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Hopalong
Cassidy -
Music and More
| Remembering William Boyd |
Howdy, pards!
Thanks for riding into the Bar 20, getting off your horse to sit a spell and read about...
William Boyd (1895-1972), that silver-haired actor who played Hopalong Cassidy.
Here you'll find information about the music used in Hoppy movies, radio and TV shows, records, book reviews and fan events.
I was lucky enough to meet William Boyd and pose with him on the cover of Look magazine in 1950.
The whole story of that meeting, with a color photo of the magazine cover, is now available in an attractive illustrated eBook titled: "Following the Stars" - Music and Memories of Hopalong Cassidy.
To find out more information about it, just scroll down this page to "News and Book Reviews - 2005."
I wish you Hoppy thoughts!
--Roger, The Tune Man)
If you have any comments or questions, send them to:
Hopalong Cassidy - Music & More
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| Contents |
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News and Book Reviews
- Music in the First Hoppy FilmMus
- "Hoppy's Gone" (30th anniversary tribute) (30th
- HOPPY TALK Newsletter
- Hopalong Cassidy Fan Club
- Hopalong Cassidy Festivals
- Hoppy Collectibles Bookic in theN
- Songs About Hoppy
- Hopalong Cassidy TV Theme Song
- Review: "Hopalong Cassidy: Public Hero No. 1" (Documentary Film)
- Favorite Hopalong Cassidy Films
- Hopalong Cassidy and Western Links
News and Book Reviews - 2006
Memories of Hoppy
To read about a Hoppy fan's memories and other news, just click on this link:
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Hoppy and Three Favorite Singing
Cowboys
Last year there was an e-book titled: "Following the Stars" -- Music and Memories of Hopalong Cassidy, written by Roger Hall.
Now Roger has written a new e-book titled after one of his early songs:
"Dream World" - Songs, Poems and Stories
In the first chapter, he tells about growing up as a youngster with heros like Hopalong Cassidy and three of his favorite singing cowboys: Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and Tex Ritter.
This e-book, available only for a limited time on a CD-ROM disc, also has Roger's early song lyrics and poems, some music from the 1940s, '50s and '60s, and many great color and black & white photos.
Make sure to order your copy now while it is still available.
Here is the link for information how to order your copy:
Music Titles from PineTree Press
Hopalong Cassidy
Festival
The 16th Annual Hopalong Cassidy Festival took place in Cambridge, Ohio on May 4 - 6, 2006.
Invited guests were:
Dale Berry, Peter Breck, John Buttram, Bo Hopkins, Dick Jones, Russ McCubbin, Denny Miller, Gregg Palmer, and Francis Reeves (Hoppy Look-a-Like). Also Mrs. Howard Keel spoke about her late husband's book, Only Make Believe; Roger Hall spoke about Hoppy music and Susie Coffman read one of her poems about Hoppy.
For additional information, go here:
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In Preparation -- The Largest Hoppy Reference Book Ever Compiled!
Now being assembled is a comprehensive new reference book about the Hoppy films, radio shows and television shows. The main authors are the same two who wrote the Hopalong Cassidy Rides Again novel mentioned below: Dan Blasius and Jerry S. Rosenthal.
Also contributing are these guest writers: Scotty Rawson on the radio programs and other interesting Hopalong Cassidy news items; Richard Allen about Henry Donovan who assisted on the Hoppy films; and Roger Hall about the music in Hopalong Cassidy films, radio and television shows.
Watch for more details about this informative new reference book. rlso
News and Book Reviews
- 2005
Remembering
Hoppy
By Roger Hall
If you're a Hopalong Cassidy fan or collector, you know about the hard-to-find Look magazine from August 29, 1950. You may have asked yourself -- who is the little boy sitting on Hoppy's lap?
Well, that little youngin' was me!
You'd think my folks got a copy of that magazine when it came out in 1950. But unfortunately they didn't.
It took me many years to get a copy of that magazine.
For the 55th anniversary of that Look magazine cover, I've written about that photo shoot and a whole lot more relating to music in Hopalong Cassidy movies.
It's all available in a new illustrated eBook you read on your PC or laptop computer.
You must have Microsoft Word or compatible software installed on your computer.
The eBook is playable in your CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive.
Any or all of the pages may be printed if you wish to read them away from your computer.
The eBook title is:
"Following the Stars" - Music and Memories of Hopalong Cassidy
Besides the Look magazine story, this memory book also celebrates the 70th anniversary of the first Hopalong Cassidy western in 1935.
That's where the title comes from -- "I'm following the stars" was the featured song in the 1935 film and was sung by Jimmy Ellison (as Johnny Nelson) and his Bar 20 pals.
These are the chapter titles of the eBook:
1. Here He Comes! Hopalong Cassidy!
2. Hoppy and Me -- A Mystery Story
3. Hopalong Cassidy on Records
4. Songs in Hopalong Cassidy Films
5. Music, Music Directors and Singing Groups
6. The Hopalong Cassidy Festivals
7. Photo Album from Hopalong Cassidy Festivals
8. Notes and Additional Information
1
There are also 50 great photo illustrations, most of them in full color, including several of the invited guests at Hopalong Cassidy Festivals: the glamorous and gracious Mrs. Hopalong Cassidy (Grace Boyd); Frank (Junior) Couglan who worked with William Boyd in the silent movie days; and Dave Holland from the Lone Pine Festival in California.
To order this new illustrated eBook of Hoppy music and memories at a reasonable price, click on this link:
Music Titles from PineTree Press
If you have any questions, write to:
Hopalong Cassidy - Music and More
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Hopalong Cassidy
Enters
To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the first Hopalong Cassidy film in 1935, an article has been written for FILMS OF THE GOLDEN AGE, "the magazine for film lovers."
