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Bill Cody (actor)
Encyclopedia
Bill Cody, born William Joseph Cody Jr., (January 5, 1891 – January 24, 1948) was a Hollywood B-western
actor of the 1920s, 1930s and into the 1940s, and father to Bill Cody, Jr.
.
Cody, often called "the reel Bill Cody", began his acting career in the early days of film, and just happened to have the same name as "Buffalo" Bill Cody, although being of no relation. The name was, initially, what drew producers to Cody. However, he soon proved to be a charismatic performer in his own right.
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, the son of William F. Cody and Lillian Isabel Johnson, Cody was said to have attended Saint Thomas Military Academy, and later St. Johns University
. Immediately out of college, he joined the Metropolitan Stock Company, touring the U.S. and Canada
. This eventually led him to Hollywood. In 1922 he began working as a stuntman
.
, although known for being made for as little money as possible, had gained a good reputation for having good casting and locations for their films. The first of the series starring Cody was Dangerous Days, directed by J.P. McGowan. That was followed by The Fighting Sheriff, with the rest of the series out over the next six months.
Following the Independent Pictures series, Cody starred in two films for Associated Exhibitors, The Galloping Cowboy and King of the Saddle, both released in 1926. That same year he starred in Arizona Whirlwind released through Pathé. In 1927 he starred in Born to Battle, which gave him an opportunity to exhibit his horse riding skills and to use a bull whip on screen, and two more Bill Cody Productions boasting stories supposedly concocted by Cody himself: Gold From Weepah and Laddie, Be Good. Agile and pleasant in appearance, Cody ended his silent film career by starring in a group of action pictures released by Universal which temporarily removed him from the western milieu: The Price of Fear, Wolves of the City, The Tip-Off, Slim Fingers and Eyes of the Underworld.
His first talking feature was Under Texas Skies, starring Bob Custer, in 1930. Many former silent film
stars failed to be accepted by the public with the advent of sound pictures, and many could not make a successful transition. However, Cody's pace never lessened, and he was in demand immediately following his first "talky", despite his well-known difficulty with the memorization of dialogue.
signed Cody to an eight-film western series, co-starring with child actor
Andy Shuford, which was called "the Bill and Andy series". The first Monogram Cody film to be released was Dugan of the Badlands, directed by Robert Bradbury. Harry Fraser replaced Bradbury as director of The Montana Kid
, Oklahoma Jim (a somber story in which Cody, as a gambler, becomes involved in an Indian uprising), Mason of the Mounted
(featuring Cody as a Mountie and Shuford as a runaway youngster), the atmospheric Ghost City, Land of Wanted Men, Law of the North and Texas Pioneers. The films were well-received, but Monogram opted not to continue the series.
Cody did not film anything in 1933, instead working for a traveling wild west show as its star attraction. He returned in 1934, starring in Border Menace, an extremely low-budgeted film released by Aywon Pictures, which received terrible reviews. Aywon followed that with Border Guns and Western Racketeers, which did somewhat better. Cody then worked for a time in the Downie Bros. Circus, replacing Jack Hoxie
as the star attraction.
and later a film distributor in South America, turned producer with the release of Frontier Days
, a lively and entertaining feature which opened to exceptionally good reviews. Cody and his pinto, Chico, were joined by leading lady Ada Ince, silent film veterans Franklyn Farnum and William Desmond, one-time leading man Wheeler Oakman, and Cody's 9-year-old son, billed simply as Billy, Jr.. As the first father-and-son team starring together in B Westerns, both Cody, Sr. and Billy showed considerable promise in the first film of the series. It was followed by Six Gun Justice, The Cyclone Ranger (a tale of mistaken identity from the pen of prolific western writer Oliver Drake), The Texas Rambler (another Oliver Drake screenplay, this one with a strong element of mystery),and The Vanishing Riders (in which Cody and his son masquerade as ghosts to demoralize a gang of despicable, superstitious rustlers). The Codys went on tour with a wild west show and circus. When they returned to Hollywood, Kirkwood - experiencing a financial squeeze - replaced writer Drake with his own wife, Zara Tazil, who wrote the remaining screenplays for the series. Director J. P. McCarthy succeeded in getting from Cody one of his best performances in The Lawless Border, featuring Molly O'Day
as leading lady. Blazing Justice
and Outlaws of the Range
concluded the Spectrum series on a pleasant but less-ambitious note.
The Reckless Buckaroo, which turned out to be among Cody's most enjoyable films, was distributed in 1937 by Crescent Pictures, and provided the native of Minnesota with his final starring role.
's breakout role, Stagecoach
, directed by the legendary John Ford
. He is said to have had bit roles in two cliffhanger
s, G-Men vs the Black Dragon and The Masked Marvel, both in 1943, and in Joan of Arc
, released in 1948.
