Iron Eyes Cody
Born
April 3, 1907
Died
January 3, 1999 (91 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Gueydan, Louisiana, USA
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)
2024

The Great Indian Wars 1840-1890
1991

The Spirit of '76
Iron Eyes Cody
1990

Ernest Goes to Camp
Old Indian Chief
1987

The A-Team
Chief Watashi · (1 episode)
1983

Hollywood
Self · (13 episodes)
1980
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion
Self
1979

Grayeagle
Standing Bear
1977

The Quest
Old Indian
1976

The Immortal
(1 episode)
1970

El Condor
Santana
1970

A Man Called Horse
Medicine Man
1970

The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County
Crazy Foot
1970

Medical Center
Chanter · (1 episode)
1969

Then Came Bronson
(1 episode)
1969

Something for a Lonely Man
Chief
1968

Here's Lucy
Medicine Man · (1 episode)
1968

Hondo
(2 episodes)
1967

Nevada Smith
Taka-Ta (uncredited)
1966

The F.B.I.
Medicine Man · (1 episode)
1965

The Great Sioux Massacre
Crazy Horse
1965

Branded
(1 episode)
1965

The Virginian
Chief Black Feather · (1 episode)
1962

Black Gold
Charlie Two-Bits
1962

The Mike Douglas Show
Self · (1 episode)
1961

Mister Ed
Chief Thundercloud · (1 episode)
1961

Guestward, Ho!
(1 episode)
1960

Outlaws
(1 episode)
1960

The Tall Man
(1 episode)
1960

The Rebel
Sammy Hart · (1 episode)
1959

Alias Jesse James
2nd Indian on Train (uncredited)
1959

Rawhide
Medicine Man (uncredited) · (1 episode)
1959

Rawhide
John Redcloud · (1 episode)
1959

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
(1 episode)
1958

Lawman
(1 episode)
1958

The Light in the Forest
Cuyloga's Counsellor
1958

Gun Fever
1st Indian Chief
1958

The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour
Eskimo Pilot (uncredited) · (1 episode)
1957

Ride Out for Revenge
Cheyenne Indian (uncredited)
1957

The Saga of Andy Burnett
Mad Wolf
1957

Maverick
(1 episode)
1957

The Thin Man
(1 episode)
1957

Sugarfoot
Joe White Cloud · (1 episode)
1957

Gun for a Coward
Chief
1956

Westward Ho, The Wagons!
Many Stars
1956

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Nemanna · (1 episode)
1956
Johnny Moccasin
Mountain Cloud
1956

The Wild Dakotas
Red Rock
1956

Sergeant Preston of the Yukon
(2 episodes)
1955

Cheyenne
(1 episode)
1955

Gunsmoke
Indian · (1 episode)
1955

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
(1 episode)
1955

Apache Ambush
1955

Sitting Bull
Crazy Horse
1954

Arrow In The Dust
Chief Rasacura (uncredited)
1954

Fast Company
Ben Iron Mountain
1953

Apache War Smoke
Apache with Major Dekker's Hat
1952

Lost in Alaska
Canook (uncredited)
1952

Son of Paleface
Chief Yellow Cloud
1952

Ellis in Freedomland
Male Model
1952

Apache Country
Indian with Pat (uncredited)
1952

Fort Osage
Osage Brave - Blue Shirt
1952

Night Raiders
Henchman Cherokee
1952

Red Mountain
Ute Indian
1951

Fort Defiance
Brave Bear (as Iron Eyes)
1951

Ace in the Hole
Indian Copy Boy (uncredited)
1951

The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
(2 episodes)
1951

California Passage
Indian
1950

Cherokee Uprising
Longknife
1950

Broken Arrow
Teese (uncredited)
1950

The Iroquois Trail
1950

Comanche Territory
Comanche (uncredited)
1950

Cody of the Pony Express
Indian Who Slugs Cody (archive footage) (uncredited)
1950