The first Hopalong Cassidy film had two different spellings:
Movie
Poster:er Hop-A-Long Cassidy
Actual Movie Title: Hop-along Cassidy
It was also reissued with this title: Hopalong Cassidy Enters
The film starred William Boyd as Bill (Hopalong) Cassidy, and Jimmy Ellison as Johnny Nelson. Also featured were George Hayes as Uncle Ben and Charles Middleton (before playing Ming in the FLASH GORDON serials) as Buck Peters.
The featured song in this 1935 film was "Following the Stars" (music by Sam H. Stepf, lyrics by Dave Franklin), this song is also the title of a new eBook (see above news item).
The article on Hop-a-long Cassidy is in issue number 42 (Fall 2005).
To order a copy of this magazine, write to:
FILMS OF THE GOLDEN AGE
301 E. 3rd Street
Muscatine, IA 52761-4191
Book Review:
A useful reference book has been written by Bernard A. Drew titled:
Jingle of the Silver Spurs: The Hopalong Cassidy Radio Program 1950-1952
In this book, Drew traces the development of the radio series and includes brief descriptions of all 104 half-hour radio episodes, plus the audition program from 1941 which doesn't use William Boyd or Andy Clyde.
There's also other information, including a brief biography of Clarence E. Mulford, who wrote the original Hopalong Cassidy novels.
One of the chapters I especially enjoyed was titled -- "Songs for Hoppy." It's a very good summary.
Drew clearly sets the record straight about the other two fellas with the same name: William "Stage" Boyd (1890-1935), who nearly ruined William "Hopalong" Boyd's career; and William "Radio" Boyd (1910-1977), who actually did sing western songs, unlike Hoppy.
Even though not specifically mentioned, some of the information in the Hoppy songs chapter are from articles in the Friends of Hopalong Cassidy newsletter, HOPPY TALK. At least the articles are listed in the Sources at the back of the book.
This book is especially useful when looking for a specific Hoppy radio program.
It also contains other fascinating information like "Vinyl Roundup."
There are also several added sections at the back of the book -- Appendix A: Radio Promotion from United Artists Theater Manuel, 1942; Appendix B: Mutual Radio Publicity Kit, 1949. Both of these are very interesting if you can read the small print of the reproduced text.
If you enjoy the Hopalong Cassidy radio programs, this handy well written book is essential for your library.
--Roger Hall, August 2005
To find out how to order this book, go the publisher's website:
Book Review:
A new collection of stories and poems by Susie Coffman has been published titled:
Follow Your Stars
This 432 page book is a collection of 15 poems and 6 stories, along with many nice black & white illustrations of Mr. and Mrs. Hopalong Cassidy (William and Grace Boyd).
Being a verse writer myself, I especially enjoyed the poems Susie has written. For example the first poem in the book, "Starlight, Star bright," which she has dedicated -- "for you, Grace, his shining star."
Then there's "The Lady and the Cowboy," which tells in verse the touching story of how Grace met Hoppy in 1937. Also there are several fine poems just about Hoppy, such as: "Gentleman of Lone Pine" and "That's What They Call Me." There's even a poem about Hoppy's horse, Topper.
The six stories are fun to read and bring a love of the Hoppy lore written about in the Clarence E. Mulford novels.
Susie brings a real sensitivity and warmth to her writing. If you're a real Hoppy fan and want to read some tributes to him, you should "follow your stars" and get this enjoyable collection of poems and stories, with some nice illustrations too.
If you want to see a Hoppy film location, take a look at page 408 showing "Gunsight Pass" as it looked in the 1941 Hoppy western, BORDER VIGILANTES, and how it looked in 2004. Not much has changed there.
This collection of poems and stories by Susie Coffman is well worth a read.
--Roger Hall, August 2005
Hoppy Rides...in a New Action Packed Novel
"The ring of the silver spurs heralds the arrival of an exciting new novel of the Old West. Dedicated to the beloved silver screen hero Hopalong Cassidy, William Lawrence Boyd, and all the ol' movie cowboy heroes!"
That statement announces a new hardcover full length novel titled:
Hopalong Cassidy Rides Again!
The novel was written by Wild Ol' Dan Blasius, based on a screenplay by Jerry S. Rosenthal.
This exciting tale features lots of western action, including stampedes, prairie fires, shoot outs, jail breaks, and more. The novel is available (AUTOGRAPHED by the two authors too!) from this address -
Sagebrush Publishing
18623 Ventura Blvd. #211
Tarzania, CA 91356
Phone: 1-800-711-4677 (if ordering by credit card)
Email: hoppy@sagebrush.com
For more information, go to this website:
Book Review:
The Hollywood Book of Death - The Bizarre, Often Sordid Passings of More that 125 American Movie and TV Idols by James Robert Parrish (Contemporary Books, 2002, 413 pages)
From the title of this book, you might fear a very sleazy description of our hero Hoppy, but actually he is listed under "Natural Causes," not "Alcohol and Drugs" or "Puzzling Deaths."
The section on William Boyd (pages 153-56) is actually well done and fortunately lists his correct date of birth as: June 5, 1895, not 1898 as so many have done.
There's also a nice photo included of William Boyd as Hoppy with Andy Clyde and Rand Brooks.
Parrish describes our Hoppy this way:
"Boyd was a gallant cowboy hero -- sporting distinguished white hair and a black outfit -- who always rode to the rescue in the nick of time astride his faithful horse Topper. He became a role model for generations of admirers, and even now is immortalized on various Internet websites."
Thanks for the plug, Mr. Parrish! I'm pleased he recognized the websites such as this one who celebrate Hoppy's memory.
The other sections of this book deal with lots of familiar movie stars like Marilyn Monroe, Audie Murphy, James Dean, and Elvis Presley. But there's also another famous cowboy star listed: Buck Jones.
This book by James Robert Parrish is worth looking at if you enjoy some bizarre death tales mixed in with some golden treasure stories -- like the one about our cowboy hero Hoppy!
--Roger Hall, April 2005
First Singing Group in a Hoppy Movie
Do you know the first singing group to be identified in the film credits of a Hopalong Cassidy western?