Cody died at age 57 in 1948, at St. Joseph's Hospital in Santa Monica, California
. A funeral Mass was celebrated at Blessed Sacrament Church in Hollywood, and Cody was survived by his wife, Victoria Regina, and his sons, Bill, Jr. and Henry.
B-movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
actor of the 1920s, 1930s and into the 1940s, and father to Bill Cody, Jr.
Bill Cody, Jr.
Bill Cody, Jr. was an American motion picture child actor.Born William Joseph Cody, Jr. in Los Angeles, California, where his father Bill Cody was a cowboy star of B-movie westerns, the youngster was reportedly 7 years old when he accompanied his father on a personal appearance tour throughout the...
.
Cody, often called "the reel Bill Cody", began his acting career in the early days of film, and just happened to have the same name as "Buffalo" Bill Cody, although being of no relation. The name was, initially, what drew producers to Cody. However, he soon proved to be a charismatic performer in his own right.
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, the son of William F. Cody and Lillian Isabel Johnson, Cody was said to have attended Saint Thomas Military Academy, and later St. Johns University
St. John's University (New York City)
St. John's University is a private, Roman Catholic, coeducational university located in New York City, United States. Founded by the Congregation of the Mission in 1870, the school was originally located in the borough of Brooklyn in the neighborhood of Bedford–Stuyvesant...
. Immediately out of college, he joined the Metropolitan Stock Company, touring the U.S. and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. This eventually led him to Hollywood. In 1922 he began working as a stuntman
Stunt performer
A stuntman, or daredevil is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be...
.
Acting Career in Silent Films
Jesse Goldburg, liking Cody, signed him to an eight series film deal for the 1924-1925 season. Golburg's company, Independent PicturesIndependent Moving Pictures
The Independent Moving Pictures Company was a movie studio/production company founded in 1909 by Carl Laemmle, and was located at Eleventh Avenue and 53rd Street New York City, and in Fort Lee, New Jersey....
, although known for being made for as little money as possible, had gained a good reputation for having good casting and locations for their films. The first of the series starring Cody was Dangerous Days, directed by J.P. McGowan. That was followed by The Fighting Sheriff, with the rest of the series out over the next six months.
Following the Independent Pictures series, Cody starred in two films for Associated Exhibitors, The Galloping Cowboy and King of the Saddle, both released in 1926. That same year he starred in Arizona Whirlwind released through Pathé. In 1927 he starred in Born to Battle, which gave him an opportunity to exhibit his horse riding skills and to use a bull whip on screen, and two more Bill Cody Productions boasting stories supposedly concocted by Cody himself: Gold From Weepah and Laddie, Be Good. Agile and pleasant in appearance, Cody ended his silent film career by starring in a group of action pictures released by Universal which temporarily removed him from the western milieu: The Price of Fear, Wolves of the City, The Tip-Off, Slim Fingers and Eyes of the Underworld.
His first talking feature was Under Texas Skies, starring Bob Custer, in 1930. Many former silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
stars failed to be accepted by the public with the advent of sound pictures, and many could not make a successful transition. However, Cody's pace never lessened, and he was in demand immediately following his first "talky", despite his well-known difficulty with the memorization of dialogue.
Monogram Pictures
Monogram PicturesMonogram Pictures
Monogram Pictures Corporation is a Hollywood studio that produced and released films, most on low budgets, between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram is considered a leader among the smaller studios sometimes referred to...
signed Cody to an eight-film western series, co-starring with child actor
Child actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor...
Andy Shuford, which was called "the Bill and Andy series". The first Monogram Cody film to be released was Dugan of the Badlands, directed by Robert Bradbury. Harry Fraser replaced Bradbury as director of The Montana Kid
The Montana Kid
- Cast :*Bill Cody as Bill Denton*Andy Shuford as Andy Burke*Doris Hill as Molly Moore*William L. Thorne as Chuck Larson*John Elliott as Burke*Gordon De Main as Marshal Jack Moore*Paul Panzer as Henchman Gabby...
, Oklahoma Jim (a somber story in which Cody, as a gambler, becomes involved in an Indian uprising), Mason of the Mounted
Mason of the Mounted
- Cast :*Bill Cody as Bill Mason*Andy Shuford as Andy Talbot, Luke's Nephew*Nancy Drexel as Marion Kirby*LeRoy Mason as Calhoun*Jack Carlyle as Luke Kirby, Marion's Father*James A. Marcus as Marshal*Gordon Magee*Joe Dominguez as Henchman Ramirez...
(featuring Cody as a Mountie and Shuford as a runaway youngster), the atmospheric Ghost City, Land of Wanted Men, Law of the North and Texas Pioneers. The films were well-received, but Monogram opted not to continue the series.
Cody did not film anything in 1933, instead working for a traveling wild west show as its star attraction. He returned in 1934, starring in Border Menace, an extremely low-budgeted film released by Aywon Pictures, which received terrible reviews. Aywon followed that with Border Guns and Western Racketeers, which did somewhat better. Cody then worked for a time in the Downie Bros. Circus, replacing Jack Hoxie
Jack Hoxie
Jack Hoxie was an American rodeo performer and motion picture actor whose career was most prominent in the silent film era of the 1910s through the 1930s...
as the star attraction.
