In 1935, Hop-Along Cassidy was released and the Western genre was never the same again. The film introduced audiences of the era to William Boyd as the character of ” target=”_blank”>Hopalong Cassidy and something clicked with audiences who were hungry for the type of heroism and adventurous antics that Hoppy delivered. What you may not have realized however is that Hopalong was not an original Hollywood creation, indeed the character was invented by author Clarence E. Mulford for a string of novels that debuted in 1904. It was on the silver screen that Cassidy truly thrived. Frequently partnered in early pictures with sidekick Windy Halliday (played with glee by George “Gabby” Hayes), Cassidy embarked on a series of frontier adventures that wowed moviegoers. Boyd became an instant superstar, and the Hopalong Cassidy character was a merchandising juggernaut. The movies spawned endless spin-off products including a long-running newspaper strip and toys which are worth a small fortune today. As for the character, he kicked around movies and television until the early 1950s, when he hung up his spurs and walked into the sunset. But it all began with the trailer you see above, and for that, Western fans are eternally grateful.