Unfortunately, the singers aren't identified in the first Hoppy film from 1935, other than the singing of "Following the Stars" by Jimmy Ellison.
But if you remember that wonderful old character actor, Chill Wills, you've got the answer.
He along with his group, known as "The Avalon Boys," sang the following songs in early Hoppy westerns:
"The Moon Hangs High" (Dave Franklin-Sam H. Stept) from BAR 20 RIDES AGAIN (1935)
"Call of the Prairie" (Tot Seymour-Vee Lawnhurst) from CALL OF THE PRAIRIE (1936)
You can see Chill Wills and His Avalon Boys in the hilarious Laurel & Hardy comedy, WAY OUT WEST (1937).
Chill and His Avalon Boys sing "At the Ball, That's All" and "Trail of the Lonesome Pine" with Laurel & Hardy doing a fine little dance together in WAY OUT WEST, now available on DVD.
Both songs are available on this very enjoyable CD taken from Laurel & Hardy comedies:
LOOK! Hoppy and Me!
The 50th anniversary limited edition written by Roger Hall is now SOLD OUT and no longer available.
Here's a review:
The book contains information on music in Hoppy's films, a color reproduction of the LOOK cover and relates the engaging story of how the cover photo came to be and Roger's long search for a copy of that particular issue of the magazine...William Boyd is said to have discouraged music in his films. Nevertheless, one of his saddle pals sometimes crooned a tune and the Jimmy Wakely Trio appeared in a couple of his films...Roger brings all of this back on the CD that accompanies his book...An unusual and interesting nostalgia package.
--O.J. Sikes, The Western Way, Vol 11, Issue 2 (Spring 2001).
O.J. also reviewed the book in Western Clippings (May/June 2002).
Though the limited edition is now SOLD OUT, you can get the LOOK magazine story in this new e-book:
"Following the Stars" - Music and Memories of Hopalong Cassidy
News and Book Reviews - 2004
Hoppy, Bing and Ken
How does Ken Darby connect to Hopalong Cassidy and Bing Crosby?
Darby was a member of The King's Men who sang in several Hoppy movies. In their first Hoppy movie, THE RENEGADE TRAIL, they sang two songs: "Lazy Rolls the Rio Grande" (with Eddie Dean) and "Hi That, Stranger!"
Later he formed The Ken Darby Singers and worked in radio shows and made some recordings, including one of the largest selling records of all-time with Bing Corsby. And that just happens to be on the multi-million selling holiday album-- "White Christmas".
Darby is best known to film music lovers for his association with Alfred Newman at 20th Century Fox on such great epics as HOW THE WEST WAS WON and THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD.
Some of the Hopalong Cassidy westerns at Paramount had very good scores by Victor Young , one of the giants of the Golden Age of film composers. It was Young who picked The King's Men to sing in the Hopalong Cassidy westerns. They were the first singing group in these westerns.
Yep, Ken Darby had an amazing career as singer, conductor, arranger, and songwriter.
You can read the whole story in Vol. 13 No. 1, Summer 2004, issue of HOPPY TALK. The story is titled:
"Hi Thar, Stranger!" Ken Darby and The King's Men in Hoppy Films
Also in that issue is a birthday tribute to "a beautiful lady"--Grace Bradley Boyd (Mrs. Hopalong Cassidy), who continues to delight her many fans. And there's lots of other news in the newsletter as well.
To join the Hopalong Cassidy Fan Club and receive the HOPPY TALK newsletter, write to Laura at:
Hopalong Cassidy, Ken Darby, Jerry Goldsmith,
and Victor Young
How do these four connect to each other?
Read all about it here:
Billy May and "The Singing
Bandit"
One of the most talented Big Band arrangers and conductors from the past was Billy May. Sadly, he died in San Juan Capistrano, California, on January 22 of a heart attack at the age of 87.
During the late 1930s he played with Charley Barnet's orchestra and made a famous arrangement of "Cherokee." During the early '40s, May played trumpet in Glenn Miller's famous orchestra and can be seen in two 20th Century Fox musicals: SUN VALLEY SERENADE (1941) and ORCHESTRA WIVES (1942).
Billy May went to work at Capitol Records in the late 1940s.
In 1950, he co-wrote a popular song along with Alan Livingston and Warren Foster. The song was: "I Taut I Taw A Puddy Tat," based on the words spoken by cartoon character Tweety. The song was recorded by Mel Blanc -- the voice of that cute little yellow canary bird, and also his arch rival, Sylvester the Cat.
Another project that Billy May worked on at Capitol has special importance to Hoppy fans.
Some Hoppy collectors know about the Record Readers for children under the Bozo the Clown logo. They include two 78 or 45 RPM records along with the story script and some nice black & white photos.
The first one from 1950 was also the best one: "Hopalong Cassidy and the Singing Bandit."
If you have a copy, look at the label and you'll see that the delightful music was composed by Billy May. The words to the Hoppy song are by the album producer, Alan Livingston, who probably also sang the song. Livingston eventually brought in many big name stars to Capitol Records, including Frank Sinatra, the Beatles, and the Beach Boys. He also helped promote the Beatles in the US. For more about the Capitol boss and the Beatles, see Alan Livingston, I presume
Hoppy and Billy May may seem like an odd combination. Yet they both were doing their jobs to put out a good product for kids everywhere. I know...I was one of them.
So, I tip my black hat in memory of the great and gifted Billy May.
He added so much joy for those who remember his wonderful music, including those Hoppy Record Readers.
--Roger Hall
Bing Crosby and Hopalong Cassidy on Radio (Part
II)
Due to the popularity of the article in the Summer 2003 issue of HOPPY TALK, there was a second installment in the Winter 2004 issue. These are the two articles:
"The Road...oops, Trail To Bing & Hoppy" by Fred Romary ( 8 radio shows with Bing & Hoppy)
"Hopalong Cassidy on Radio" by Roger Hall
For those who may not know...
There were two sidekicks featured on the 104 radio shows for "Hopalong Cassidy":
Andy Clyde - first 12 episodes; nos. 14-20,22-23, 25-26, 53-104.
