News. When Boyd, the actor who portrayed the character of Hopalong Cassidy for approximately 40 years during which he took made 66 feature films and 52 half-hour television shows, took Grace Bradley as his wife in 1937, he obtained Topper that same year. Fawcett Comics published a Hopalong Cassidy comic book one-shot in 1943,[17] followed by an ongoing series from 1946–1953 (numbered #1 through 85),[18] when the company ceased publishing. The Complete Hopalong Cassidy Filmography (1935-1948) The Hopalong Cassidy film series ran for a total of 66 films over a 14-year span, released first by Paramount Pictures and eventually United Artists. In Boyd's case, that came a bit later in his Hopalong Cassidy career. On June 7, 2011, Timeless Media Group released Hopalong Cassidy: The Complete Television Series on DVD in Region 1. William Boyd stars in another Hopalong Cassidy movie 'Riders Of The Deadline', directed by Lesley Selander for United Artists. Revenue: -. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. [4] On June 24, 1949, Hopalong Cassidy became the first network Western television series. Image Entertainment's DVD series uses the double-hypens spelling (although a no-hypens spelling would likely have made more sense). DC Comics took over the title in 1954 with issue #86,[19] publishing it until issue #135, in 1959. Because of the popularity of the books, Paramount Studios made thirty-four films based on the character. War of the Wildcats. Appears as Hopalong Cassidy, with Topper the Horse, on a 44¢ USA commemorative postage stamp in the Early TV Memories issue honoring Hopalong Cassidy (1952), issued 11 August 2009. Hopalong Cassidy became the first TV western and went on to inspire many more. The juvenile lead was successively played by James Ellison, Russell Hayden, George Reeves, Rand Brooks, and Jimmy Rogers. For the sake of completion, I have included Hoppy's cameo in the Best Picture Oscar-winning The Greatest Show on Earth but his onscreen turn as narrator of a short titled Little Smokey: The True Story of America's Forest Fire Preventin' Bear does not appear on Letterboxd. For the sake of completion, I have included Hoppy's cameo in the Best Picture Oscar-winning The Greatest Show on Earth but his onscreen turn as narrator of a short titled Little Smokey: The True Story of America's Forest Fire Preventin' Bear does not appear on…. Despite Boyd's regular appearances as Hoppy at the park, it was not a success and shut down in 1954. Share TV. He approached NBC with his idea and they were on board. He walked with a limp, as a result of an injury from a shootout in Albuquerque, New Mexico, when he was young. The television showwas family-friendly but the character became popular with children as well as adults. Hopalong Cassidy takes the place of Buffalo Bill, Babe Ruth, Lindy, and all the rest. The show was syndicated from 1940 to 1950, then began broadcast on Mutual on January 1, 1950. As portrayed on the screen, white-haired Bill "Hopalong" Cassidy was usually clad strikingly in black (including his hat, an exception to the Western film stereotype that only villains wore black hats). Another 1950 enterprise saw the home-movie company Castle Films manufacturing condensed versions of the Paramount films for 16 mm and 8 mm film projectors; they were sold through 1966. The Hopalong Cassidy series ended in 1948 after 66 films, with Boyd producing the last 12. Anticipating television’s rise, Boyd spent $350,000 to purchase the rights to the Hopalong Cassidy character, books and films. Show Summary @TVmaze. This item features 10 Hopalong Cassidy films from 1938 thru 1940, including the following titles (most of which appear on DVD for the first time): Bar Twenty Justice (1938) The Frontiersmen (1938) In Old Mexico (1938) Pride of the West (1938) Law of the Pampas (1939) Renegade Trail (1939) Range War (1939) Silver On the Sage (1939) Sunset trail (1939) HOPALONG CASSIDY. Riding to the small screen’s rescue came the movie cowboy, William Boyd. [7], There was a new demand for Hopalong Cassidy features in movie theaters, and Boyd licensed reissue distributor Film Classics to make new film prints and advertising accessories. IMDb. Boyd resumed production[3] in 1946, on lower budgets, and continued through 1948, when "B" westerns were being phased out. Hills