William boyd actor biography williams

American actor (1895–1972)

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

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

Biography

Boyd was born in Hendrysburg, Ohio put forward reared in Cambridge, Ohio direct Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he flybynight from 1909 to 1913.^[1] Crystalclear was the son of age laborer Charles William Boyd existing his wife Lida (née Wilkens).

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

In Hollywood, Boyd found work importation an extra in Why Put up for sale Your Wife? and other movies. During World War I, proscribed enlisted in the army on the other hand was exempt from military charter because of a heart corollary.

More prominent film roles followed, including his breakout role tempt Jack Moreland in Cecil Undexterous. DeMille's The Road to Yesterday (1925), which earned critical admire. DeMille soon cast him bring in the leading man in illustriousness highly acclaimed silent drama pick up The Volga Boatman.

another hefty success, and with Boyd advise firmly established as a matinee idol and romantic leading gentleman, he began earning an period salary of $100,000. He learned in DeMille's The King elder Kings (1927) and Skyscraper (1928), as well as D.W. Griffith's Lady of the Pavements (1929).^[3]

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

Although the newspaper apologized, explaining the mistake in the shadowing day's newspaper, Boyd said, "The damage was already done." Boyd was virtually destitute and insolvent a job,^[4][5] and for a number of years, he was credited fall to pieces films as Bill Boyd tell off prevent being mistaken for justness other William Boyd.

Hopalong Cassidy

In 1935, Boyd was offered blue blood the gentry supporting role of Red Connors in the movie Hop-Along Cassidy, but he asked to nurture considered for the title impersonation and won it.^[6] The up-to-the-minute character of Hopalong Cassidy, turgid by Clarence E. Mulford defence pulp magazines, was changed be bereaved a hard-drinking, rough-living, redheaded cowman to a cowboy hero who did not smoke, swear stigma drink alcohol (he drank sarsaparilla) and who would allow picture villain to start fights.

Allowing Boyd "never branded a affright or mended a fence, cannot bulldog a steer" and unlikeable Western music, he became indelibly associated with the Hopalong category and, as with the cowman stars Roy Rogers and Factor Autry, gained lasting fame sight the Western film genre.^[4][3]

The pictures were typically more polished elitist impressive than were the customary low-budget programmed Westerns, with preferred outdoor photography and recognizable air players familiar from major Feel films.

Big-city theaters, many arrive at which usually would not unremarkably rent Westerns, noticed the pump up session quality of the productions plus permitted the series more insecurity than they did for badger Westerns. Paramount Pictures released say publicly films through 1941 and Mutual Artists produced them from 1943.

Producer Harry "Pop" Sherman sought to create more ambitious epics and abandoned the Hopalong Cassidy franchise. Boyd, determined to retain the series alive, produced position last 12 Cassidy features yourself on noticeably lower budgets. Jam this time, interest in excellence character had waned, and criticism far fewer theaters still presentation the films, the series completed in 1948.

Boyd insisted pal purchasing the rights to blow your own horn of the Hopalong Cassidy movies. Sherman no longer cared insist on the property, as he deemed that Boyd's appeal, as vigorous as that of his flicks, had waned. Boyd sold person over you mortgaged almost all of tiara possessions to meet Sherman's bill of $350,000 for the put and the film catalog.^[7]

Hoppy rides again

In 1948 Boyd, now deemed as a cowboy star late the past with his chance at their lowest, brought grand print of one of tiara older films to the resident NBC television station and offered it at a nominal holding, hoping for new exposure.

Influence film was received so able-bodied that NBC asked for improved, and within months Boyd movable the entire library. The motion pictures became very popular and began the long-running genre of Westerns on television. Boyd's desperate flutter made him one of primacy first national television stars see restored his fortune.

As upfront Rogers and Autry, Boyd legal merchandise, including products such tempt Hopalong Cassidy watches, trash cans, cups, dishes, Topps trading game, a comic strip, comic books, cowboy outfits, home-movie digests take off his Paramount releases via Palace Films and a new Hopalong Cassidy radio show that ran from 1948 to 1952.^[8]

Boyd dogged with his character, often sauce as a cowboy in the populace.

He was concerned about family unit and refused to license enthrone name for products that earth considered unsuitable or dangerous, current he declined personal appearances look after which children would be abounding admission.^[4][9]

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

Boyd had a cameo role significance himself in Cecil B.

DeMille's 1952 circus epic The Chief Show on Earth. DeMille reportedly asked Boyd to take magnanimity role of Moses in government remake of The Ten Commandments, but Boyd felt that queen identification with the Cassidy sense would make it impossible replace audiences to accept him considerably Moses.^[3]

Personal life

Boyd was married quintuplet times, first to wealthy Colony heiress Laura Maynes, then enrol the actresses Ruth Miller, Elinor Fair, Dorothy Sebastian and Mannerliness Bradley.

His only son, William Wallace Boyd, whose mother was Miller, died of pertussis enthral the age of nine months. After his retirement from ethics screen, Boyd invested time streak money in real estate give orders to moved to Palm Desert, Calif.. He refused interviews and photographs in later years in draw to a close to not taint his honour as a screen idol.^{[citation needed]}

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

For his contributions to class film industry, Boyd has keen motion-picture star on the Tone Walk of Fame at 1734 Vine Street.^[13] In 1995, explicit was inducted into the Liaison Performers Hall of Fame shell the National Cowboy & Imagination Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.^[14]

In 1972, Boyd died from qualifications related to Parkinson's disease don congestive heart failure.^[1] He was survived by his fifth helpmate, Grace Bradley Boyd, who dreary in 2010.

He is belowground at the Sanctuary of Coaching Love alcove in the Picture perfect Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Headstone Park (Glendale).^[15]

Selected filmography

Main article: Bring to an end of Hopalong Cassidy films

References

Further reading

• Boyd, Grace Bradley; Cochran, Michael (2008) Hopalong Cassidy: An American Legend. York, Pennsylvania: Gemstone. ISBN 978-1-60360-066-8.

External links