Bill Cody (actor)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Páll Valtýr Pálsson or "Bill" Cody Sr. (January 5, 1891 – January 24, 1948) was a
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...
B-Western The B movie, whose roots trace to the silent film era, was a significant contributor to Hollywood's Golden Age of the 1930s and 1940s. As the Hollywood studios made the transition to sound film in the late 1920s, many independent exhibitors began ...
actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...
of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, and father to Bill Cody Jr. Cody began his acting career in the early days of film and just happened to have the same name as "Buffalo" Bill Cody, although he was not a relation. Cody's name was what initially drew producers to him; however, he soon proved to be a charismatic performer in his own right.


Biography

Born to Icelandic parents, in
Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
, the son of Páll Valtýr Eiríksson from Víðvíkurströnd and Björg Jónsdóttir from Reykjarströnd, 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 Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
. This eventually led him to Hollywood. In 1922, he began working as a
stuntman A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed ...
.


Acting Career in Silent Films

Jesse Goldburg, liking Cody, signed him to an eight series film deal for the 1924–25 season. Golburg's company, Independent Pictures, 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 Associated Exhibitors was an American film distribution company active during the silent era. The company did not produce its own pictures but released productions by independent producers, handling a mixture of low-budget and more prestigious ...
, '' 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 The Price of Fear may refer to: * The Price of Fear (radio serial), a BBC horror/mystery radio serial * The Price of Fear (1956 film) ''The Price of Fear'' is a 1956 American film noir crime film directed by Abner Biberman and starring Merle Obe ...
'', '' Wolves of the City'', '' The Tip Off'', ''
Slim Fingers ''Slim Fingers'' is a 1929 American crime film directed by Joseph Levigard and written by William Berke and Carl Krusada. The film stars Bill Cody, Duane Thompson, Wilbur Mack, Monte Montague, Arthur Morrison and Charles King. The film was re ...
'' and '' Eyes of the Underworld''. His first talking feature was '' Under Texas Skies'', starring
Bob Custer Bob Custer (born Raymond Anthony Glenn, October 18, 1898 – December 27, 1974) was an American film actor who appeared in over 50 films, mostly Westerns, between 1924 and 1937, including '' The Fighting Hombre'', '' Arizona Days'', '' The L ...
, in 1930. Many former
silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...
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 Pictures Monogram Pictures Corporation was an American film studio that produced mostly low-budget films between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram was among the smaller studios i ...
signed Cody to an eight-film Western series, co-starring with
child actor The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage, television, or in film, movies. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associa ...
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'' is a 1931 pre-Code American Western film directed by Harry L. Fraser starring the team of Bill Cody and Andy Shuford.p. 217 Pitts, Michael R.''Western Movies: A Guide to 5,105 Feature Films, 2nd edition'' McFarland January ...
'', ''Oklahoma Jim'' (a somber story in which Cody, as a gambler, becomes involved in an Indian uprising), ''
Mason of the Mounted Mason may refer to: Occupations * Mason, brick mason, or bricklayer, a worker who lays bricks to assist in brickwork, or who lays any combination of stones, bricks, cinder blocks, or similar pieces * Stone mason, a craftsman in the stone-cutti ...
'' (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 Wild West shows were traveling vaudeville performances in the United States and Europe that existed around 1870–1920. The shows began as theatrical stage productions and evolved into open-air shows that depicted romanticized stereotypes of co ...
as its star attraction. He returned in 1934, starring in '' The 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 John Hartford Hoxie (January 11, 1885 – March 28, 1965) 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. Hoxie is best recalled for his roles in ...
as the star attraction.


Ray Kirkwood Productions

Late in 1934, producer
Ray Kirkwood Ray or RAY may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), the bony or horny spine on ray-finned fish Science and mathematics * Half-line (geometry) or ray, half of a line split at an ...
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 Ince 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 Franklyn Farnum (born William Smith; June 5, 1878 – July 4, 1961) was an American character actor and Hollywood extra who appeared in at least 1,100 films. He was also cast in more films that won the Academy Award for Best Picture than any ot ...
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,
Zarah Tazil Zarah Tazil (sometimes credited as Zara Tazil) was an actress, assistant director, and screenwriter who made a name for herself working on Western B-movies in the 1930s. "Zarah Tazil" was likely a stage name, although her real name is unknown. Sh ...
, 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 ''Outlaws of the Range'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Albert Herman. The film is also known as ''The Call of Justice'' in the United Kingdom. Plot After rescuing Betty from a runaway horse, Steve is hired at her father's ranch. ...
'' concluded the Spectrum series on a pleasant but less ambitious note. Cody was the star attraction with the Downie Brothers Circus when it opened its 1935 season in Macon, Georgia, to a capacity house. "With all equipment resplendent in new red paint the show opened with the Cavalcade of Splendor. Bill Cody was then introduced by Harry Mack," Downie's press agent. Cody was replacing Jack Hoxie, who had headlined the 1933–34 season. In May 1935, ''Billboard'' reported that Cody and "the new seal act were going over big." In August, two of Cody's sons joined him from their school vacations, and one report said that Cody was at work on a circus film, which was to be one of eight he made for Spectrum Pictures. The September 28, 1935, ''Billboard'' reported that Cody "closed several weeks ago" but does not give a date or reason for his leaving. Prior to joining Downie, Cody was a feature on the Miller Brothers' 101 Ranch show in 1929 and the Bostock Wild Animal Circus in 1934, the year he starred in '' The Border Menace'', called by some "the worst B-Western ever made."


