William Lawrence Boyd was an American film actor who is known for portraying the cowboy hero Hopalong Cassidy.
Hopalong 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. Mulford portrayed the character as rude, dangerous, and rough-talking. He was shot in the leg during a gun fight which caused him to walk with a little "hop", hence the nickname.
From 1935 to 1948, 66 American Western films were produced featuring the character Hopalong Cassidy, played in all the films by actor William Boyd. The films were at the time collectively known as "Hoppies". In the films, Hopalong, or "Hoppy", and his white horse, Topper, travel through the Old West while dispensing justice, usually with two companions: one young and trouble-prone with a weakness for damsels in distress, the other older, comically awkward and outspoken.
Border Patrol is a 1943 Western film directed by Lesley Selander and written by Clarence E. Mulford and Michael Wilson. The film stars William Boyd, Andy Clyde, Robert Mitchum, Jay Kirby, George Reeves, and Duncan Renaldo. The film was released on April 2, 1943, by United Artists.
Andrew Allan Clyde, known professionally as Andy Clyde, was a Scottish-born American film and television actor whose career spanned some 45 years. In 1921 he broke into silent films as a Mack Sennett comic, debuting in On a Summer Day. He was the fifth of six children of theatrical actor, producer and manager John Clyde. Clyde's brother David and his sister Jean also became screen actors.
Hoppy Serves a Writ is a 1943 Western film directed by George Archainbaud and starring William Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy, the 43rd of 66 Cassidy features. The supporting cast features his regular sidekicks Andy Clyde and Jay Kirby, as well as Victor Jory and George Reeves. The film remains noteworthy today as one of the earliest screen performances of unshaven newcomer Robert Mitchum, who made an impression upon the studio by generating a surprising fan mail response exactly as Clark Gable had after playing an extremely similar unshaven role in The Painted Desert, a Western starring William Boyd produced a dozen years earlier.
Lost Canyon is a 1942 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and written by Harry O. Hoyt. The film stars William Boyd, Andy Clyde, Jay Kirby, Lola Lane, Douglas Fowley and Herbert Rawlinson, is a remake of Rustlers' Valley (1937). The film was released on December 18, 1942, by United Artists.
The Leather Burners is a 1943 American Western film directed by Joseph Henabery and written by Jo Pagano. The film stars William Boyd, Andy Clyde, Jay Kirby, Victor Jory, George Reeves, George Givot and Ellanora Needles. The film was released on May 28, 1943, by United Artists. The on-screen title is simply Leather Burners without the definite article.
Bar 20 is a 1943 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and written by Morton Grant, Michael Wilson and Norman Houston. The film stars William Boyd, Andy Clyde, George Reeves, Dustine Farnum, Victor Jory, Douglas Fowley, Betty Blythe, Robert Mitchum and Francis McDonald. The film was released on October 1, 1943, by United Artists.
False Colors is a 1943 American Western film directed by George Archainbaud and written by Morton Grant, Michael Wilson and Norman Houston. The film stars William Boyd, Andy Clyde, Jimmy Rogers, Douglass Dumbrille, Tom Seidel, Claudia Drake and Robert Mitchum. The film was released on November 5, 1943, by United Artists.
Texas Masquerade is a 1944 American Western film directed by George Archainbaud, written by Jack Lait Jr. and Norman Houston, and starring William Boyd, Andy Clyde, Jimmy Rogers, Don Costello, Mady Correll and Francis McDonald. It was released on February 8, 1944, by United Artists.
Mystery Man is a 1944 American Western film directed by George Archainbaud and written by J. Benton Cheney. The film stars William Boyd, Andy Clyde, Jimmy Rogers, Don Costello, Eleanor Stewart and Francis McDonald. The film was released on May 31, 1944, by United Artists.
The Devil's Playground is a 1946 American Western film directed by George Archainbaud and written by Ted Wilson. The film stars William Boyd, Andy Clyde, Rand Brooks, Elaine Riley and Robert Elliott. The film was released on November 15, 1946, by United Artists.
Fool's Gold is a 1947 American Western film directed by George Archainbaud and written by Doris Schroeder. The film stars William Boyd, Andy Clyde, Rand Brooks, Robert Emmett Keane and Jane Randolph. The film was released on January 31, 1947, by United Artists. This is the 56th film of the 66 in the series and the first one produced by William Boyd Productions instead of Harry Sherman.
Hoppy's Holiday is a 1947 American Western film directed by George Archainbaud and written by J. Benton Cheney, Bennett Cohen and Ande Lamb. The film stars William Boyd, Andy Clyde, Rand Brooks, Mary Ware, Andrew Tombes and Leonard Penn. The film was released on July 18, 1947, by United Artists.
Cherokee Strip, also known as Fighting Marshal or The Indian Nation, is a 1940 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and written by Bernard McConville and Norman Houston. The film stars Richard Dix, Florence Rice, William "Bill" Henry, Victor Jory, Andy Clyde and George E. Stone. The film was released on October 11, 1940, by Paramount Pictures.
Border Vigilantes is a 1941 American Western film directed by Derwin Abrahams and written by J. Benton Cheney. The film stars William Boyd, Russell Hayden, Andy Clyde, Frances Gifford, Victor Jory, Ethel Wales and Morris Ankrum. The film was released on April 18, 1941, by Paramount Pictures.
Wide Open Town is a 1941 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and written by Harrison Jacobs and J. Benton Cheney. The film stars William Boyd, Russell Hayden, Andy Clyde, Evelyn Brent, Victor Jory, Morris Ankrum and Cara Williams. The film was released on August 8, 1941, by Paramount Pictures.
Riders of the Timberline is a 1941 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and written by J. Benton Cheney. The film stars William Boyd, Andy Clyde, Tom Tyler, Brad King, Victor Jory, Eleanor Stewart, J. Farrell MacDonald and Anna Q. Nilsson. The film was released on September 17, 1941, by Paramount Pictures.
Harry "Pop" Sherman was an American film producer known for his work in the Western genre during the 1930s and 1940s. He introduced the character Hopalong Cassidy to the silver screen, and is the father of screenwriter Teddi Sherman.
