1907-04-03 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.
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The Hypocrite | Crying Indian (archival footage) | 2024-02-21 |
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The Great Indian Wars 1840-1890 | 1991-03-19 | |
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The Spirit of '76 | Iron Eyes Cody | 1990-10-12 |
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Ernest Goes to Camp | Old Indian Chief | 1987-05-22 |
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When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion | Self | 1979-06-05 |
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Grayeagle | Standing Bear | 1977-12-28 |
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The Quest | Old Indian | 1976-05-13 |
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El Condor | Santana | 1970-06-19 |
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The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County | Crazy Foot | 1970-04-01 |
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A Man Called Horse | Medicine Man | 1970-05-01 |
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Something for a Lonely Man | Chief | 1968-11-26 |
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Nevada Smith | Taka-Ta (uncredited) | 1966-06-10 |
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The Great Sioux Massacre | Crazy Horse | 1965-04-25 |
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Black Gold | Charlie Two-Bits | 1962-07-21 |
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Alias Jesse James | 2nd Indian on Train (uncredited) | 1959-03-20 |
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Gun Fever | 1st Indian Chief | 1958-01-01 |
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The Light in the Forest | Cuyloga's Counsellor | 1958-07-08 |
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Ride Out for Revenge | Cheyenne Indian (uncredited) | 1957-10-31 |
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Westward Ho, The Wagons! | Many Stars | 1956-12-20 |
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The Wild Dakotas | Red Rock | 1956-02-28 |
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Johnny Moccasin | Mountain Cloud | 1956-06-06 |
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Gun for a Coward | Chief | 1956-12-30 |
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Apache Ambush | 1955-08-24 | |
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Sitting Bull | Crazy Horse | 1954-10-06 |
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Arrow In The Dust | Chief Rasacura (uncredited) | 1954-04-25 |
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Fast Company | Ben Iron Mountain | 1953-05-21 |
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Fort Osage | Osage Brave - Blue Shirt | 1952-02-10 |
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Ellis in Freedomland | Male Model | 1952-06-15 |
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Son of Paleface | Chief Yellow Cloud | 1952-07-14 |
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Apache Country | Indian with Pat (uncredited) | 1952-05-30 |
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Apache War Smoke | Apache with Major Dekker's Hat | 1952-09-25 |
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Lost in Alaska | Canook (uncredited) | 1952-08-13 |
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Night Raiders | Henchman Cherokee | 1952-02-03 |
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Ace in the Hole | Indian Copy Boy (uncredited) | 1951-06-29 |
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Red Mountain | Ute Indian | 1951-11-01 |
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Fort Defiance | Brave Bear (as Iron Eyes) | 1951-10-09 |
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California Passage | Indian | 1950-12-15 |
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The Iroquois Trail | 1950-06-15 | |
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Broken Arrow | Teese (uncredited) | 1950-07-21 |
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Cody of the Pony Express | Indian Who Slugs Cody (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1950-04-06 |
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Cherokee Uprising | Longknife | 1950-10-07 |
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The Cowboy and the Indians | Indian Farmer (uncredited) | 1949-09-15 |
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Massacre River | Chief Yellowstone | 1949-06-26 |
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Mrs. Mike | Chief Iron Eyes (uncredited) | 1949-12-23 |
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Sand | Indian (uncredited) | 1949-08-03 |
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Blood on the Moon | Toma (uncredited) | 1948-11-11 |
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Train to Alcatraz | Geronimo | 1948-06-28 |
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Indian Agent | Wovoka | 1948-12-11 |
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The Gallant Legion | Indian Warrior | 1948-05-24 |
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The Paleface | Chief Iron Eyes | 1948-12-17 |
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Bowery Buckaroos | Indian Joe | 1947-11-22 |
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Unconquered | Red Corn | 1947-10-10 |
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The Last Round-up | 1947-11-05 | |
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The Senator Was Indiscreet | Indian | 1947-12-31 |
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Can't Help Singing | Indian Scaring Caroline (uncredited) | 1944-12-25 |
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The Phantom | Native (uncredited) | 1943-12-24 |
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King of the Stallions | 1942-09-18 | |
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My Gal Sal | Indian (uncredited) | 1942-04-30 |
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Springtime in the Rockies | White Cloud (uncredited) | 1942-11-06 |
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Lawless Plainsmen | Indian | 1942-03-17 |