of Old Wyoming. Louis L'Amour wrote four Hopalong Cassidy novels, which are still in print. In his early writings, Mulford portrayed the character as rude, dangerous, and rough-talking. Wikipedia. And in every movie justice prevailed. The 66 Hopalong Cassidy pictures were filmed by independent producers who released the films through the studios. On June 16, 2009, Echo Bridge Home Entertainment released the Hopalong Cassidy Ultimate Collector's Edition, which included all 66 theatrical films on 14 DVDs, packed into a facsimile Hopalong Cassidy tin lunchbox. He's everything that young America admires and wants." Made by fans in Auckland, New Zealand. 3 His only child, a son by second wife Ruth Miller, died in infancy. 8 Shows and Movies Like The Haunting of Bly Manor and The Haunting of Hill House. William Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy; Andy Clyde as California Carlson [ eps 1-12 ] Rand Brooks as Lucky Jenkins [ eps 1-12 ] Edgar Buchanan as Red Connors [ eps 13-52 ] Down to Latest Season. Hopalong Cassidy was a character in western novels written by Clarence Mulford during the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. Four of the novels were written by famous western novelist Louis L’Amour, who was chosen by Mulford to continue the series. William Lawrence Boyd, 1895–1972, American film actor and entrepreneur. The sixty-six Hopalong Cassidy films were edited down to television episodes which comprised the first two season… [12] At the end of September, the show moved to CBS Radio, where it ran until 1952. Thereafter, he held many odd jobs until, at It is easily recognized by the stone well in front of the house. Although born in Ohio, he grew up (from the age of 7) in Oklahoma and attended school only until he was 13. Hopalong Cassidy was the star of a series of novels set at the Bar 20 Ranch. After Hayes left the series because of a salary dispute with producer Harry Sherman, he was replaced by the comedian Britt Wood as Speedy McGinnis and finally by the veteran movie comedian Andy Clyde as California Carlson. There were a total of 66 films depicting the adventures of fictional cowboy Hopalong Cassidy. Indeed, William Boyd’s career had its hopping along as well. These remained available on that channel until 2000, when they were again withdrawn. In 1973, fellow movie cowboy Roy Rogers released a nostalgic ballad called Hoppy, Gene and me. TV Guide. The first "Hoppies", as the films were known, were distributed by Paramount Pictures to favorable returns, and United Artists was the distributor after Paramount. The Hopalong Cassidy film series ran for a total of 66 films over a 14-year span, released first by Paramount Pictures and eventually United Artists. In 2005, author Susie Coffman published Follow Your Stars, new stories starring the character. He was often called upon to intercede when dishonest characters took advantage of honest citizens. A few actors of future prominence appeared in Cassidy films, notably Robert Mitchum, who appeared in seven films at the beginning of his career. I relived my youth in watching these movies at a reasonable price. "Hoppy" and his white horse, Topper, usually traveled through the West with two companions—one young and trouble-prone with a weakness for damsels in d… William Boyd starred as Bill "Hopalong" Cassidy in every single film in the series, and even eventually bought out the rights to the character and became producer. After Boyd's death, his company devoted to Hopalong Cassidy, U.S. Television Office, retained control of Cassidy films but, by the mid-1960s, had withdrawn them from television and sales in home movie markets. William Boyd, American motion-picture and television actor who was best known for his portrayal of Hopalong Cassidy in a series of western films. Printable Guide @TVmaze. Please expand the article to include this information. There were a total of 66 films released that star the Hopalong Cassidy character, only a few of which were based on the stories. Hopalong's "drink of choice" was the nonalcoholic sarsaparilla. Boyd thought Hopalong Cassidy might have a future in television, spent $350,000 to obtain the rights to his old films,[3] and approached the fledgling NBC network. After the first movie in the series, Hopalong Cassidy's name was spelled without hypens (with at least one exception: the players list during the opening credits of Bar 20 Rides Againuses the "Hop-along" spelling). He was often called upon to intercede when dishonest characters took advantage of honest citizens. [6] In 1950, more than 100 companies manufactured $70 million of Hopalong Cassidy products,[3] including children's dinnerware, pillows, roller skates, soap, wristwatches (made by Timex), and jackknives. Also, in January 1950 Dan Spiegel began to draw a syndicated comic strip with scripts by Royal King Cole; the strip lasted until 1955.