WILLIAM "HOPPY" BOYD - DOCUMENT DOUBLE SIGNED 08/01/1952 CO-SIGNED BY: ROBERT W. SARNOFF - HFSID 276370

WILLIAM "HOPPY" BOYD and ROBERT W. SARNOFF
Sarnoff, acting on behalf of NBC, which he would helm four years later, guarantees a bank loan taken out by two of Boyd's production companies that would produce episodes of his TV series, Hopalong Cassidy.
Carbon Typed DS: "Robt W Sarnoff" for the National Broadcasting Company, Inc. and "William Boyd" twice (for William Boyd Productions, Inc. and for B. B. Productions), 2p, 8½x11, separate sheets. Sarnoff has also initialed: "RWS" twice on the first page. Beverly Hills, California, 1952 August 1. Agreement between William Boyd Productions, Inc. and B. B. Productions for the National Broadcasting Company, Inc. to act as Guarantor for a loan of $940,000. The Borrower (Boyd) was not to exceed the aggregatae principal amount, which was to be repaid at the rate of 3.75 percent per annum. Each note on the loan would mature not less that two years from the date of issue. Also signed by the Vice President of Bankers Trust Company and initialed by him four times. ROBERT W. SARNOFF (1918-1997), the eldest son of broadcasting mogul David Sarnoff, began his career at NBC as an accounts executive in 1948. Rising through the ranks, he served as President (1955-1958) and Chairman of the Board (1958-1965). During his tenure at NBC, Sarnoff was the coordinator and executive producer of the acclaimed TV series, Victory at Sea. He was also responsible for the diversification of RCA, buying Random House, Hertz and Banquet foods. He served as a Director (1957), President (1966), CEO (1968) and Chairman of the Board (1970-1975) for the company. WILLIAM 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 creased. Slightly soiled from carbon. Staple and staple holes at upper left corners, two file holes at upper blank margins. Overall, fine condition.