Since July 28 is being promoted as Narional American Cowboy Day, I thought you might enjoy the following: Most of you know William Boyd was the actor who played Hoppalong Cassidy (Hoppy) on TV during the '50s (1950s). Do you know: he was one of the few heros who wore black instead of white (Zorro, Durango Kid and Yul Brenner playing Chris in the Magnificent Seven movies come to mind)? his horse's name is Topper? All the episodes in the 50s were made before the 40s ended? (a total of 66) both Clark Gable and and Robert Mitchum got their first big breaks in movies playing bearded villains in westerns starring Boyd? he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? in 1995, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma? in 1935 he was offered the lead role in the movie Hopalong Cassidy. He changed the original pulp-fiction character, written by Clarence E. Mulford, from a whisky-guzzling wrangler to a cowboy hero who didn't smoke, drink, or swear, and a;ways let the bad guy start the fight? Here's the "Coin Chat" numismatic connection to this trivia on William Boyd: William Boyd dearly loved children and went out of his way (as Hoppy) to visit troubled children in Juvenile Detention Centers, orphans in church supervised Children Homes as well as the sick, injured and disabled recovering in hospitals. He comforted the children with his words and bolstered their confidence by giving each one a silver dollar. His banking facility always held 100 on hand for him. Back then you could go to any bank and pick some up for just a one dollar silver certificate. Every now and then I meet an adult who has one of those gift dollars. Many of those recipients kept them as "good-luck" pieces. Some dollars were kept in the recipient's pocket or purse along with other change so long some coins are worn almost beyond recognition. You can see enough of a shadow-like outline to discern whether the coin is a Morgan or Peace, but many mint matks are just little blobs of metal and dates were the first to wear away. Most of those silver dollars whose dates and mint marks I could make out were Morgans dated 1921 with "D" and "S" mint marks and "D" and ""S" mint marked Peace dollars dated 1922, '23 and '24. I met just one person, so far, who became a coin collector because of Hoppy's gift. There may be others. Photo coutesy of Coin Facts: http://www.coinfacts.com/silver_dollars/morgan_dollars/1921_morgan_dollars/1921s_morgan_silver_dollar.htm Photo courtesy of Omni Coin: http://www.omnicoin.com/coin_view_enlarge.aspx?id=898826 Clinker
I can remember seeing him at the cinema on a Saturday morning LOL & that was in the early 60s over here in the UK, his charecter was a very popular one Thanks for rekindling some rather good memories :bow:
De Orc Thank you for sharing those memories...and though Hoppy wore black, Topper was white... Clinker
Yes I remember watching him on my parent's black and white TV. I always thought Hopalong was a strange name.
To young to remember Hopalong Cassidy but its a great piece of trivia. Unlike the dirt that comes out of hollywood these days. Thanks
"Hoppy" was a name kids enjoyed...and most kids knew his horse's name, "Topper" as well as Autry"s "Champ"...Roger's "Trigger"...and the Lone Ranger's horse, "Silver!"