[8][9]. SEARCH epguides. That same cabin, now known as "Hoppy Cabin", was used in 6 Hopalong Cassidy movies. The song "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" includes a reference to Hopalong boots as a holiday gift desired by children. Actor William Boyd portrayed Hopalong Cassidy in 66 movies from 1935 through 1948, many released later to TV, and in a radio show running from 1948 to 1952, with frequent “Radio Classics” rebroadcasts now. In the first film, Hopalong Cassidy (then spelled "Hop-along") got his name after being shot in the leg. The major display is at the Autry National Center at Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California. He was reserved and well spoken, with a sense of fair play. Over the next 20 years, Hopalong Cassidy and Boyd became an iconic fixture in the lives of American movie goers, particularly young people who joined his fan club and collected his merchandise in record numbers. 1 Origin 2 Powers and Abilities 3 Supporting Cast 4 Public Domain Literary Appearances 5 Public Domain Comic Appearances 6 See Also Hopalong Cassidy was a ranch hand on the Bar 20 Ranch in Western Texas, around the time of Billy the Kid (1870s). Those were shown in syndication for many years. Gabby Hayes was probably the most famous sidekick in Western movies during the 1930's and 1940's, playing opposite Randolph Scott, Roy Rogers, Wild Bill Elliott and, of course, Hopalong Cassidy in more than 40 cowboy dramas.In 1952 and 1953 William Boyd had a new sidekick (Edgar Buchanan) and made a whole new series of original TV films. They were noted for fast action and outdoor photography (usually by Russell Harlan). ‘Look here, this is a book he had when he was a boy. Rik Tod is using Letterboxd to share film reviews and lists with friends. [25] The 6-disc set features all 52 episodes of the series restored and remastered. • Hop-Along Cassidy (1935) (reissued as "Hopalong Cassidy Enters") Hopalong Cassidy RIDES AGAIN. [5], The series and character were so popular that Hopalong Cassidy was featured on the cover of national magazines such as Look, Life, and Time. Hopalong Cassidy or Hop-along Cassidy is a fictional cowboy hero created in 1904 by the author Clarence E. Mulford, who wrote a series of short stories and novels based on the character. William Boyd played Hopalong Cassidy in 66 movies, but his vision and belief in the character led him to bring the Western genre to a new medium: television. The Hopalong Cassidy radio program ran from 1948 to 1952, and was based on the popular movie and television series featuring William Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy. Trail Street. Hopalong and his horse Topper catch bad guys with Red Connors for comic relief. This was an expansion and retheming of Venice Lake Park[14] (opened the previous year) as Boyd became an investor. Livingston.[22]. The strip was drawn by Dan Spiegle. Join here. [15], In the closing chapter of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel The Great Gatsby, the eponymous anti-hero's father, Henry C. Gatz, filling out his son's early character, is described "..pull(ing) from his pocket a ragged old copy of a book called Hopalong Cassidy. Clyde, the most durable of the sidekicks, remained with the series until it ended. The show ranked number 7 in the 1949 Nielsen ratings, number 9 in the 1950-1951 season and number 28 in 1951-1952. "Hoppy" and his white horse, Topper, usually traveled through the West with two companions—one young and trouble-prone with a weakness for damsels in distress, the other older, comically awkward and outspoken.