''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 Tazil and titled ''
The Reckless Buckaroo ''The Reckless Buckaroo'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Harry L. Fraser and written by Zarah Tazil. The film stars Bill Cody, Bill Cody Jr., Betty Mack, Buzz Barton, Roger Williams and Ed Cassidy. The film was released on Apri ...
'' — 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 March 1, 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.Hollywood Reporter, 27 February 1936 Released in 1937 by Crescent Pictures, this proved to be Cody's 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 RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Kei ...
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 Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...
's breakout role, ''
Stagecoach A stagecoach (also: stage coach, stage, road coach, ) is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by ...
'', directed by the legendary
John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), better known as John Ford, was an American film director and producer. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and w ...
. He is said to have had bit roles in two
cliffhanger A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious situation, facing a difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction or bef ...
s, ''
G-Men vs the Black Dragon ''G-Men vs. The Black Dragon'' (1943) is a Republic Pictures movie serial. It is noteworthy among adventure serials as containing an unusually high number of fistfights, all staged by director William Witney and a team of stuntmen. This was Witne ...
'' and ''
The Masked Marvel ''The Masked Marvel'' (1943) is a 12-chapter film serial created by Republic Pictures, who produced many other well known serials. It was Republic's thirty-first serial, of the sixty-six they produced. Plot In ''The Masked Marvel'', a hero dres ...
'', both in 1943, and in ''
Joan of Arc Joan of Arc ( ; ;  – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the Coronation of the French monarch, coronation of Charles VII o ...
'', released in 1948. Cody died at age 57 in 1948, at St. Joseph's Hospital in
Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...
. 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.


Partial filmography

* '' Blood and Steel'' (1925) * '' Riders of Mystery'' (1925) * '' The Ridin' Streak'' (1925) * ''
King of the Saddle ''King of the Saddle'' is a 1926 American silent Western comedy film directed by William James Craft and starring Bill Cody, Joan Meredith and Billy Franey. Plot Bill Cody portrays a cowboy who faces a crisis when he learns that his cattle a ...
'' (1926) * '' The Galloping Cowboy'' (1926) * '' Gold from Weepah'' (1927) * '' The Arizona Whirlwind'' (1927) * '' Laddie Be Good'' (1928) * ''
The Price of Fear The Price of Fear may refer to: * The Price of Fear (radio serial), a BBC horror/mystery radio serial * The Price of Fear (1956 film) ''The Price of Fear'' is a 1956 American film noir crime film directed by Abner Biberman and starring Merle Obe ...
'' (1928) * '' Wolves of the City'' (1929) * ''
Slim Fingers ''Slim Fingers'' is a 1929 American crime film directed by Joseph Levigard and written by William Berke and Carl Krusada. The film stars Bill Cody, Duane Thompson, Wilbur Mack, Monte Montague, Arthur Morrison and Charles King. The film was re ...
'' (1929) * '' The Tip Off'' (1929) * '' Eyes of the Underworld'' (1929) * '' Under Texas Skies'' (1930) * '' Dugan of the Badlands'' (1931) * ''
The Montana Kid ''The Montana Kid'' is a 1931 pre-Code American Western film directed by Harry L. Fraser starring the team of Bill Cody and Andy Shuford.p. 217 Pitts, Michael R.''Western Movies: A Guide to 5,105 Feature Films, 2nd edition'' McFarland January ...
'' (1931) * '' Land of Wanted Men'' (1931) * '' Oklahoma Jim'' (1931) * ''
Mason of the Mounted Mason may refer to: Occupations * Mason, brick mason, or bricklayer, a worker who lays bricks to assist in brickwork, or who lays any combination of stones, bricks, cinder blocks, or similar pieces * Stone mason, a craftsman in the stone-cutti ...
'' (1932) * '' Ghost City'' (1932) * '' Law of the North'' (1932) * ''
Texas Pioneers Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous state in the South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the west, and has an international border wit ...
'' (1932) * '' Frontier Days'' (1934) * '' Western Racketeers'' (1934) * ''
The Reckless Buckaroo ''The Reckless Buckaroo'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Harry L. Fraser and written by Zarah Tazil. The film stars Bill Cody, Bill Cody Jr., Betty Mack, Buzz Barton, Roger Williams and Ed Cassidy. The film was released on Apri ...
'' (1935) * '' The Texas Rambler'' (1935) * '' The Vanishing Riders'' (1935) * ''
Lawless Border ''Lawless Border'' is a 1935 Western film directed by John P. McCarthy and written by Zarah Tazil. It was released in 1935 in the US by State Rights and Spectrum Pictures. Plot A U.S. government agent and Mexican agent infiltrate a gang of s ...
'' (1935) * '' The Cyclone Ranger'' (1935) * '' Blazing Justice'' (1936) * ''
Outlaws of the Range ''Outlaws of the Range'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Albert Herman. The film is also known as ''The Call of Justice'' in the United Kingdom. Plot After rescuing Betty from a runaway horse, Steve is hired at her father's ranch. ...
'' (1936) * '' The Fighting Gringo'' (1939)


Notes


External links

*
Bill Cody
at b-westerns.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Cody, Bill (Actor) American male film actors 1891 births 1948 deaths Male actors from Saint Paul, Minnesota 20th-century American male actors Male Western (genre) film actors Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City