Joe DuVal - episodes 28-35, 37-52.
There was no sidekick featured in episodes 13, 21, 24, 27, and 36.
Now you can get a one hour CD-R with several radio broadcasts featuring Bing, Hoppy, Peggy Lee, and Dinah Shore.
Among the highlights are songs sung by silky-voice Bing, including a few cowboy songs ("Tumbling Tumbleweeds" and "Mule Train") and several Christmas classics ("Silver Bells" and "White Christmas"). There are also several funny guest skits with Bing and Hoppy.
The CD-R is available at a reasonable price covering copying cost and postage.
For information how to get your copy of "Bing and Hoppy on Radio", write to:
News and Book Reviews - 2003
Bing Crosby and Hopalong Cassidy on Radio (Part
I)
An article about these two very popular movie stars is in the Summer 2003 issue of HOPPY TALK-- newsletter of the Friends of Hopalong Cassidy.
Both Bing Crosby and William Boyd worked at Paramount Studios and also had their own radio shows. Bing Crosby was born in 1903 and died in 1977. You can read more about him and also his pal, Bob Hope, at -
The HOPPY TALK article is about several appearances of Hopalong Cassidy on Bing's radio show. Also featured are some wonderful rare photos of Bing and Hoppy.
For information about Bing's radio shows see this excellent web site -
Steven Lewis' Bing Crosby Internet Museum
To read the article about Bing and Hoppy, you need to join the Hoppy Fan Club.
When you join, you'll get the the very informative HOPPY TALK newsletter prepared by the dedicated Laura Bates. She has been the rock solid editor of this newsletter for over ten years. A tip of the tall Hoppy hat to you, Laura! Another tip of the hat also goes to Associate Editor, Fred Romary, who has provided much valuable assistance.
If you're a Hoppy fan, it's well worth your time to join the Friends of Hopalong Cassidy and get your issues of HOPPY TALK.
For more information, write to Laura at:
Hoppy Sidekick Has Left The Bar 20...
Fans of Hopalong Cassidy movies were very saddened to learn that one of his last sidekicks, Rand Brooks -- who played Lucky Jenkins in the last 12 films-- has left the Bar 20 and ridin' off to the Heavenly Corral.
He died on September 1, 2003, at the age of 84.
Besides the Hoppy movies, Rand Brooks is best known for his role as Scarlett O'Hara's first husband, Charles Hamilton, in the 1939 epic film, GONE WITH THE WIND. He said he never liked that role because he was too much of a wimp. "I wanted to be more macho," he said.
Rand Brooks also had many roles on TV programs, especially such popular westerns as "The Gene Autry Show," "The Roy Rogers Show," and "The Lone Ranger." In 1954, he played the part of Cpl. Randy Boone in the TV series, "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin."
One of his fondest memories was working with a young then unknown actress in LADIES OF THE CHORUS in 1948. That young actress was Marilyn Monroe and Brooks boasted that he was the actor who gave her the first on-screen kiss --even though it was a very brief one.
But for Hoppy fans, he will always be remembered for his sidekick role he played with so much dignity and dedication.
Rest in Peace, Rand (Lucky) Brooks.
--Roger Hall, September 7, 2003
These are the Hopalong Cassidy films in which Rand Brooks played Lucky Jenkins:
FOOL'S GOLD (1946); DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND (1946); UNEXPECTED GUEST (1947); DANGEROUS VENTURE (1947); KING OF THE RANGE (aka: THE MARAUDERS, 1947); HOPPY'S HOLIDAY (1947); SILENT CONFLICT (1947); THE DEAD DON'T DREAM (1948); TWO GUN TERRITORY (aka: SINISTER JOURNEY, 1948); BORROWED TROUBLE (1948); FALSE PARADISE (1948); STRANGE GAMBLE (1948).
That's 12 films in only a few years. Those were the days when they really cranked out the westerns!
To see a complete list of films and TV guest appearances by Rand Brooks, go here:
Type in his name in the Search box.
Book Review:
HOPPY by Hank Williams (Sweet-Water Press, 2003, 305 pages)
Many fans of Hopalong Cassidy have waited a long time for a good book about William Boyd, the actor who played him for so many years. I wished I could say this is the book that fits the bill. But it doesn't.
This is a gushy fan obsessed book by Hank Williams (not to be confused with the country singer). It's also badly in need of a good editor and lacks any source credits or footnotes.
There is far too much space devoted to the author. For example, the book has his bio sketch both on the dust jacket and as the first section of the book, instead of at the end of the book. He writes so much about himself throughout the book that you may ask the question - Is this a book about Hank Williams or Hoppy?
There's nothing wrong with showing great affection for Hoppy, who was a hero to millions of young boys and girls for decades. I was certainly one of them myself. But the author writes the same admiration over and over again. He does include some Hoppy quotes but never indicates where he got them from. There are lots of black & white photos but none of them are identified. Many Hoppy fans will recognize the actors and films but what about those who don't know them? This is especially important for the early photos from silent films with William Boyd and unnamed actors or films. There should be captions for each photo, or at least an index of the photo illustrations in the book.
There are loads of grammatical mistakes. Just to give a few examples from page 73:
"Do you remember when Hoppy had Brad King as a sidekick. [no question mark] Britt Wood and Jay Kirby as sidekicks. [no question mark]
"Do you remember George Reeves (Superman) played a sidekick in the Hoppy movie called Bar 20 [no italics] and he play Linn Bradley." [no question mark and awkwardly written sentence]
"And do you remember when Robert Mitchum was getting his start in Hoppy movies in 1942 and 1943." [no question mark]
These are sloppy errors and could have been easily corrected with proper editing.
The author makes no references to the many songs featured in the Hoppy movies, especially those sung by The King's Men, Eddie Dean, and the Jimmy Wakely Trio.
Obviously Hank Williams has never visited the Cowboy Song Corral.