[1]. The initial broadcasts were so successful that NBC could not wait for a television series to be produced and edited the feature films to broadcast length. United Artists then assumed production of the Hopalong Cassidy films and completed an additional thirty-one films. Published 2018-05-17T17:10:04Z Updated 2019-09-26T00:14:38Z. He had a wooden leg which caused him to walk with a little "hop", hence the nickname. In 1950, Hopalong Cassidy was featured on the first lunchbox to bear an image, causing sales of Aladdin Industries lunch boxes to jump from 50,000 units to 600,000 units per year. Minimal effort was made at that time, nor has it been made since, to offer the films for home video, excepting two packages of compressed, multi-title Hopalong Cassidy anthology DVDs, the first requiring purchase of the entire TV series to obtain copies of about a dozen films and then, in 2014, a reissue of the remaining stock of these same DVD pressings combined with the remaining titles in a first-time pressing. Further details may exist on the. To do this, he gambled his future on Hopalong Cassidy, mortgaging most of what he owned to buy the character rights from Mulford and the backlog of movies from Sherman. As portrayed on the screen, white-haired Bill "Hopalong" Cassidy was usually clad strikingly in black (including his hat, an exception to the Western film stereotype that only villains wore black hats). [See notes in the list.] The success of the television series made Boyd a star. The Cariboo Trail. FAQ. Most western movie fans assume that all these heroes owned their own horse(s). [10] The success of the show and tie-ins inspired juvenile television westerns such as The Range Rider, Tales of the Texas Rangers, Annie Oakley, The Gene Autry Show, and The Roy Rogers Show. [13], On May 26, 1951, an amusement park named Hoppyland opened in the Venice section of Los Angeles. Standing on 80 acres (320,000 m2) it included a roller coaster, miniature railroads, pony rides, boat ride, Ferris wheel, carousel, and other thrill rides along with picnic grounds and recreational facilities. The Cassidy character in films was adapted from Mulford's books and transformed into a clean-cut, sarsaparilla-drinking hero. FALSE COLORS (United Artists, 1943; Hopalong Cassidy film) RIDERS OF THE DEADLINE (United Artists, 1943; Hopalong Cassidy film) BAR 20 (United Artists, 1943; Hopalong Cassidy film) BORDER PATROL (United Artists, 1943; Hopalong Cassidy film) LEATHER BURNERS (United Artists, 1943; Hopalong Cassidy … Sherman gave up the series in 1944, but William Boyd wanted to keep it going. After producer Harry “Pop” Sherman ceased production of the Hopalong Cassidy films in 1944, William Boyd set about purchasing the rights to the old movies and the Hoppy character. [3] The Mutual Broadcasting System began broadcasting a radio version, with Andy Clyde (later George MacMichael on Walter Brennan's ABC sitcom The Real McCoys) as the sidekick (except for episodes 28 to 53 of the 105 episode series, when, for reasons unknown, he was replaced by several different radio actors). Thanks to the earlier series which showed edited versions of his films, Boyd began work on a separate series of half-hour westerns made especially for television; Edgar Buchanan was his new sidekick, Red Connors (a character from the original stories and a few of the early films). Finally, I have also included an odd and murderous "tribute" to the character in the 1980 cinema history-drenched horror film, Fade to Black (a personal favorite). It just shows you.’"[16]. In 2009, the US Postal Service selected Cassidy as one of the characters featured on a series of stamps depicting early TV characters.[24]. William Boyd starred as Bill "Hopalong" Cassidy in every single film in the series, and even eventually bought out the rights to the character and became producer. He was reserved and well spoken, with a sense of fair play. (December 1950) There were many articles written about Hopalong Cassidy, especially in 1950 in Time, Life and Look magazines, when he was at the peak of his popularity. 