Recently on a road trip through Ohio, I came across the Hopalong Cassidy Museum in Cambridge, a small town located between Columbus and Wheeling, West Virginia. Less a museum and more like a collection, the Museum consists of several rooms in the 10th Avenue Antiques Mall in downtown Cambridge.  Located in the back of the mall, the rooms are packed with Hopalong Cassidy memorabilia, including clothes, toys, hats, and other products in the style of another era. Since seeing the Hopalong Cassidy Museum, I have been thinking a lot about stars and their fans, movie heroes past and present, and the pleasure of unexpected discoveries, especially while on the road.   

Almost every spring for the past 19 years, give or take a year, the folks in Cambridge have been hosting a Hopalong Cassidy get-together. This year’s festivities, organized by Laura Bates with assistance from Howard Cherry, take place on the weekend of May 1 and 2. If you live nearby or are passing through the area, drop by and stay a spell. A few celebrities related to the western genre will be there, including character actor Bo Hopkins, who costarred in many film and television westerns. Though most remember him as one of the gang members in American Graffiti, I always liked his turn as William Holden’s crazy nephew who terrorizes a group of hostages in the memorable opening of The Wild Bunch.  Joining Hopkins will be Martin Kove, who has appeared in more action and horror films than westerns, but he did have a role in Kevin Costner’s version of Wyatt Earp. Also on hand to greet the fans will be: Dale Berry of Walker, Texas Ranger; Robert Hinkle, who made his first western in 1952, which was the height of Hopalong hysteria; and Russ McCubbin, a former stunt double for western television stars. And, once again look-alike Frances Reeves will stand in for Hopalong.

HOPALONG CASSIDY MUSEUM

 Activities include look-alike contests, a barbeque on Friday evening at the local campground, a dinner at a restaurant called Mr. Lee’s on Saturday night, a western memorabilia exhibit at the Civic Center, a classic-car cruise-in, and, of course, movies. After so many years of living in Chicago, where attending any event will cost you a month’s rent, requires maximum planning to drive to, and no one seems to be having a good time, I find small-town celebrations to be relaxing and lots of fun. Access to everything is quick and easy, parking is generally free, and the people are sincerely friendly. Many of the people attending this year’s Hopalong festivities have been coming to the festival for years, so the atmosphere will likely be congenial and nostalgic. For this reason, organizers are calling it a “Reunion” rather than a “Festival,” but everyone is welcome, including western buffs, families looking for entertainment, and anyone seeking relief from the media’s daily reminders of the bad economy. 

Hopalong Cassidy is feted annually in Cambridge because he was born about 20 miles away in nearby Hendrysburg, where his birthplace has been preserved. I asked Ms. Bates why Hopalong, whose real name was William Boyd, is still remembered by fans despite his retirement 55 years ago and his death 37 years ago.  She noted that he had come from the foothills of Appalachia and worked hard to achieve his fame, which is an ethic that Midwesterners and rural Southerners admire. More significantly, she compared Hopalong to every kid’s grandfather or favorite uncle — that is, someone who set an example because of his “high morals.”

THE MUSEUM IS ALSO AN ANTIQUES MALL

 Boyd took his role as Hopalong Cassidy seriously, and he conformed his life to fit the image of heroic Hoppy. He once said, “When you got kids looking up to you, when you’ve got parents saying what a wonderful guy Hopalong is, what the hell do you do? You have to be a wonderful guy!”

 Originally, Boyd wasn’t the embodiment of Hopalong’s code of morality. The handsome young man had ended up in Los Angeles around 1919 after a series of jobs as a common laborer, including car salesman, lumberjack, and oil-field worker in Oklahoma. While employed as a chauffeur, he was hired by a wealthy heiress to drive her around Los Angeles. It must have been one hell of a ride, because after hiring Boyd for a second time, she married him. As might be expected, the marriage didn’t last, but once Boyd got a taste of the high life, he couldn’t get enough of it. Throughout the silent era, he acted in a variety of action-based films, and he spent his considerable earnings almost as soon he made them. He squired jazz babies like Joan Crawford all over town, showing up nightly at the latest clubs and hot spots. He married and divorced three more times, and all of the brides were actresses — Ruth Miller, Elinor Fair, and Dorothy Sebastian. Boyd certainly embraced the atmosphere of the Roaring 20s with enthusiasm and flair.

