Saturday, January 05, 2019

COWBOY #6


6 comments:

Paul Gutheil said...

Hoppy, Gene and Roy, boyhood heroes among others.

Chic Silber said...


Wasn't his name Wiliam Boyd

Roger Smith said...

Yes. Boyd lucked out like few others among the B-oater heros. The Cassidy character was owned by Commodore Productions, helmed by husband-and-wife team Walter White, Jr., and Shirley Thomas. They produced the 1953 Clyde Beatty epic, PERILS OF THE JUNGLE, and had in production a TV series starring him, as was covered in THE BILLBOARD. But Walter and Shirley squabbled over who was the lead producer, and Commodore was dissolved, along with Beatty's shot at TV stardom. But William Boyd hit his marks buying world rights to Hopalong Cassidy, and became among the richest actors in Hollywood history. He did tour with the Cole show, in a private car with his name in lasso font along the sides, but somehow, he landed a cameo appearance on RBB, in DeMille's THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH.

Roger Smith said...

OK--This "thing" is going nuts. No idea why this posted twice.

Chic Silber said...


The malady is known as

"Itchy Trigger Finger"

Not to worry Roger as

I keep the shovel handy

Charles Hanson said...

TCM did an interview with his widow, Grace Boyd. She went into great detail explaining how Hoppy acquired the rights and they sold almost everything they had to come up with the money. She said we were down to nothing but it paid off big time. Grace Boyd died not too long ago and in her nineties. Her obit said no survivors, she and Hoppy had no children, and she probably outlived all of kin. Have wondered who inherited or acquired the rights to the Hoppy Character and movie rights. Just recently, the Western Chanel with Xfinity, has started showing Hoppy movies early Saturday mornings...How appropriate.....