1001 TV Series You Must Watch Before You Die, Paul Condon, It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas, "TV ACRES: Broadcast Firsts > Western Series", "Bill Boyd Will Appear at Hoppyland Opening", "Alan Livingston and The Capitol Record Readers", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hopalong_Cassidy&oldid=1015344985, American novels adapted into television shows, Black-and-white American television shows, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 31 March 2021, at 23:03. In three of these stories, Coffman wrote the wife of actor William Boyd into the stories. *Personal note: As of 7/19/2018, I have completed my 66-day run through the entire Hopalong Cassidy film series. [20], Mirror Enterprises Syndicate distributed a Hopalong Cassidy comic strip starting in 1949; it was bought out by King Features in 1951, running until 1955. In 1935 the first Hopalong Cassidy film was produced by Paramount Pictures starring a 40-year-old actor named William Boyd. [3] Boyd earned millions as Hopalong ($800,000 in 1950 alone),[3] mostly from merchandise licensing and endorsement deals. list as .csv. [21], Beginning in 1950, Capitol Records released a series of Hopalong Cassidy "record readers" featuring William Boyd and music by Billy May, produced by Alan W. News. Number of Movies: 66. It seems that Doubleday began to feel that some new Hopalong Cassidy books could do well in a market that supported so many movies. The museum and its contents were auctioned on August 24, 2007, owing to the failure of its parent company, Wild West World. They were written by Clarence E. Mulford over a span of 35 years, and had been the basis for a series of 66 movies between 1935 and 1948. Some thirty Hopalong Cassidy movies had been made between 1941 (when Clarence Mulford retired) and 1950. The TV series can be currently seen on Cozi TV[11] and on Encore's western channels in 2018. After continuing production for a couple of years making low budget "B Westerns," Boyd wondered if Hoppy had a future on the small screen. A "Hoppy Museum" consisting of a collection of products endorsed by William Boyd is located at Scott's 10th Street Antique Mall in Cambridge, Ohio.[23]. Mobile site. Sixty-six popular films appeared, only a few of which were loosely based on Mulford's stories. All films featuring the character Hopalong Cassidy, played by actor William Boyd. [2] George Hayes (later to become known as "Gabby" Hayes) originally played Cassidy's grizzled sidekick, Windy Halliday. The theme music for the television show was written by Nacio Herb Brown (music) and L. Wolfe Gilbert (lyrics). Fifteen miles east of Wichita, Kansas, at the Prairie Rose Chuckwagon Supper was the Hopalong Cassidy Museum. ... Hopalong Cassidy Enters. During the 1930s, Boyd made more than 50 cheap but successful “B-grade” westerns starring as Hopalong Cassidy. Upgrade to a Letterboxd Pro account to add your favorite services to this list—including any service and country pair listed on JustWatch—and to enable one-click filtering by all your favorites. Appears as Hopalong Cassidy, with Topper the Horse , on a 44¢ USA commemorative postage stamp in the Early TV Memories issue honoring Hopalong Cassidy (1952), issued 11 August 2009. Many Saturdays I spent watching Hopalong Cassidy in the Martin Theater in Eufaula, Alabama. The character was played by movie actor William Boyd starting in 1935. Topper did not appear in the first film, which came out in 1935, but after Hopalong's actor William Boyd bought him in 1937, he was used in subsequent films, television episodes, and even parades and other public appearances. There are some documentary appearances by Hoppy here and there and I may add them in the future. [See notes in the list.] With William Boyd, Edgar Buchanan, George Wallace, Rick Vallin. There have been museum displays of Hopalong Cassidy. Hopalong Cassidy is also referred to in Buddy Alan and Don Rich's 1970 Top Twenty hit, "Cowboy Convention". Topper's saddle is on display at Twin Cities South Trailers, a horse trailer dealership in Pilot Point Texas. Harry Sherman wanted to make more ambitious movies and tried to cancel the Cassidy series, but popular demand forced Sherman back into production, this time for United Artists. © Letterboxd Limited. Film data from TMDb. This remained the situation until the mid-1990s, after many Cassidy fans had died, when the company made available to The Western Channel a package series of restored and cleaned negative-based prints of the films to cable TV. In his early Hoppy adventures, Boyd rode various rental mounts from local stables. There have also been comic books and comic strips, as well as record readers.