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Valley of the Sun | Indian (uncredited) | 1942-02-06 |
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The Omaha Trail | 1st Friendly Indian | 1942-09-01 |
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Dawn on the Great Divide | Indian | 1942-12-18 |
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Pierre of the Plains | Indian | 1942-07-29 |
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Don Winslow of the Navy | Native Henchman at Mill [Ch. 5] | 1942-01-06 |
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Ten Gentlemen from West Point | Indian (uncredited) | 1942-06-26 |
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Overland Mail | Indian | 1942-09-22 |
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Perils of Nyoka | Arab | 1942-06-27 |
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Pierre of the Plains | Indian (uncredited | 1942-07-29 |
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This Woman Is Mine | Hostile Indian | 1941-08-22 |
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Ride 'Em Cowboy | Indian (uncredited) | 1941-11-17 |
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In Old Cheyenne | Indian | 1941-04-04 |
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Saddlemates | Black Eagle | 1941-05-15 |
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Western Union | Indian Who Drinks Chemical Solution | 1941-02-21 |
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King of the Texas Rangers | Carlos | 1941-10-03 |
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Too Many Girls | Indian | 1940-10-08 |
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Kit Carson | Indian | 1940-08-30 |
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Colorado | Indian Henchman | 1940-09-15 |
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Young Buffalo Bill | Acuna's Aide | 1940-04-11 |
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Maintain the Right | Killer | 1940-01-13 |
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North West Mounted Police | Indian Brave (Uncredited) | 1940-10-22 |
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Winners of the West | indian | 1940-07-02 |
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Pony Post | Indian | 1940-12-01 |
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Hudson's Bay | Indian (uncredited) | 1940-12-24 |
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Young Bill Hickok | Big Bear | 1940-10-21 |
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Untamed | Indian (uncredited) | 1940-07-24 |
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Arizona | Indian (uncredited) | 1940-12-25 |
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Green Hell | Indian (uncredited) | 1940-01-26 |
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Crashing Thru | Indian Joe - Harrington's Henchman | 1939-12-11 |
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Overland with Kit Carson | Running Wolf | 1939-07-21 |
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The Kid From Texas | Wild West Show Indian | 1939-04-14 |
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Scouts to the Rescue | Indian | 1939-01-17 |
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Across the Plains | Brave | 1939-06-01 |
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The Oregon Trail | Crow Foot | 1939-07-04 |
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Overland Mail | Indian Chief | 1939-11-16 |
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Union Pacific | Indian (uncredited) | 1939-05-05 |
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Fighting Mad | 2nd Indian at Post | 1939-11-05 |
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The Lone Ranger | Bullet-Bringer | 1938-02-13 |
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The Cowboy and the Lady | Rodeo Indian (uncredited) | 1938-11-17 |
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Prairie Thunder | Indian (uncredited) | 1937-09-10 |
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Rose Marie | Indian Dancer (uncredited) | 1936-01-31 |
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Custer's Last Stand | Chief Brown Fox | 1936-01-02 |
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The Bold Caballero | Indian (uncredited) | 1936-12-01 |
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The Boss Rider of Gun Creek | 1936-12-01 | |
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Ride, Ranger, Ride | Comanche War Party Leader (uncredited) | 1936-11-30 |
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Treachery Rides the Range | Little Deer | 1936-05-02 |
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Custer's Last Stand | Chief Brown Fox | 1936-04-02 |
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The Farmer Takes a Wife | Indian | 1935-07-05 |
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Chandu on the Magic Island | Cat Man | 1935-01-01 |
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Young Eagles | Temple Guard | 1934-06-30 |
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The Return of Chandu | Cat Man | 1934-10-01 |
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Massacre | Indian (uncredited) | 1934-01-20 |
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Fighting With Kit Carson | Cheyenne Rider | 1933-07-01 |
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King of the Arena | Circus Indian | 1933-06-01 |
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Murders in the Rue Morgue | Indian at Sideshow (uncredited) | 1932-01-27 |
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Texas Pioneers | Little Eagle | 1932-05-18 |
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The Rainbow Trail | John Tom | 1932-01-03 |
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Wild Girl | Indian (uncredited) | 1932-11-09 |
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Fighting Caravans | Indian After Firewater (uncredited) | 1931-02-01 |
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Oklahoma Jim | War Eagle | 1931-10-10 |
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The Viking | Indian (uncredited) | 1928-11-02 |
