William Boyd

William Boyd

Biography: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia William Lawrence Boyd (June 5, 1895 – September 12, 1972) was an American film actor who is best known for portraying the cowboy hero Hopalong Cassidy. Boyd was born in Hendrysburg, Ohio, and reared in Cambridge, Ohio and Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was the son of a day laborer, Charles William Boyd, and his wife, the former Lida Wilkens (aka Lyda). Following his father's death, he moved to California and worked as an orange picker, surveyor, tool dresser and auto salesman. In Hollywood, he found work as an extra in Why Change Your Wife? and other films. During World War I, he enlisted in the army but was exempt from military service because of a "weak heart". More prominent film roles followed, including his breakout role as Jack Moreland in Cecil B. DeMille's The Road to Yesterday (1925) which starred also Joseph Schildkraut, Jetta Goudal, and Vera Reynolds. Boyd's performance in the film was praised by critics, while movie-goers were equally impressed by his easy charm, charisma, and intense good-looks. Due to Boyd's growing popularity, DeMille soon cast him as the leading man in the highly acclaimed silent drama film, The Volga Boatman. Boyd's role as Feodor blew critics away, and with Boyd now firmly established as a matinee idol and romantic leading man, he began earning an annual salary of $100,000. He acted in DeMille's extravaganza The King of Kings (in which he played Simon of Cyrene, helping Jesus carry the cross) and DeMille's Skyscraper (1928). He then appeared in D.W. Griffith's Lady of the Pavements (1929). Radio Pictures ended Boyd's contract in 1931 when his picture was mistakenly run in a newspaper story about the arrest of another actor, William "Stage" Boyd, on gambling and liquor charges. Although the newspaper apologized, explaining the mistake in the following day's newspaper, Boyd said, "The damage was already done." William "Stage" Boyd died in 1935, the same year William L. Boyd became Hopalong Cassidy, the role that led to his enduring fame. But at the time in 1931, Boyd was virtually broke and without a job, and for a few years he was credited in films as "Bill Boyd" to prevent being mistaken for the other William Boyd.

Place of Birth: Not available

Birthday: June 04, 1895

Deathday: September 12, 1972

Popularity:

