As fresh Bart Wilson, whose father is murdered by despicable outlaws seeking control of the family ranch, Billy delivered a lively performance which prompted Kirkwood to include him in future Cody westerns.
By the time he appeared in his father's final Spectrum release, Outlaws of the Range, such trade publications as Film Daily were commenting on his "fine, natural performance, which should win him a legion of fans.
In February 1936, production on the first film in the new series, The Reckless Buckarooo, was halted when an altercation between Kirkwood and his backer - Monarch Laboratories - reportedly resulted in the producer's being removed from the set and replaced by director Harry Fraser.
[2] In 1937, Cody was cast in an important featured role in a Monogram Tom Keene western, Romance of the Rockies, followed by a bit in the short subject, Our Gang Follies of 1938.
A potentially major development was his signing to appear in MGM's Girl of the Golden West, portraying Nelson Eddy's role as a child in the opening sequences.