Mrs. Mike
Chief Iron Eyes (uncredited)
1949

The Cowboy and the Indians
Indian Farmer (uncredited)
1949

Sand
Indian (uncredited)
1949

Massacre River
Chief Yellowstone
1949

The Paleface
Chief Iron Eyes
1948

Indian Agent
Wovoka
1948

Blood on the Moon
Toma (uncredited)
1948
Train to Alcatraz
Geronimo
1948

The Gallant Legion
Indian Warrior
1948

The Senator Was Indiscreet
Indian
1947

Bowery Buckaroos
Indian Joe
1947

Unconquered
Red Corn
1947

Can't Help Singing
Indian Scaring Caroline (uncredited)
1944

The Phantom
Native (uncredited)
1943

Dawn on the Great Divide
Indian
1942

Springtime in the Rockies
White Cloud (uncredited)
1942

Overland Mail
Indian
1942

King of the Stallions
1942

The Omaha Trail
1st Friendly Indian
1942

Pierre of the Plains
Indian (uncredited
1942

Pierre of the Plains
Indian
1942

Perils of Nyoka
Arab
1942

Ten Gentlemen from West Point
Indian (uncredited)
1942

My Gal Sal
Indian (uncredited)
1942

Lawless Plainsmen
Indian
1942

Ride 'Em Cowboy
Indian (uncredited)
1942

Valley of the Sun
Indian
1942

Don Winslow of the Navy
Native Henchman at Mill [Ch. 5]
1942

King of the Texas Rangers
Carlos
1941

This Woman Is Mine
Hostile Indian
1941

Saddlemates
Black Eagle
1941

In Old Cheyenne
Indian
1941

Western Union
Indian Who Drinks Chemical Solution
1941

Arizona
Indian (uncredited)
1940

Pony Post
Indian
1940

North West Mounted Police
Indian Brave (Uncredited)
1940

Young Bill Hickok
Big Bear
1940

Too Many Girls
Indian
1940

Colorado
Indian Henchman
1940

Kit Carson
Indian
1940

Untamed
Indian (uncredited)
1940

Winners of the West
indian
1940

Young Buffalo Bill
Acuna's Aide
1940

Green Hell
Indian (uncredited)
1940
Maintain the Right
Killer
1940

Crashing Thru
Indian Joe - Harrington's Henchman
1939

Overland Mail
Indian Chief
1939

Fighting Mad
2nd Indian at Post
1939

Overland with Kit Carson
Running Wolf
1939

The Oregon Trail
Crow Foot
1939

Across the Plains
Brave
1939

Union Pacific
Indian (uncredited)
1939

The Kid From Texas
Wild West Show Indian
1939

Scouts to the Rescue
Indian
1939

The Cowboy and the Lady
Rodeo Indian (uncredited)
1938

The Lone Ranger
Bullet-Bringer
1938

Prairie Thunder
Indian (uncredited)
1937

The Boss Rider of Gun Creek
1936

The Bold Caballero
Indian (uncredited)
1936

Ride, Ranger, Ride
Comanche War Party Leader (uncredited)
1936

Treachery Rides the Range
Little Deer
1936

Custer's Last Stand
Chief Brown Fox
1936

Rose Marie
Indian Dancer (uncredited)
1936

Custer's Last Stand
Chief Brown Fox
1936

The Farmer Takes a Wife
Indian
1935

Chandu on the Magic Island
Cat Man
1935

The Return of Chandu
Cat Man
1934

Young Eagles
Temple Guard
1934

Massacre
Indian (uncredited)
1934

Fighting With Kit Carson
Cheyenne Rider
1933

King of the Arena
Circus Indian
1933

Wild Girl
Indian (uncredited)
1932

Texas Pioneers
Little Eagle
1932

Murders in the Rue Morgue
Indian at Sideshow (uncredited)
1932

The Rainbow Trail
John Tom
1932

Oklahoma Jim
War Eagle
1931

The Viking
Indian (uncredited)
1928