THE CLEANUP OF CARIBOU MESA !

WILLIAM BOYD was at one time, during the Silent Film era, one of Hollywood's highest paid Actor's making a then-princely sum of $100,000.00 a year. He worked for the legendary director's of the day, Cecil B. DeMille & D.W. Griffith, and was a bonafide Star.

In the late-1920's his career took a downturn when his picture was mistakenly run in the newspaper when another Actor, William "Stage" Boyd ,was arrested on gambling & liquor charges.  But, in 1935, his fate was changed forever when he was offered the lead in the movie "Hop-Along Cassidy", based on a character created by Clarence E. Mulford in 1904.  That film was so successful that it spun-off into a series of  a total of 66 films !

In the late 40's, Boyd gambled everything he had -including his house !- on purchasing the rights to the "Hoppy" character as well as the entire library of "Hoppy" films. Subsequently, "Hopalong Cassidy" became the FIRST Network Western TV Series when it was signed up by NBC and debuted on June 24, 1949.  It ranked #7 in the ratings for that year, and spawned a rush by other Networks to get Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and many other "Cowpoke Heroes" saddled-up to ride their airwaves !

The "Hoppy" phenomenon sparked a deluge of merchandise that included: comic books, cap guns, radio premiums, watches, book bags, cookies, potato chips, lunch boxes, hats, spurs, cowboy outfits, radios, stationary, leather-bound scrapbooks (I still have mine !), ice cream, etc.   Thus, the income from his films, TV shows, and, merchandising fees made Boyd a certifiable-millionaire in a short period of time...and proved his gamble had paid off !  

More importantly, it cemented Boyd, and "Hoppy", into true "Icon Status" to be remembered & cherished for generations to come as one of the GREATEST Western Heroes ever !

The "Hopalong Cassidy Radio Show" began on the Mutual Broadcasting System on January 1st, 1950.  Later in the year it moved to CBS where it lasted until 1952.  Our show, "The Clean-Up Of Caribou Mesa", first aired on August 8, 1951...5 days before my birthday !  

Enjoy !    JK

(Above left: "Hoppy" premium pic; Above right: "Hopalong Cassidy" Comics, #62 , Fawcett Pub.)

(Above left: Lobby poster for "Mystery Man", 1944; Above right: A grouping of  "Hoppy" merchandise)

(Above: A rare "Hopalong Cassidy" Arvin Radio, Circa 1950)                                                 

SPECIAL NOTES:  WILLIAM LAWRENCE BOYD was born on June 5, 1895, in Hendrysburg, Ohio, and passed away on September 12, 1972., at his home in Laguna Beach, California.

On the Inner Sleeve of Don McLean's "American Pie" Album from 1971, he has a full-sleeve tribute to "Hoppy".  If you can find a copy of it you will definitely appreciate it.

Also, be sure to Check-Out the Official Hopalong Cassidy WebSite: http://www.hopalong.com/home.asp