Iron Eyes Cody

Iron Eyes Cody (born Espera Oscar de Corti, April 3, 1904 – January 4, 1999) was an American actor who portrayed Native Americans in Hollywood films. Cody's film roles included the role of Chief Iron Eyes in Bob Hope's The Paleface. He also played a Native American shedding a tear about pollution in one of the most well-known television public service announcements in the United States. Living in Hollywood, Cody began to insist--even in his private life--that he was Native American. Over time, he claimed membership in several different tribes. Although a 1996 newspaper report revealed that Cody was Italian-American and that his purported Native American identity was self-created, Cody denied the report.

Early life Cody was born Espera Oscar de Corti on April 3, 1904, in the city of Kaplan, Vermilion Parish, Louisiana. He was the second son of Francesca Salpietra of Sicily and her husband, Antonio de Corti of southern Italy. His father left the family and moved to Texas, where he took the name Tony Corti. His mother married Alton Abshire and had five more children with him. Joseph William and Frank Henry Cody worked as extras, then moved on to other work. Frank was killed by a hit-and-run driver in 1949.

Cody was widely seen as the "Crying Indian" in the "Keep America Beautiful" public service announcements (PSA) in the early 1970s. The environmental commercial, first aired on Earth Day in 1971, depicted Cody in a Plains Indians/Hollywood Indian-style 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 ad won two Clio awards, is believed to have led to increased community involvement, and may have "helped reduce litter by 88% across 38 states", according to one source. He made a cameo appearance in the 1990 film The Spirit of '76.

Personal life and death In 1936, Cody married archaeologist Bertha Parker (Abenaki and Seneca descent). She was active in excavations during the late 1920s and early 1930s before becoming an assistant in archaeology at the Southwest Museum. The couple had two sons, Robert Tree Cody and Arthur Cody, and remained married until Bertha's death in 1978.

Partial filmography

+Television roles Year Title Role Notes 1953 The Cisco Kid Chief Big Cloud / Chief Sky Eagle Two separate roles, in "Indian Uprising" (1953) as Chief Sky Eagle and "The Gramophone" (1953) as Chief Big Cloud 1955 Cavalcade of America n/a Episode, "The Hostage" (1955) 1957 Cheyenne Grey Wolf Episode: "Hard Bargain" Season 2, Episode 19 1958 The Restless Gun George Washington Smith Episode "A Pressing Engagement" 1959 Rawhide John Redcloud Episode: "Incident of the Thirteenth Man" (1959) 1959 Rawhide Blue Deer Episode: "Incident of the Tinker's Dam" (1959) 1959 The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour Eskimo Pilot Episode: "Lucy Goes to Alaska" (1959) 1959 Mackenzie's Raiders n/a Episode: "Death Patrol" (1959) 1961 The Rebel Sammy Hart "The Death of Sammy Hart" (1961) Season 2, Episode 251961 Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre Nemanna Episode: "Blood Red"1962 Mister Ed Chief Thundercloud Episode: "Ed the Pilgrim" (1962) Season 3, Episode 9 1964 The Virginian Chief Black Feather Episode: "The Intruders" (1964) Season 2, Episode 23 1967 The Fastest Guitar Alive 1st Indian 1969 Then Came Bronson Chief John Carbona Episode: "Old Tigers Never Die—They Just Run Away" (1969) 1982 Fantasy Island Nancy's father Season 5, Episode 21: "Nancy and The Thunderbirds" (1982) 1983 Newhart Hotel Guest Episode: "Don't Rain on My Parade" (1983) 1986 The A-Team Chief Watashi Episode: "Mission of Peace" (1986)