He does mention one song that was not from a Hoppy movie. In chapter 16, he describes the passing of William Boyd and includes the song,"Hoppy's Gone," without giving any credit where he got the lyrics. In fact he doesn't give credit for any of his information.
The first 138 pages are devoted to what the author simply calls "Hoppy." The sixteen chapters have such titles as "My Hero" and "Birth of the B-Western."
Then there's an unnecessary Epilogue and a really corny little vignette titled: "Me and Hoppy: A Horse's Tail."
The remainder of the book is filled with lists and photos from the Hoppy films.
In Section Two (pages 139-305) are numerous listings for Hoppy's Sidekicks, and all 66 Hopalong Cassidy films from 1935 to 1948. Each film gets a photo (with no identifications) and a short one paragraph description.
But there's no list of Hoppy's radio and television programs. There's also no list of William Boyd's silent films, even though his early career is mentioned in the early chapters of the book.
What I found most annoying was the author giving his political views in the Epilogue of the book. He talks about President George Bush's "Cowboy diplomacy" and compares that to the good values of Hoppy. That's ridiculous! Politicians and cowboy stars are like apples and oranges -- they don't belong in the same basket!
There will be some Hoppy fans who will buy this book no matter what anyone says about it. That's their decision. I just wish the book was better. It does have an attractive cover, but it's what's inside the book that matters most to any true Hoppy fan.
I cannot recommend this book by Hank Williams to anyone who wants an informative and well written book about the great cowboy star known as Hopalong Cassidy.
Hopefully someday we'll get a really good book about William Boyd and his remarkable career.
I hope that day comes soon.
--Roger Hall, January 10, 2003
News and Book Reviews - 2002
The Old Cowboy Picture Show:
There are two issues devoted completely to Hopalong Cassidy:
September 2002 (Vol. 6, No. 9) has these articles:
"The Redemption of William Boyd" and "Defending William Boyd" by Allen J. Wiener; "Hoppyland - The Time the Good Guy Lost" by Cecilia Rasmussen; "Sagebrush Entertainment - Restoring the Films of Hoppy and Roy" by Tim Lasiuta; Bio sketches on three Hoppy Look-A-Likes: Corwyn Edwards, Francis M. Reeves, and Joe Sullivan; and news about the planned Hopalong Cassidy Museum at Prairie Rose Chuckwagon Supper near Wichita, Kansas.
October 2001(Vol. 5, No. 10) has these articles:
A review of the Westerns Channel documentary: "Hopalong Cassidy: Public Hero #1" by Leo Pando; "Mr. Mulford's Hoppy" by Corwyn Edwards; and "Remembering Those Songs From Hoppy Westerns" by Roger Hall (includes a photo Grace Boyd).
For information how to get a copies of these newsletters, write to Editor/Publisher, George Coan at: cowboy50@camden.net
Also visit their website: www.cowboyshow.com
Hoppy Movies on DVD:
These are the first series of DVDs from Image Entertainment:
#9151 - Three On The Trail (1936)/ Hopalong Cassidy Returns (1936)
#9152 - Hop-a-long Cassidy (1935)/ Bar 20 Rides Again (1935)
#9153 - Trail Dust (1936)/ Borderland (1937)
#9154 - Hills of Old Wyoming (1937)/ North of the Rio Grande (1937)
More DVDs in the Hopalong Cassidy: The Early Years series are now available. Other Hoppy films are also being released on DVD.
Help support Hopalong Cassidy - Music and More!
Please order your Books, CDs, DVDs and other products here from Amazon.com
Music in the
First Hoppy Film (1935)
The first movie in the series
was titled simply:
Hop-along Cassidy (also known as: Hopalong Cassidy Enters).
This film starred William Boyd (Hopalong Cassidy), George Hayes (Uncle Ben), and Jimmy Ellison (Johnny Nelson).
There were two important musical themes in this first Hoppy film:
(1) Theme Song: "Following the Stars."
There was one original theme song used in the film and it's heard throughout from the opening Main Title to the End Credits music. This song was sung mostly by Jimmy Ellison.
This song was published by Shapiro, Bernstein & Co. in 1935.
Here are the lyrics for the first part of the song:
I'm following the stars,
Thru tumbleweeds and clover,
I'm following the stars,
And my Pinto follows me,
I roam the wild prairie
'Cause I was born a rover,
I live a life that's free,
For I'm following the stars.,ough
The words to "Following the Stars" were written Dave Franklin and the music by Sam H. Stept. Both songwriters would go on to write later hit songs, such as "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me)" by Stept, Lew Brown and Charles Tobias, and "The Anniversary Waltz" (Dave Franklin & Al Jolson).
(2) Chase Theme: "Dance of the Furies."
An instrumental piece titled: "Dance of the Furies" from Gluck's opera, Orfeo ed Euridice, was used for the chase footage at the end of the movie. This classical theme works very well as accompaniment for the galloping horses in the movie. It was used in other action sequences in later Hoppy movies.
This theme along with other western movie themes are mentioned the reference book:
A Guide to Film Music - Songs and Scores.
There was also an instrumental piece titled: "Dance of the Furies" from Gluck's opera, Orfeo ed Euridice, used for the chase footage near the end of the movie. This classical theme works very well as accompaniment for the galloping horses in the movie. It was used in chase sequences in later Hoppy films as well.
The Gluck theme along with other western movie themes are mentioned in this reference book:
A Guide to Film Music - Songs and Scores.
"Hoppy's Gone"
By Roger Hall
In 2002, it was thirty years since we lost that wonderful hero of our youth, Hopalong Cassidy.
On September 12, 1972, William Boyd died of heart failure.
He was that friendly silver-haired gentleman with the hearty laugh who played Hopalong Cassidy for several decades in movies, radio, and television.
