WILLIAM "HOPPY" BOYD - AUTOGRAPHED INSCRIBED PHOTOGRAPH - HFSID 277470

WILLIAM "HOPPY" BOYD
11x14 sepia-toned photo of Boyd from the chest up in black hat and shirt from Melbourne Spurr of Hollywood. This photo is signed "Hoppy" in white ink.
Inscribed photo signed "To Dick -/I am ever grateful/to you & your wonderful staff for one of the greatest/days of my life -/Sincerely/Hoppy" in white ink. B/w sepia toned, 10¾x13¾, with "Melbourne Spurr/Hollywood" in lower right corner. Boyd (1895-1972) first starred as Hopalong Cassidy, a western hero who dressed in black and rode a white horse ("Topper"), in 66 features filmed between 1935 and 1948. He personally acquired the television rights to the films and edited the features into 30 and 60-minute segments. The series proved so popular that Boyd filmed an additional 52 episodes for television in 1951-1952. Hopalong Cassidy was televised on NBC from 1949-1951 and was syndicated from 1952-1954. In 1952, the year he signed this document, Boyd was also also seen in a cameo as "Hoppy" in The Greatest Show on Earth (1952), which was directed by Cecil B. DeMille, who had launched Boyd's career as a matinee idol when he cast Boyd as the romantic lead in The Volga Boatman (1926). In 1956, Boyd would be DeMille's first choice to play Moses in The Ten Commandments, but Boyd turned down the role, thinking that his association with "Hoppy" would hurt the film. Lightly spotted, scuffed and creased. Pinholes along edges and corners. Minor tears in edges. Lower right corner is missing. Photo has slight cracks and lightening on left and right edges. Otherwise in fine condition.