YOUNG WILLIAM BOYD

 In 1931, an unlucky turn of events changed Boyd’s life. During this time frame, another actor named William Boyd worked in Hollywood. This older, stockier William Boyd, who usually played surly villains, was a heavy drinker and gambler. One night, he hosted a party where the liquor flowed and the gambling lasted all night — both illegal activities at the time. His ramshackle house was raided by the police, but the next morning the newspaper articles ran a photo of the handsome matinee idol William Boyd instead of the older character actor. The error cost young William his contract with RKO. In retrospect, it might seem strange that RKO did not correct this case of mistaken identity,  but in the early sound era, the film industry was under pressure by religious and educational groups to not only control screen content but also to manage the off-screen lives of their stars. Studio lawyers wrote morality clauses into the stars’ contracts but studio heads tended to look the other way unless a star was caught at something.  Then the star was generally dumped or reprimanded. The public was critical of the lifestyles of Hollywood’s rich and famous and attributed the breakdown of morals on the big screen to the off-screen behavior of the stars (divorce, drinking, drugs). In this volatile milieu, studios took the quickest route to squelch any potential scandal, so dropping a minor leading man from its roster was a small sacrifice for RKO to make.

BOYD LOBBIED FOR THE BLACK ATTIRE

For three years, the unlucky actor worked as “Bill Boyd” in just a handful of films. Finally, in 1934, he was approached by producer Harry “Pop” Sherman to appear in a new series of westerns based on the character Hopalong Cassidy. Sherman offered Boyd the role of the villain, but the actor wanted to play the lead. When Sherman’s first choice to play Hoppy, James Gleason, didn’t work out, he gave the role to Boyd, though the actor wanted to change the concept for the character.

ONE OF THE EARLIEST HOPPY FEATURES

 The Hopalong Cassidy series was based on the novels of Clarence E. Mulford. In the novels, Hopalong was a salty trouble-maker who wore dusty, trail-beaten clothes and drank his share of rotgut. However, Boyd didn’t think that this type of character would have long-term appeal. His vision of the character called for a clean-cut, well-dressed cowboy who did not drink, court women, or chew tobacco. Around the same time, Boyd took the opportunity to clean up his own life. He married once again, this time to Grace Bradley, and the two remained together until Boyd’s death in 1972.  Grace Bradley Boyd, who is 95 years old and currently lives in California, believes the role transformed her husband’s life: “With Hopalong, Bill felt he was contributing something. He became totally concentrated on doing something good with his life.” 

Boyd’s cowboy creation became extremely popular, beginning with the debut of the character in 1935 in  Hopalong Cassidy (reiussed as Hopalong Cassidy Enters).  Hoppy ranked second only to Gene Autry in the 1930s and then Roy Rogers in the 1940s as the most popular cowboy hero. Boyd insisted on Hopalong’s all-black attire. Though black is most often associated with villains, Hoppy’s well-tailored clothing, wide-brimmed Stetson, and shiny boots set off his distinguished white-gray hair and fair complexion. Boyd also insisted that Hopalong speak correct grammar — not in a western drawl or slang — which gave his character dignity and refinement. The black-clad cowboy made a striking, authoritative figure atop his white horse Topper.

 Sherman and Paramount Pictures stopped producing the Hoppy westerns in 1943, but Boyd made 12 more films on his own, releasing through United Artists. Boyd also appeared on the radio as his alter ego on the Mutual network in 1949. Realizing that his work was a potential gold mine, Boyd bought the rights to his films in the late 1940s, recut them, and offered them to television. As the first television cowboy, Hopalong Cassidy won the hearts and minds of America’s kids, who joined the Hoppy Trooper Clubs by the thousands. After Hoppy became a television star, the merchandising of his image began in earnest.

 A look through the Hopalong Cassidy Museum in Cambridge reveals the wonders of merchandising in the 1950s. A look at the Museum’s unique Hoppy collectibles is a stunning reminder at the extent to which this character was marketed.  During the 1950s, products were sold in department stores in special areas designated Hopalong Cassidy Hitching Posts, where kids could find Hoppy cowboy outfits (in leather or denim), clip-on ties, nightlights, lunch boxes, radios, school supplies, dishware, rugs, wallpaper, and window shades. And, don’t forget socks because as a sign near the clothing rack claimed, “Hoppy sox make happy feet.” Peak into the Hoppy bedroom at the Museum and you’ll be envious of the complete Hopalong Cassidy bedroom set.  I’ll bet I would sleep better if Hoppy was looking over me.

INSIDE THE HOPPY MUSEUM

HAVE SOME HOPALONG PEANUT BUTTER ON HOPALONG BREAD

And, the merchandise wasn’t limited to clothes and furniture. A trip to the grocery store during the 1950s would yield Hoppy potato chips, soap, candy bars, cereal, puddings, cookies, tuna, toothpaste, milk, and peanut butter. If you drive into the parking lot of the 10th Avenue Antiques Mall in Cambridge, you’ll find an old Producer’s Dairy milk delivery truck with the image of Hopalong Cassidy on the sides and the slogan “Hoppy’s Favorite.”   