In 2001, I sent in the following information about him to Chase's Calendar of Events:
"BOYD, WILLIAM: BIRTH ANNIVERSARY. June 5, 1895. Born in Hendrysburg, OH. Boyd went to Hollywood in 1919 and got a job as a film extra. His first major starring role was THE VOLGA BOATMAN (1926). In 1935, he got the role of Hopalong Cassidy in a series of popular westerns. He made 66 of these films between 1935 and 1948. Some of them were edited and shown on television. Boyd then made some episodes especially for TV. Died in Hollywood, CA, Sept. 12, 1972."
Chase's Calendar also has a listing which I didn't send in:
"HOPALONG CASSIDY" TV PREMIERE: ANNIVERSARY. June 24, 1949. A western series starring William Boyd in the title role as a hero who wore black and rode a white horse. The original episodes were segments edited from 66 movie features of Hopalong Cassidy and his sidekick, Red Connors (Edgar Buchanan). The films were so popular that Boyd produced episodes especially for TV.
This listing is not correct. Red Connors was Hoppy's TV sidekick and not featured in any of the 66 movie features.
His sidekicks in the movies included Jimmy Ellison, Russell Hayden, Rand Brooks, and comic sidekicks: George Hayes ("Windy") and Andy Clyde ("California Carlson").
It was a great loss to all who admired this kindly man of dignity and honor from the Old Bar 20.
To help express the grief of so many Hoppy fans, a song was written by Johnny Slate, Larry Henley, and Red Lane.
It was titled: "Hoppy's Gone."
This poignant song was recorded by Roger Miller in Nashville on November 10, 1972.
It's available on a 3 CD set:
"King of the Road: The Genius of Roger Miller"(Mercury Nashville)
This great CD set includes 70 songs recorded by Roger Miller between 1957 and 1986.
For more information about the song, read on...
HOPPY TALK Newsletter
For those who have asked for the lyrics to "Hoppy's Gone," they are printed in the special Fall 2002 issue of HOPPY TALK, commemorating the 30th anniversary of Hoppy's passing along into the Heavenly Corral. Also included are Hoppy memories from fan club members, including a few from me.
To get this informative and well illustrated newsletter you need to join the fan club.
The newsletter is edited by Laura Bates, with Fred Romary as Associate Editor.
To find out how to get HOPPY TALK read on partners...
Hopalong Cassidy Fan Club
If you're a Hoppy fan, you should
join the Friends of Hopalong Cassidy.
That way you can get your copy of the informative newsletter, HOPPY TALK, and keep up with all the latest news, such as the annual Hoppy Festival in Cambridge, Ohio.
To get more information about joining the fan club and getting the newsletter, write to:
Or write to this address:
Laura Bates, Friends of Hopalong Cassidy, 6310 Friendship Drive, New Concord, Ohio 43762-9708
Do it pronto, partner!
That way you can keep up on all the Hoppy Happenings.
Like these annual...
Hopalong Cassidy
Festivals
Each year the Festival is held in Cambridge, Ohio--the boyhood home of William Boyd.
16th Annual Festival (Thursday-Saturday, May 4-6, 2006)
To read about this "sweet 16" event, click on this link:
Hopalong Cassidy Festival Report
15th Annual Festival (May 5, 6 and 7, 2005)
The invited special guests for the Cambridge, Ohio Festival were:
Grace Bradley Boyd (Mrs. Hopalong Cassidy), John Buttram (nephew of Pat Buttram), Robert Fuller, Kathy Garver, Ty Hardin, Russ McCubbin, Andrew Prine, William Smith, and Roberta Shore.
As usual there were also the Hoppy Look-A-Likes, led by the friendly and reliable Francis Reeves. Other cowboy look-a-likes include: Alan Bye (as Gabby Hayes), Ken Cagle (as Rooster Cogburn) who received the Edgar Krupp Memorial Trophy, and Bob Seiber (as John Wayne).
Unfortunately, Grace Boyd was again unable to attend the festival.
14th Annual Festival (Friday-Saturday, April
30 - May 1, 2004)
The invited special guests for the Cambridge, Ohio Festival were:
Grace Bradley Boyd (Mrs. Hopalong Cassidy), Dale Berry, Peter Brown, Ben Cooper, Jon Locke, Russ McCubbin, Francis Reeves, Dale Robertson, and Roberta Shore.
Unfortunately, Grace Boyd was unable to attend due to an illness.
Also, Ben Cooper and Dale Robertson were unable to attend.
13th Annual Festival (May 2 - 3, 2003)
The event in Cambridge, Ohio had these special guests:
Grace Bradley Boyd (Mrs. Hopalong Cassidy), Ben Cooper ("Wagon Train"), James Drury ("The Virginian"), Jon Locke ("Laramie"), Cheryl Rogers-Barnett (Daughter of Roy Rogers & Dale Evans), Roberta Shore ("Laramie"), and Katie West (Western Celebrity Artist).
Dale Robertson was ill and could not
attend.
12th Annual Festival (May 2 - 5,
2002)
This was reportedly one of the most successful Hoppy Festivals ever held in Cambridge, Ohio. An extra day was added on Thursday, May 2, which included a barbecue dinner with Grace Bradley Boyd.
Hundreds of folks turned out on Friday and Saturday for a variety show (which included the popular singers, The LeGarde Twins with Sharon), a collector's show, autograph signing with the stars, a cowboy parade in Cambridge and a Grand Banquet.
In addition to the cowboy look-a-likes, the following guests appeared:
Ben Cooper, Robert Horton, and Katie West.
11th Annual Festival (May 4 - 5, 2001)
These were the scheduled guests:
The ever lovely and gracious Grace Bradley Boyd (Mrs. Hopalong Cassidy); Bob Brown ("Leonardo of Leather"); Dick Jones (featured in THE FRONTIERSMAN, and two TV shows: "The Range Rider" and "Buffalo Bill Jr."); Paul Picerni ("The Untouchables"); and the Special Cowboy Look-A-Likes.
Wanna read a funny story about someone who wasn't welcome at the Hopalong Cassidy Festival?
