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.
The Virginian is a 1929 American pre-Code Western film directed by Victor Fleming and starring Gary Cooper, Walter Huston, and Richard Arlen. The film was based on the 1902 novel The Virginian by Owen Wister and adapted from the popular 1904 theatrical play Wister had collaborated on with playwright Kirke La Shelle.
Nevada is a 1927 American silent Western film directed by John Waters and starring Gary Cooper, Thelma Todd, and William Powell. Based on the novel Nevada by Zane Grey, the film is about a former outlaw hired to protect a ranch owner's daughter, which angers the ranch foreman who is in love with the girl. The villainous foreman spreads a rumor of his rival's dark past to the sheriff, and the former outlaw is soon on the run again. Eventually he captures a gang of cattle rustlers led by the foreman, and with his reputation restored, he marries the girl. This lavish Western film was remade in 1944 as a B movie version titled Nevada starring Robert Mitchum—the only time Cooper and Mitchum played the same role; the remake was so early in Mitchum's career that he was billed with "Introducing Bob Mitchum as Jim Lacy."
Rustlers' Valley is a 1937 American Western film directed by Nate Watt and written by Harry O. Hoyt. The film stars William Boyd, George "Gabby" Hayes, Russell Hayden, Morris Ankrum, Muriel Evans and Lee J. Cobb. The film was released on July 23, 1937, by Paramount Pictures.
Forty Thieves is a 1944 American Western film starring William Boyd in the lead role of Hopalong Cassidy. It was directed by Lesley Selander, produced by Harry Sherman and released by United Artists. This was the last Hopalong Cassidy film that producer Harry Sherman produced for United Artists.
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 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 Frontiersmen is a 1938 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and written by Norman Houston and Harrison Jacobs. The film stars William Boyd, George "Gabby" Hayes, Russell Hayden, Evelyn Venable, Charles Anthony Hughes, William Duncan, and Clara Kimball Young. The film was released on December 16, 1938, by Paramount Pictures.
The Eagle's Brood is a 1935 American Western film directed by Howard Bretherton and written by Doris Schroeder and Harrison Jacobs. The film stars William Boyd, James Ellison, William Farnum, George "Gabby" Hayes, Addison Richards, Nana Martinez and Frank Shannon. The film was released on October 25, 1935, by Paramount Pictures.
Bar 20 Rides Again is a 1935 American Western film directed by Howard Bretherton and written by Gerald Geraghty and Doris Schroeder. The film stars William Boyd, James Ellison, Jean Rouverol, George "Gabby" Hayes, Harry Worth, Frank McGlynn Jr. and Howard Lang. The film was released on December 6, 1935, by Paramount Pictures.
Three on the Trail is a 1936 American Western film directed by Howard Bretherton, written by Doris Schroeder and Vernon Smith, and starring William Boyd, James Ellison, Onslow Stevens, Muriel Evans, George "Gabby" Hayes, Claude King and William Duncan. It was released on April 24, 1936, by Paramount Pictures.
Hills of Old Wyoming is a 1937 American Western film directed by Nate Watt and written by Maurice Geraghty, the 10th film of the 66 Hopalong Cassidy movies. The film stars William Boyd, George "Gabby" Hayes, Morris Ankrum, Russell Hayden, Gail Sheridan, John Beach and Clara Kimball Young, Russell Hayden makes his first appearances. The film was released on April 16, 1937, by Paramount Pictures.
Hopalong Rides Again is a 1937 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and written by Norman Houston. The film stars William Boyd, George "Gabby" Hayes, Russell Hayden, Nora Lane, Harry Worth, Lois Wilde and Billy King. The film was released on September 3, 1937, by Paramount Pictures.
Cassidy of Bar 20 is a 1938 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and written by Norman Houston. The film stars William Boyd, Russell Hayden, Frank Darien, Nora Lane, Robert Fiske and John Elliott. The film was released on February 25, 1938, by Paramount Pictures.
Bar 20 Justice is a 1938 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and written by Arnold Belgard and Harrison Jacobs. The film stars William Boyd, George "Gabby" Hayes, Russell Hayden, Gwen Gaze, William Duncan and Pat J. O'Brien. The film was released on June 28, 1938, by Paramount Pictures. This was the 16th entry in the "Hopalong Cassidy" western series.
Heart of Arizona is a 1938 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and written by Norman Houston. The film stars William Boyd, George "Gabby" Hayes, Russell Hayden, John Elliott, Billy King, Natalie Moorhead and Dorothy Short. The film was released on April 22, 1938, by Paramount Pictures.
Law of the Pampas is a 1949 American Western film directed by Nate Watt and written by Harrison Jacobs. The film stars William Boyd, Russell Hayden, Sidney Toler, Steffi Duna, Sidney Blackmer, Pedro de Cordoba and William Duncan. The film was released on November 3, 1939, by Paramount Pictures. Hungarian-born Steffi Duna plays a convincing Argentine senorita and Sidney Toler plays a comic character. Contrary to previously published reports, David Niven does not appear in Law of the Pampas, unbilled or otherwise.
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.
