Bill Cody was one of the first Saturday matinée cowboys to gallop across the big screen, first in silent films, then in several cheaply made talkies in the early 1930's. His name really was William Cody but as far as can be determined he was not related to the famous Buffalo Bill Cody. The moniker helped Bill Cody get his foot in the door and it's likely he would not have starred in any oaters had he been born with a different name.
"Frontier Days" is actually one of Bill Cody's best sound features. That's still not saying a whole lot since he is often credited with having made the worst B western of them all "The Border Menace" in 1934. His real-life son Bill Cody, Jr., helps the picture by giving it a little more zest and energy. In this film, Cody, Jr., plays the younger brother of Beth Wilson (Ada Ince in one of her few movie roles). He's always teasing his sister who becomes struck on the Pinto Kid (Bill Cody). Bart Wilson (Cody, Jr.) takes a liking to the Pinto Kid and continues to stand up for him even when he is framed for the murder of Bart and Beth's father by the bad guys led by Henry Jethrow (Wheeler Oakman) who is determined to get the Wilson ranch using any means possible. Wheeler Oakman plays Jethrow in a manner reminiscent of the Snidely Whiplash type villain popular in the melodramas of the silent era. The Pinto Kid is determined to save the ranch, win the lovely beth, and find the ones who killed her father.
The film is excruciatingly slow moving for a shoot-em-up most of the time. There are a few good fights to liven things up but they are too few and too far between the talking. Bill Cody was one of the fastest of the cowboy pugilists. His style, since he was a fairly little fellow, is similar to the best fighting cowboy of them all Bob Steele. It appears that the cameras used fast speed to make Cody look even quicker whereas Bob Steele's fights seemed to be at normal speed.
Bill Cody also wore a big hat that looked more like a sombrero, similar to one that silent cowboy star Tom Mix wore from time to time. He also rode a little pinto, Chico, who was billed second to Cody in the credits, hence his stage name the Pinto Kid.
The dialog is stilted and much of the acting seems to be a hold over from the silent days even though this film was released in 1934 when most talky actors had either adjusted to the new medium or had fallen by the wayside. The actors spend too much time expressing their feelings by exaggerated eye movements and facial and physical expressions the way it was done on the silent screen.
This film is somewhat of a curio, but still worthwhile for western fans who have never seen a Bill Cody movie. His fisticuffs are entertaining.
