With Kit Carson
1933 · Cheyenne Rider
King of the Arena
1933 · Circus Indian
Wild Girl
1932 · Indian (uncredited)
The Golden West
1932 · Indian Dancer
Texas Pioneers
1932 · Little Eagle
Murders in the Rue Morgue
1932 · Indian at Sideshow (uncredited)
The Rainbow Trail
1932 · John Tom
Oklahoma Jim
1931 · War Eagle
Fighting Caravans
1931 · Indian After Firewater (uncredited)
The Viking
1928 · Indian (uncredited)
Serien (32)
The A-Team
1983 · Chief Watashi
Newhart
1982 · American Indian
Hollywood
1980 · Self
The Immortal
1970
Medical Center
1969 · Chanter
Then Came Bronson
1969 · Chief John Carbona
Here's Lucy
1968 · Medicine Man
Hondo
1967
The F.B.I.
1965 · Medicine Man
Branded
1965
The Virginian
1962 · Chief Black Feather
The Mike Douglas Show
1961 · Self
Mister Ed
1961 · Chief Thundercloud
Guestward, Ho!
1960
Outlaws
1960
The Tall Man
1960
The Rebel
1959 · Sammy Hart
Bonanza
1959 · Long Bear
Rawhide
1959 · Medicine Man (uncredited), John Redcloud
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958
Lawman
1958
The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour
1957 · Eskimo Pilot (uncredited)
Maverick
1957 · Indian (uncredited)
The Thin Man
1957
Sugarfoot
1957 · Joe White Cloud
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956 · Nemanna
Sergeant Preston of the Yukon
1955
Cheyenne
1955
Gunsmoke
1955 · Indian
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
1955
The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
1951
The Cisco Kid
1950 · Chief Big Cloud