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Iron Eyes Cody

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.

Personal information

Birthday

1907-04-03

Birth Place

Gueydan, Louisiana, USA

Movies and TV shows :

A Man Called Horse

A Man Called Horse

1970

6.4

Movie
Ace in the Hole

Ace in the Hole

1951

7.8

Movie
Across the Plains

Across the Plains

1939

3.3

Movie
Alias Jesse James

Alias Jesse James

1959

5.9

Movie
Apache Ambush

Apache Ambush

1955

5.6

Movie
Apache Country

Apache Country

1952

0.0

Movie
Apache War Smoke

Apache War Smoke

1952

3.0

Movie
Arizona

Arizona

1940

6.1

Movie
Arrow In The Dust

Arrow In The Dust

1954

5.9

Movie
Black Gold

Black Gold

1962

1.0

Movie
Blood on the Moon

Blood on the Moon

1948

6.1

Movie
Bowery Buckaroos

Bowery Buckaroos

1947

6.5

Movie
poster

Branded

1965

6.4

TV
Broken Arrow

Broken Arrow

1950

6.7

Movie
California Passage

California Passage

1950

4.0

Movie
Can't Help Singing

Can't Help Singing

1944

5.1

Movie
Chandu on the Magic Island

Chandu on the Magic Island

1935

4.8

Movie
Cherokee Uprising

Cherokee Uprising

1950

0.0

Movie
poster

Cheyenne

1955

5.8

TV
Cody of the Pony Express

Cody of the Pony Express

1950

6.0

Movie
Colorado

Colorado

1940

5.7

Movie
Comanche Territory

Comanche Territory

1950

4.8

Movie
Crashing Thru

Crashing Thru

1939

6.0

Movie
Custer's Last Stand

Custer's Last Stand

1936

4.5

Movie
Custer's Last Stand

Custer's Last Stand

1936

0.0

Movie
Dawn on the Great Divide

Dawn on the Great Divide

1942

5.0

Movie
poster

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre

1956

5.5

TV
Don Winslow of the Navy

Don Winslow of the Navy

1942

0.0

Movie
El Condor

El Condor

1970

5.6

Movie
Ellis in Freedomland

Ellis in Freedomland

1952

0.0

Movie
Ernest Goes to Camp

Ernest Goes to Camp

1987

5.2

Movie
Fast Company

Fast Company

1953

7.0

Movie
Fighting Mad

Fighting Mad

1939

4.0

Movie
Fighting With Kit Carson

Fighting With Kit Carson

1933

6.0

Movie
Fort Defiance

Fort Defiance

1951

6.3

Movie
Fort Osage

Fort Osage

1952

6.0

Movie
Grayeagle

Grayeagle

1977

5.6

Movie
Green Hell

Green Hell

1940

4.0

Movie
poster

Guestward, Ho!

