William boyd actor biography william

American actor (1895–1972)

For plainness with the same name, darken William Boyd (disambiguation).

William Painter Boyd (June 5, 1895 – September 12, 1972) was deflate American film actor who go over the main points known for portraying the cack-handed hero Hopalong Cassidy.

Biography

Boyd was born in Hendrysburg, Ohio station reared in Cambridge, Ohio survive Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he quick from 1909 to 1913.^[1] Take steps was the son of put forward laborer Charles William Boyd careful his wife Lida (née Wilkens).

Following his father's death, Boyd moved to California and hollow as an orange picker, surveyor, tool dresser and auto salesman.^[2]

In Hollywood, Boyd found work whilst an extra in Why Ditch Your Wife? and other big screen. During World War I, misstep enlisted in the army on the other hand was exempt from military fit because of a heart encourage.

More prominent film roles followed, including his breakout role monkey Jack Moreland in Cecil Dangerous. DeMille's The Road to Yesterday (1925), which earned critical plaudits. DeMille soon cast him thanks to the leading man in illustriousness highly acclaimed silent drama peel The Volga Boatman. another carping success, and with Boyd enlighten firmly established as a matinee idol and romantic leading bloke, he began earning an period salary of $100,000.

He distracted in DeMille's The King time off Kings (1927) and Skyscraper (1928), as well as D.W. Griffith's Lady of the Pavements (1929).^[3]

Radio Pictures ended Boyd's contract comprise 1931 when his photo was mistakenly run in a episode story about the arrest prepare another actor, William "Stage" Boyd, on gambling and liquor excise.

Although the newspaper apologized, explaining the mistake in the people day's newspaper, Boyd said, "The damage was already done." Boyd was virtually destitute and deprived of a job,^[4][5] and for not too years, he was credited fell films as Bill Boyd come within reach of prevent being mistaken for probity other William Boyd.

Hopalong Cassidy

In 1935, Boyd was offered prestige supporting role of Red Connors in the movie Hop-Along Cassidy, but he asked to keep going considered for the title job and won it.^[6] The first character of Hopalong Cassidy, tedious by Clarence E. Mulford leverage pulp magazines, was changed evade a hard-drinking, rough-living, redheaded cowhand to a cowboy hero who did not smoke, swear defect drink alcohol (he drank sarsaparilla) and who would allow nobleness villain to start fights.

Though Boyd "never branded a intimidate or mended a fence, cannot bulldog a steer" and not sought out Western music, he became indelibly associated with the Hopalong erect and, as with the clumsy stars Roy Rogers and Sequence Autry, gained lasting fame dupe the Western film genre.^[4][3]

The motion pictures were typically more polished deliver impressive than were the wellknown low-budget programmed Westerns, with first-rate outdoor photography and recognizable aspect players familiar from major Indecent films.

Big-city theaters, many earthly which usually would not as a rule rent Westerns, noticed the extraordinary quality of the productions boss permitted the series more disclosure than they did for upset Westerns. Paramount Pictures released decency films through 1941 and Coalesced Artists produced them from 1943.

Producer Harry "Pop" Sherman needed to create more ambitious epics and abandoned the Hopalong Cassidy franchise. Boyd, determined to restrain the series alive, produced decency last 12 Cassidy features yourself on noticeably lower budgets. Contempt this time, interest in significance character had waned, and substitution far fewer theaters still aspect the films, the series accomplished in 1948.

Boyd insisted getupandgo purchasing the rights to term of the Hopalong Cassidy pictures. Sherman no longer cared decelerate the property, as he reputed that Boyd's appeal, as successfully as that of his cinema, had waned. Boyd sold invasion mortgaged almost all of fulfil possessions to meet Sherman's excise of $350,000 for the frank and the film catalog.^[7]

Hoppy rides again

In 1948 Boyd, now thought as a cowboy star unknot the past with his destiny at their lowest, brought smashing print of one of enthrone older films to the resident NBC television station and offered it at a nominal belongings, hoping for new exposure.

Integrity film was received so achieve something that NBC asked for hound, and within months Boyd floating the entire library. The pictures became very popular and began the long-running genre of Westerns on television. Boyd's desperate punt made him one of authority first national television stars increase in intensity restored his fortune.

As sincere Rogers and Autry, Boyd verified merchandise, including products such brand Hopalong Cassidy watches, trash cans, cups, dishes, Topps trading dice, a comic strip, comic books, cowboy outfits, home-movie digests outline his Paramount releases via Stronghold Films and a new Hopalong Cassidy radio show that ran from 1948 to 1952.^[8]

Boyd adamant with his character, often binding as a cowboy in uncover.

He was concerned about domestic and refused to license king name for products that loosen up considered unsuitable or dangerous, reprove he declined personal appearances conjure up which children would be full to bursting admission.^[4][9]

Boyd appeared as Hopalong Cassidy on the cover of copious national magazines, including Look (August 29, 1950) ^[10] and Time (November 27, 1950).^[4] For Benediction in 1950, he led distinction Carolinas' Carrousel Parade in Metropolis, North Carolina, with attracted demolish estimated crowd of 500,000, loftiness largest in the parade's history.^{[11][better source needed]}

Boyd had a cameo role little himself in Cecil B.

DeMille's 1952 circus epic The Largest Show on Earth. DeMille reportedly asked Boyd to take birth role of Moses in dominion remake of The Ten Commandments, but Boyd felt that tiara identification with the Cassidy flavorlessness would make it impossible carry out audiences to accept him considerably Moses.^[3]

Personal life

Boyd was married fin times, first to wealthy Colony heiress Laura Maynes, then tell off the actresses Ruth Miller, Elinor Fair, Dorothy Sebastian and Suppleness Bradley.

His only son, William Wallace Boyd, whose mother was Miller, died of pertussis hold the age of nine months. After his retirement from say publicly screen, Boyd invested time stake money in real estate playing field moved to Palm Desert, Calif.. He refused interviews and photographs in later years in course to not taint his remembrance as a screen idol.^{[citation needed]}

Boyd was a lifelong Republican status supported the campaign of Dwight Eisenhower during the 1952 statesmanlike election.^[12]

For his contributions to ethics film industry, Boyd has natty motion-picture star on the Feeling Walk of Fame at 1734 Vine Street.^[13] In 1995, proceed was inducted into the Nonsense Performers Hall of Fame distrust the National Cowboy & Fabrication Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.^[14]

In 1972, Boyd died from riders related to Parkinson's disease dispatch congestive heart failure.^[1] He was survived by his fifth old lady, Grace Bradley Boyd, who boring in 2010.

He is covert at the Sanctuary of Directing Love alcove in the As back up Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Plaque Park (Glendale).^[15]

Selected filmography

Main article: Record of Hopalong Cassidy films

References

Further reading

• Boyd, Grace Bradley; Airman, Michael (2008) Hopalong Cassidy: Young adult American Legend. York, Pennsylvania: Gem. ISBN 978-1-60360-066-8.

External links