Then read "Hooted Out of Hoppyville" at:
http://www.fiftiesweb.com/hopalong-festival.htm
10th Annual Hopalong Cassidy Festival (May 5 - 6, 2000)
Roundup Report:
Both my wife Gail and I really enjoyed ourselves at the 10th Annual Hopalong Cassidy Festival in William Boyd's boyhood home of Cambridge, Ohio.
It was the third one we had attended - the others were in 1995 and 1999.
This year's festival took place as usual on Friday and Saturday, with lots of activities scheduled by the festival committee.
In addition to the guest stars who signed photos, there was a Western Collector's Toy Show, continuous showings of Hoppy movies, a Western style show at the local theater, plus a dinner on Friday night, and to top it off - the Grand Banquet on Saturday evening. I had the pleasure of sitting with Fran and Jerry Rosenthal, who now runs Sagebrush Entertainment and is the man responsible for getting all of the Hoppy movies released uncut on video. We should all thank him for that achievement!
The guests who attended the weekend festival were:
Grace Bradley Boyd (the sweet and always lovable "Mrs. Hopalong Cassidy"); Bob Brown (master leather maker, who just turned 90!); Dale Robertson ("Wells Fargo" and "Dallas"); John Hart ("The Lone Ranger" and "Hawkeye"); Donna Martell (western film star); and Ed "Kookie" Byrnes ("77 Sunset Strip" TV show and a few western movies).
Plus there were a whole bunch of Western Look-a-Likes, including Boyd Anderson (as Herb Jeffreys), Francis Reeves (as Hoppy himself), Bob Seiber (as John Wayne), Joe Sullivan (another popular Hoppy) and Bob Wallace (as Lash LaRue). They all looked very authentic and always add a nice touch to the Hoppy Festival.
I wore my black shirt and pants (just like back in 1950) and signed autographs for those who brought their Look magazines with Hoppy and me on the cover.
While at the Hoppy Festival, I had a chance to stop by at William Boyd's birthplace in nearby Hendrysburg. The State of Ohio has recently put up road signs at both ends of the road to designate his birthplace.
Also, we visited the Hoppy Museum, located in the Antique Mall at 127 South 10th Street in Cambridge. Since this year is the 50th anniversary, Laura Bates had put up a very nice display about my Look magazine cover with Hoppy in 1950. She even included her own copy of the magazine signed by me. I really appreciate her thoughtfulness.
We also drove past the monument put up in 1992 at the Park School (corner of Highland and Wheeling Avenues). William Boyd attended that school in his youth. There was a ceremony at the school on Friday morning for the school children.
I sang two songs at the Saturday Night Banquet: "Hopalong Cassidy (Clippity, Clippity, Clop)" published in 1954; and "Following the Stars" from the very first Hoppy movie of 1935.
The audience had the words for the 1935 song and were invited to sing along with me.
It was really fun to sing again that wonderful song from my favorite Hoppy movie. Do you remember it?
I'll close with the three words that came out of my mouth after my singing at the Banquet...
Long live Hoppy!!
--Roger Hall, May 10, 2000
Collectibles
Book
By Roger Hall
I was very pleased and honored to be included in the beautiful full-color guide, Hopalong Cassidy Collectibles, by Joseph J. Caro.
The photos of my wife and me, both of us "Hoppy Kids," are on pages 13 and 14. I appeared with Hoppy on the cover of LOOK magazine in 1950. You can see how much that magazine is valued at on page 180 of the book. Also on those same pages are photos of former US President Bill Clinton as a youngster in his Hoppy outfit, and the very glamorous Grace Bradley Boyd (Mrs. Hopalong Cassidy). Both my wife and I are in such good company!!
This is a must have book if you collect Hoppy memorabilia. And I don't get any commission for saying that.
If you're interested in collecting any Hoppy merchandise you should get a copy of this excellent well illustrated book by Joe Caro. There are over 1,200 color photos in the book and it includes a Current Value Guide.
Songs About Hoppy
(1) "Hoppy, Gene and Me" (Garrett/Dorff/Brown) - sung by Roy Rogers in 1974. Available on the Madacy CD: Hoppy, Gene and Me, 2005. The Roy Rogers recording is also on the 4-CD box set: Songs of the West - Rhino R2 71263/71451, 1993.
(2) "Hoppy's Gone" - written in 1972 by Johnny Slate, Larry Henley, and Red Lane. This tribute to Hoppy, after William Boyd died, was poignantly sung by Roger Miller. The song is included in the wonderful 3 CD box set: "King of the Road: The Genius of Roger Miller"- Mercury Nashville, 1995.
(3) "Last of the Silver Screen Cowboys" (Garrett/Dorff/Brown) - sung by Rex Allen Jr. and Sr, and Roy Rogers (recorded 1982). Available on the Rhino set: Songs of the West.
Hopalong Cassidy TV Theme Song
The song isn't in the same big song corral of popularity as Gene Autry's "Back in the Saddle Again" or Roy Rogers' "Happy Trails." But the Hopalong Cassidy TV theme has become better known today because it has been used as the intro music for the restored Hoppy movies on video and DVD.
The first network telecast of the Hopalong Cassidy show was on NBC in 1949.
The theme for the Hopalong Cassidy TV show was written by two veteran songwriters: Nacio Herb Brown (music) and L. Wolfe Gilbert (lyrics).
Nacio Herb Brown (1896-1964) wrote the music for "Singin' in the Rain"(1929), "You Were Meant for Me" (1929), "You are My Lucky Star" (1935) and other movie songs with his partner, lyricist Arthur Freed.
L.Wolfe Gilbert (1886-1970) wrote the lyrics for such classic songs as: "Waiting for the Robert E. Lee," (1912); "Ramona" (1928); and "Green Eyes" (1931).
Recordings of Hopalong Cassidy TV theme:
Television Greatest Hits, Volume 4: Black & White Classics (TVT Records). This CD includes the Hopalong Cassidy theme among the 65 tracks of TV themes.