1960

4.0

TV
Gun Fever

Gun Fever

1958

4.6

Movie
Gun for a Coward

Gun for a Coward

1956

5.6

Movie
poster

Gunsmoke

1955

6.5

TV
poster

Here's Lucy

1968

6.9

TV
poster

Hollywood

1980

8.3

TV
poster

Hondo

1967

6.2

TV
In Old Cheyenne

In Old Cheyenne

1941

4.1

Movie
Indian Agent

Indian Agent

1948

5.2

Movie
Johnny Moccasin

Johnny Moccasin

1956

0.0

Movie
King of the Arena

King of the Arena

1933

0.0

Movie
King of the Stallions

King of the Stallions

1942

6.0

Movie
King of the Texas Rangers

King of the Texas Rangers

1941

6.0

Movie
Kit Carson

Kit Carson

1940

5.9

Movie
Lawless Plainsmen

Lawless Plainsmen

1942

0.0

Movie
poster

Lawman

1958

5.4

TV
Lost in Alaska

Lost in Alaska

1952

6.0

Movie
Massacre

Massacre

1934

5.8

Movie
Massacre River

Massacre River

1949

6.2

Movie
poster

Maverick

1957

6.8

TV
Mrs. Mike

Mrs. Mike

1949

2.0

Movie
Murders in the Rue Morgue

Murders in the Rue Morgue

1932

6.1

Movie
My Gal Sal

My Gal Sal

1942

5.8

Movie
Nevada Smith

Nevada Smith

1966

6.8

Movie
Night Raiders

Night Raiders

1952

3.0

Movie
Oklahoma Jim

Oklahoma Jim

1931

0.0

Movie
poster

Outlaws

1960

6.2

TV
Overland Mail

Overland Mail

1939

2.0

Movie
Overland Mail

Overland Mail

1942

0.0

Movie
Overland with Kit Carson

Overland with Kit Carson

1939

0.5

Movie
Perils of Nyoka

Perils of Nyoka

1942

0.0

Movie
Pierre of the Plains

Pierre of the Plains

1942

4.2

Movie
Pony Post

Pony Post

1940

0.0

Movie
Prairie Thunder

Prairie Thunder

1937

3.5

Movie
poster

Rawhide

1959

7.1

TV
Red Mountain

Red Mountain

1951

6.2

Movie
Ride 'Em Cowboy

Ride 'Em Cowboy

1942

5.8

Movie
Ride Out for Revenge

Ride Out for Revenge

1957

5.5

Movie
Ride, Ranger, Ride

Ride, Ranger, Ride

1936

4.7

Movie
Rose Marie

Rose Marie

1936

6.2

Movie
Saddlemates

Saddlemates

1941

0.0

Movie
Sand

Sand

1949

4.5

Movie
Scouts to the Rescue

Scouts to the Rescue

1939

0.0

Movie
poster

Sergeant Preston of the Yukon

1955

6.0

TV
Sitting Bull

Sitting Bull

1954

4.9

Movie
Something for a Lonely Man

Something for a Lonely Man

1968

7.4

Movie
Son of Paleface

Son of Paleface

1952

6.3

Movie
Springtime in the Rockies

Springtime in the Rockies

1942

6.7

Movie
poster

Sugarfoot

1957

4.8

TV
Ten Gentlemen from West Point

Ten Gentlemen from West Point

1942

5.8

Movie
Texas Pioneers

Texas Pioneers

1932

0.0

Movie
poster

The A-Team

1983

7.5

TV
poster

The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok

1951

4.5

TV
The Bold Caballero

The Bold Caballero

1936

5.7

Movie
The Boss Rider of Gun Creek

The Boss Rider of Gun Creek

1936

6.0

Movie
The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County

The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County

1970

6.3

Movie
The Cowboy and the Indians

The Cowboy and the Indians

1949

6.8

Movie
The Cowboy and the Lady

The Cowboy and the Lady

1938

6.1

Movie
poster

The F.B.I.

1965

5.4

TV
The Farmer Takes a Wife

The Farmer Takes a Wife

1935

6.1

Movie
The Gallant Legion

The Gallant Legion

1948

7.0

Movie
The Great Indian Wars 1840-1890

The Great Indian Wars 1840-1890

1991

6.0

Movie
The Great Sioux Massacre

The Great Sioux Massacre

1965

4.2

Movie
The Hypocrite

The Hypocrite

2024

0.0

Movie
poster

The Immortal

1970

7.4

TV
The Iroquois Trail

The Iroquois Trail

1950

5.8

Movie
The Kid From Texas

The Kid From Texas

1939

6.5

Movie
poster

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp

1955

6.7

TV
The Light in the Forest

The Light in the Forest

1958

6.8

Movie
The Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger

1938

0.0

Movie
poster

The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour

1957

8.5

TV
poster

The Mike Douglas Show

1961

5.1

TV
The Omaha Trail

The Omaha Trail

1942

7.0

Movie
The Oregon Trail

The Oregon Trail

1939

8.0

Movie
The Paleface

The Paleface

1948

6.1

Movie
The Phantom

The Phantom

1943

6.2

Movie
The Quest

The Quest

1976

10.0

Movie
The Rainbow Trail

The Rainbow Trail

1932

0.0

Movie
poster

The Rebel

1959

5.3

TV
The Return of Chandu

The Return of Chandu

1934

4.6

Movie
The Saga of Andy Burnett

The Saga of Andy Burnett

1957

0.0

Movie
The Senator Was Indiscreet

The Senator Was Indiscreet

1947

5.4

Movie
The Spirit of '76

The Spirit of '76

1990

4.6

Movie
poster

The Tall Man

1960

6.3

TV
poster

The Thin Man

1957

7.6

TV
The Viking

The Viking

1928

6.4

Movie
poster

The Virginian

1962

6.4

TV
The Wild Dakotas

The Wild Dakotas

1956

0.0

Movie
poster

Then Came Bronson

1969

4.8

TV
This Woman Is Mine

This Woman Is Mine

1941

3.2

Movie
Too Many Girls

Too Many Girls

1940

5.7

Movie
Train to Alcatraz

Train to Alcatraz

1948

6.0

Movie
Treachery Rides the Range

Treachery Rides the Range

1936

1.0

Movie
Unconquered

Unconquered

1947

6.2

Movie
Union Pacific

Union Pacific

1939

6.5

Movie
Untamed

Untamed

1940

4.3

Movie
Valley of the Sun

Valley of the Sun

1942

5.8

Movie
Western Union

Western Union

1941

6.0

Movie
poster

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

1958

5.3

TV
Westward Ho, The Wagons!

Westward Ho, The Wagons!

1956

5.5

Movie
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion

When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion

1979

0.0

Movie
Wild Girl

Wild Girl

1932

6.0

Movie
Winners of the West

Winners of the West

1940

0.0

Movie
Young Bill Hickok

Young Bill Hickok

1940

4.3

Movie
Young Buffalo Bill

Young Buffalo Bill

1940

3.6

Movie
Young Eagles

Young Eagles

1934

5.0

Movie