Other western heroes sang, or made good cowboys because they could ride well (Boyd could barely ride when he made his first features), but Hopalong Cassidy unequivocally embodied the heroic western hero for younger viewers. The first few films he made, such as Trail Dust, included a bit of violent gunplay, but in most of the 66 feature films and 52 half-hour television shows, Hopalong captured the bad guys without killing them and was never sidetracked by romantic love interests. There was no ambiguity or confusion about his heroism and what he stood for. One need only read Hopalong Cassidy’s Creed to get the idea. The Creed listed ten axioms: Number 1 stated, “The highest badge of honor a person can wear is honesty. Be truthful at all times”; Number 7 noted, “Many animals are good and loyal companions. Be friendly and kind to them.” Others addressed respect for others, cleanliness, obedience to parents, and the virtues of studying hard.

 Cynics can point to the merchandising as the reason for Hoppy’s popularity as well as the reason behind Boyd’s careful portrayal of the character during offscreen events. After all, Boyd grossed $800,000 on the $70 million worth of merchandise sold each year. And, I am sure the lucrative merchandising was part of it, but I can’t help but be touched by the many stories of his patience, generosity, and genuine concern for doing the right thing. Ms. Bates ran the Hopalong Cassidy fan club for many years, even publishing a newsletter called Hoppy Talk. She tells of an elderly fan club member who recalled that Boyd visited the orphanage where he lived as a child and gave each resident a Hopalong Cassidy plate.  Though  a senior citizen, the man still appreciated the special attention from Boyd whose alter ego made a lasting impression on the orphans because of his sense of fairness and morality. Another story of Hopalong’s willingness to step up for a good cause finds Boyd hired for the opening of a department store in the South, where children could line up to meet him face to face. Two lines of children were formed — one for white kids and one for African-American kids. When Boyd saw the segregated lines, he told the manager Hoppy wouldn’t appear unless the lines were intermingled.

HOPPY CONNECTED WITH ALL OF HIS FANS

 For some actors who played beloved heroic characters, including George Reeves who starred as Superman, their roles become traps with tragic results. However, for William Boyd, playing Hopalong Cassidy seemed to be a kind-of calling, and he certainly rose to the occasion.

Recently, I re-watched the award-winning film noir L. A. Confidential, and I stayed with it all the way through the final credits. At the tail end of the credits, there is an extra scene in which the city’s corrupt law enforcement officials are marching in a parade. Heading the parade is Hopalong Cassidy riding on Topper. It is probably footage of Hopalong from the 1954 Tournament of Roses Parade edited together with shots of the fictional characters. After reading about Hopalong Cassidy and the high moral code that he stood for, the end scene of L.A. Confidential meant so much more to me. When I saw the film previously, I recognized Hoppy in the parade, but I understood it as nostalgia. Now I see the dark irony of the image in which a symbol of moral honor and integrity leads a parade of the most corrupt law enforcement representatives. Sadly, I am sure most people did not even recognize Hopalong Cassidy, let alone understand the meaning of the image.

 More proof of  our pop culture’s current disconnect from the likes of Hopalong Cassidy is indicated in the current issue of Entertainment Weekly, in which the cover story claims to be a guide to great cinematic heroes and villains. A list of 20 heroes (and 20 villains) accompanies the article, and Hopalong Cassidy did not make the list of heroes — a gross omission, to say the least. As a matter of fact, no western hero made the list. (There are no words to express the magnitude of this oversight.)  The main article, which must have been written off the top of someone’s head (an empty head at that), repeatedly comments about contemporary heroes who tend to blur the line between good and evil, between being moral and corrupt. The article quotes Damon Lindelof, the executive producer of Lost, who has decided, “. . . it’s hard for such a person [a clear-cut hero] to be accessible unless they’re also extremely f’d up . . . because only a seriously disturbed individual would want to be a hero.”

 Obviously, William Boyd would not agree. Boyd used the character of Hopalong Cassidy to not only influence young people for the good but also to better himself as a person.  While I enjoy anti-heroic characters and villainous protagonists as much as anyone, I think Hollywood filmmakers have short-changed the needs of its youngest viewers — to whom they so slavishly cater  – by not offering them a choice of true heroic archetypes.  Young viewers need onscreen heroes who have ideals so they have something to aspire to; instead, they are bombarded with characters who validate the worst of their adolescent behavior.  

 Ms. Laura Bates, and the others who are working hard to make the Hopalong Cassidy Reunion happen in Cambridge, Ohio, on May 1 and 2, certainly know more about heroes than the writers of Entertainment Weekly when they reason that Hopalong Cassidy is still remembered 55 years after his retirement because “he set an example through his high morals.” 

See http://www.visitguernseycounty.com/events/, then scroll down to May 1 for a description of Hopalong Casssidy Reunion events and locations. 

The Hopalong Cassidy Museum is open all year around and is located in the Tenth Street Antique Mall in downtown Cambridge. There are rooms and rooms stuffed to the brim with movie collectibles of all the cowboy heroes from the past.