Treasury of the West, Volume 2 (Time Life, 2 CDs) . "Hopalong Cassidy March" recorded by Frank Devol, Capitol Records, 1952) - this is the complete version of the TV theme.
Review - "Hopalong Cassidy:
Public Hero No. 1"
Here he comes! Here he comes!...
Those opening words of the television theme song were heard when the Westerns Channel premiered its first ever documentary about a past cowboy star.
It was produced by the Emmy Award-winning team of Joni Levin and Keith Clarke of Point Blank Productions. The documentary was broadcast at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 29, 2001. The new documentary, lasting over one hour, was about the life and career of William Boyd. The program was narrated by Dennis Weaver (of Gunsmoke fame) and included interviews with Hoppy's attractive widow, Grace Bradley Boyd, and popular film historian, Leonard Maltin. During the end credits, there were more opinions about Hopalong Cassidy by some fans and a funny finale featuring comedian Bill Cosby.
Leading up to the documentary there were 41 Hoppy films shown throughout the weekend. It was fun to watch them. In between these films were interviews with Grace Boyd, Laura Bates, and others at the 11th Annual Hopalong Cassidy Festival in Cambridge, Ohio. Unfortunately the very first Hoppy film from 1935 wasn't shown during the marathon. That's too bad because it's one of the best in the entire series. It also has one of the best songs in the series: "Following the Stars."
As you can read in my story above, I have a personal connection to William Boyd. I had the enormous thrill of posing on the cover of LOOK magazine with Hopalong Cassidy (August 29, 1950), which had the exact same title as the documentary: "Hopalong Cassidy: Public Hero No. 1." Quite a coincidence! Why didn't they show that LOOK magazine cover in the documentary? It would have been a natural tie-in to the documentary title. Did the documentary filmmakers know about this connection? Probably not. But they did show lots of other Hoppy related memorabilia.
Overall, I thought that the documentary was a very good representation of William Boyd's life and career, from his silent movie days through the Hopalong Cassidy years and his retirement after Topper died. The remarks by Grace Bradley Boyd were priceless. She was both candid and funny in her telling the details of her husband's career. It's not surprising she got choked up when talking about the love for her late husband.
Leonard Maltin, on the other hand, didn't add much to the documentary. Some of his comments were just plain wrong, such as saying that William Boyd was the only cowboy star to dress in black. How about Tim McCoy? Boyd admired McCoy's dark outfit and adapted it for his own look? Or how about Lash LaRue, another man in black? Obviously, Maltin needed to check his facts more carefully. But he did offer some interesting comments about Boyd's success in the silent film days and the lean years in the early 1930s before the Hopalong Cassidy series began.
For me, it was disappointing that none of the over 40 songs featured in Hoppy movies were even mentioned. Grace did refer to the singing cowboys and said her husband was more interested in a good story. I believe that many of the songs used in Hoppy movies do enhance the story and give them a bit of flavor. Hearing Eddie Dean singing "Lazy Rolls the Rio Grande" or The Jimmy Wakely Trio perform "Cimarron (Roll On)" only gives the Hoppy movies more enjoyment, at least for this reviewer.
My biggest complaint was the overdone narration by Dennis Weaver. He was too heavy handed in his delivery and at one point threw down a movie script to emphasize rejection. Was this necessary? Less Mr. Weaver and more "Mrs. Hopalong Cassidy" (as she is affectionately known to her many fans) would have been welcome.
Even with my reservations, I still think the documentary is well worth having for Hoppy fans of any age, young or old. With his hearty laugh and strong wholesome character (he never drank whiskey!), we may never see the likes of a cowboy star like him again.
Some may remember William Boyd from his 66 movies. Others, like me, will remember him when he was the most popular TV attraction. This well-made documentary makes it clear what a memorable time that was for him and also for those who still remember him.
For us he'll always remain - Public Hero No 1!
--Roger Hall, July 31 , 2001
For more information about the documentary, go to: http://www.starzencore.com/se/westerns/hopalong_cassidy.html
My Favorite Five Hopalong Cassidy
Films
by Roger Hall
With so many enjoyable Hoppy westerns
in the series of 66 films, it's difficult to choose just five.
But here they are mine in chronological order -- and all have some good songs too:
HOP-A-LONG CASSIDY (aka: HOPALONG CASSIDY ENTERS) - first in the series (1935) - song: "Following the Stars"
TRAIL DUST (1936) - title song; "Beaneath a Western Sky"; "Take Me Back to Those Wide Open Spaces"
THE FRONTIERSMEN (1938) - many traditional songs
THE RENEGADE TRAIL (1939) - "Lazy Rolls the Rio Grande"; "Hi Thar, Stranger!" (with Eddie Dean and The King's Men)
STICK TO YOUR GUNS (1941) - "My Kind of Country"; "On the Strings of My Guitar"; "Blue Moon on the Silver Sage"(with The Jimmy Wakely Trio)
What are your favorite Hoppy movies?
Send in your choices to:
Hopalong Cassidy and Western Links
Do you have a Hoppy related site or know
about one not listed here?
Send in your information to:
Hopalong Cassidy - Music and More
* For tributes to film stars and songwriters, take a look at this music site: Cowboy Song Corral
* You can join a Yahoo great discussion group called Hopalong Cassidy Fans
* If you're a Hoppy fan, you need to look at the Official Hopalong Cassidy Site
* To order Joe Caro's colorful collector's guide, go to: Hopalong Cassidy Collectibles
* For information about collectinng Hoppy memorabilia, see: Collectibles - Hopalong Cassidy
* Another site with information about Hopalong Cassidy is found at: http://members.tripod.com/~compmast/boyd/boyd.html
* One of the best cowboy web sites, with just about every popular cowboy star (including William Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy) and a section called "Music Mountain," is available at Chuck Anderson's:
* Another place to go for cowboy news is Joe Konnyu's fabulous site: "Cowboy Pal - Home of the Silver Screen Cowboys." It's chock full of cowboy tributes, photos, questions & answers, and much more. Well worth checking out at:
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