Ray Kirkwood Productions
Late in 1934, producer Ray Kirkwood signed Cody to a contract, to make a series of cowboy thrillers for release through Spectrum Pictures. Kirkwood, a native of Pennsylvania who had once been a production manager for Thomas InceThomas H. Ince
Thomas Harper Ince was an American silent film actor, director, screenwriter and producer of more than 100 films and pioneering studio mogul. Known as the "Father of the Western", he invented many mechanisms of professional movie production, introducing early Hollywood to the "assembly line"...
and later a film distributor in South America, turned producer with the release of Frontier Days
Frontier Days
Cheyenne Frontier Days, held annually since 1897, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA, claims to be one of the largest outdoor rodeo and western celebrations in the world. The event, which occurs during 10 days centered around the last full week in July, draws close to 200,000 people to the area every year...
, a lively and entertaining feature which opened to exceptionally good reviews. Cody and his pinto, Chico, were joined by leading lady Ada Ince, silent film veterans Franklyn Farnum and William Desmond, one-time leading man Wheeler Oakman, and Cody's 9-year-old son, billed simply as Billy, Jr.. As the first father-and-son team starring together in B Westerns, both Cody, Sr. and Billy showed considerable promise in the first film of the series. It was followed by Six Gun Justice, The Cyclone Ranger (a tale of mistaken identity from the pen of prolific western writer Oliver Drake), The Texas Rambler (another Oliver Drake screenplay, this one with a strong element of mystery),and The Vanishing Riders (in which Cody and his son masquerade as ghosts to demoralize a gang of despicable, superstitious rustlers). The Codys went on tour with a wild west show and circus. When they returned to Hollywood, Kirkwood - experiencing a financial squeeze - replaced writer Drake with his own wife, Zara Tazil, who wrote the remaining screenplays for the series. Director J. P. McCarthy succeeded in getting from Cody one of his best performances in The Lawless Border, featuring Molly O'Day
Molly O'Day
Molly O'Day was an American film actress and the younger sister of Sally O'Neil.Born as Suzanne Dobson Noonan in Bayonne, New Jersey, she was the youngest of 11 children of Metropolitan Opera singer Hannah Kelly and Judge Thomas Francis Patrick Noonan. After their father's death, O'Day and her two...
as leading lady. Blazing Justice
Blazing Justice
- Cast :*Bill Cody as Ray Healy*Gertrude Messinger as Virginia Peterson*Gordon Griffith as Max*Milburn Morante as Pop, Bearded Barfly*Budd Buster as Bob Peterson, Virginia's Father*Frank Yaconelli as Rusty, Guitar Player...
and Outlaws of the Range
Outlaws of the Range
Outlaws of the Range is a 1936 American film directed by Albert Herman.The film is also known as The Call of Justice in the United Kingdom.- Cast :*Bill Cody as Steve Harper*Marie Burton as Betty Wilson*William McCall as Dad Wilson...
concluded the Spectrum series on a pleasant but less-ambitious note.
The Reckless Buckaroo
Ray Kirkwood's widow recalled in later years that Kirkwood was very fond of Cody. He planned another series of eight features, co-starring Cody, Sr. and Cody, Jr. for the 1936-37 season, and this was announced in the trade papers. With finances strained, the first film - scripted by Zara Tazil and entitled The Reckless Buckaroo - went into production. During production, Kirkwood's backer, Monarch Laboratories, removed him as producer and ordered him to leave the set, placing director Harry Fraser in charge. By the first of March, 1936, Fraser had finished the picture, but Kirkwood was unable to secure financing for any additional films in the proposed series. The Cody series concluded abruptly, and Kirkwood left Hollywood.The Reckless Buckaroo, which turned out to be among Cody's most enjoyable films, was distributed in 1937 by Crescent Pictures, and provided the native of Minnesota with his final starring role.
Later years
Cody's career slowed for a time, and his roles became less, but he still had success throughout his lifetime. Oliver Drake wrote the part of "Sheriff Warren" for him in the RKO film The Fighting Gringo, starring George O'Brien in 1939, and that same year he played a small role in what has been called John WayneJohn Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
's breakout role, Stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
, directed by the legendary John Ford
John Ford
John Ford was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath...
. He is said to have had bit roles in two cliffhanger
Cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...
s, G-Men vs the Black Dragon and The Masked Marvel, both in 1943, and in Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
, released in 1948.
Cody died at age 57 in 1948, at St. Joseph's Hospital in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
. A funeral Mass was celebrated at Blessed Sacrament Church in Hollywood, and Cody was survived by his wife, Victoria Regina, and his sons, Bill, Jr. and Henry.
External links
- Bill Cody at b-westerns.com