5.317

Known For

The Movie Orgy
The Movie Orgy

1968-01-01

Golden Saddles, Silver Spurs
Golden Saddles, Silver Spurs

2000-01-01

Bobbed Hair
Bobbed Hair

1922-01-01

The Temple of Venus
The Temple of Venus

1923-11-11

Enemies of Children
Enemies of Children

1923-12-13

Hollywood
Hollywood

1923-08-19

After the Show
After the Show

1921-10-30

The Big Gamble
The Big Gamble

1931-09-04

The Volga Boatman
The Volga Boatman

1926-05-23

Forty Winks
Forty Winks

1925-02-02

Screen Snapshots Series 10, No. 5
Screen Snapshots Series 10, No. 5

1930-12-01

Lucky Devils
Lucky Devils

1933-02-03

Border Patrol
Border Patrol

1943-04-02

Fool's Gold
Fool's Gold

1946-10-09

Doomed Caravan
Doomed Caravan

1941-01-10

Forty Thieves
Forty Thieves

1944-06-23

Riders of the Timberline
Riders of the Timberline

1941-09-17

The Devil's Playground
The Devil's Playground

1946-11-15

Hidden Gold
Hidden Gold

1940-06-07

The Showdown
The Showdown

1940-03-08

Pirates on Horseback
Pirates on Horseback

1941-05-23

Dangerous Venture
Dangerous Venture

1947-05-23

Leather Burners
Leather Burners

1943-05-28

False Colors
False Colors

1943-11-05

Borrowed Trouble
Borrowed Trouble

1948-07-23

In Old Colorado
In Old Colorado

1941-03-14

Stagecoach War
Stagecoach War

1940-07-12

Sinister Journey
Sinister Journey

1948-06-11

Riders of the Deadline
Riders of the Deadline

1943-12-03

False Paradise
False Paradise

1948-09-10

Undercover Man
Undercover Man

1942-10-23

Stick to Your Guns
Stick to Your Guns

1941-09-17

Wide Open Town
Wide Open Town

1941-08-08

The Dead Don't Dream
The Dead Don't Dream

1948-04-30

Colt Comrades
Colt Comrades

1943-06-18

Hoppy Serves a Writ
Hoppy Serves a Writ

1943-03-12

Mystery Man
Mystery Man

1944-05-31

Strange Gamble
Strange Gamble

1948-10-08

Unexpected Guest
Unexpected Guest

1947-03-28

Border Vigilantes
Border Vigilantes

1941-04-18

Silent Conflict
Silent Conflict

1948-03-19

The Marauders
The Marauders

1947-07-01

Three Men from Texas
Three Men from Texas

1940-11-15

Hoppy's Holiday
Hoppy's Holiday

1947-07-18

Texas Masquerade
Texas Masquerade

1944-02-08

Twilight on the Trail
Twilight on the Trail

1941-09-29

Secret of the Wastelands
Secret of the Wastelands

1941-11-15

Lost Canyon
Lost Canyon

1942-12-18

Outlaws of the Desert
Outlaws of the Desert

1941-11-01

Pride of the West
Pride of the West

1938-07-07

Lumberjack
Lumberjack

1944-04-28

Bar 20
Bar 20

1943-10-01

The Eagle's Brood
The Eagle's Brood

1935-10-25

Bar 20 Justice
Bar 20 Justice

1938-06-24

Silver on the Sage
Silver on the Sage

1939-03-31

Law of the Pampas
Law of the Pampas

1939-11-03

Renegade Trail
Renegade Trail

1939-07-25

The Frontiersmen
The Frontiersmen

1938-12-16

In Old Mexico
In Old Mexico

1938-09-09

Range War
Range War

1939-09-08

Three on the Trail
Three on the Trail

1936-04-14

Santa Fe Marshal
Santa Fe Marshal

1940-01-26

Sunset Trail
Sunset Trail

1939-02-24

Hopalong Rides Again
Hopalong Rides Again

1937-08-20

Partners of the Plains
Partners of the Plains

1938-01-14

North of the Rio Grande
North of the Rio Grande

1937-06-28

Hopalong Cassidy Returns
Hopalong Cassidy Returns

1936-10-16

Hop-a-long Cassidy
Hop-a-long Cassidy

1935-08-23

Cassidy of Bar 20
Cassidy of Bar 20

1938-02-25

Borderland
Borderland

1937-02-26

Bar 20 Rides Again
Bar 20 Rides Again

1935-12-06

Rustlers' Valley
Rustlers' Valley

1937-07-23

Texas Trail
Texas Trail

1937-11-26

Call of the Prairie
Call of the Prairie

1936-03-06

Heart of the West
Heart of the West

1936-02-24

Heart of Arizona
Heart of Arizona

1938-04-22

Trail Dust
Trail Dust

1936-12-11

Hills of Old Wyoming
Hills of Old Wyoming

1937-04-16

New Lives for Old
New Lives for Old

1925-02-22

A Wise Fool
A Wise Fool

1921-06-26

Manslaughter
Manslaughter

1922-09-24

Emergency Call
Emergency Call

1933-06-24

The Midshipman
The Midshipman

1925-10-04

The Yankee Clipper
The Yankee Clipper

1927-05-07

High Voltage
High Voltage

1929-06-29

The Cop
The Cop

1928-08-28

The Road to Yesterday
The Road to Yesterday

1925-11-13

Brewster's Millions
Brewster's Millions

1921-01-28

Carnival Boat
Carnival Boat

1932-03-19

Port of Lost Dreams
Port of Lost Dreams

1934-10-14

Suicide Fleet
Suicide Fleet

1931-11-20

The Flying Fool
The Flying Fool

1929-07-10

Go-Get-'Em, Haines
Go-Get-'Em, Haines

1936-06-16

The Six Best Cellars
The Six Best Cellars

1920-02-08

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch

1976-05-01

Cheaters
Cheaters

1934-05-11

Men Of America
Men Of America

1932-11-25

Going Hollywood: The '30s
Going Hollywood: The '30s

1984-01-01

The Affairs of Anatol
The Affairs of Anatol

1921-09-25

Officer O'Brien
Officer O'Brien

1930-02-15

The Painted Desert
The Painted Desert

1931-01-18

Beyond Victory
Beyond Victory

1931-04-03

Nice People
Nice People

1922-07-12

Land of Liberty
Land of Liberty

1939-06-15

Dress Parade
Dress Parade

1927-10-26

The Night Flyer
The Night Flyer

1928-02-05

Skyscraper
Skyscraper

1928-04-08

Two Arabian Knights
Two Arabian Knights

1927-09-23

The King of Kings
The King of Kings

1927-04-19

Moran of the Lady Letty
Moran of the Lady Letty

1922-02-05

Racing Luck
Racing Luck

1935-11-19

Feet of Clay
Feet of Clay

1924-09-27

The Young Rajah
The Young Rajah

1922-11-11

Saturday Night
Saturday Night

1922-01-29

Robert Mitchum: The Reluctant Star
Robert Mitchum: The Reluctant Star

1991-03-10

Lady of the Pavements
Lady of the Pavements

1929-01-22

Forbidden Fruit
Forbidden Fruit

1921-01-03

Television: The First Fifty Years
Television: The First Fifty Years

1999-01-01

His First Command
His First Command

1929-12-28

Federal Agent
Federal Agent

1936-04-13

Burning Gold
Burning Gold

1936-05-22

On the High Seas
On the High Seas

1922-09-17

Her Man o' War
Her Man o' War

1926-08-25

Old Wives for New
Old Wives for New

1918-05-18

The Greatest Show on Earth
The Greatest Show on Earth

1952-02-16

Michael O'Halloran
Michael O'Halloran

1923-06-10

Something to Think About
Something to Think About

1920-10-16

Flaming Gold
Flaming Gold

1932-09-28

Power
Power

1928-09-23

Changing Husbands
Changing Husbands

1924-06-22

The Leatherneck
The Leatherneck

1929-02-24

It's Showtime
It's Showtime

1976-03-31

Tarnish
Tarnish

1924-08-01

Eve's Leaves
Eve's Leaves

1926-01-10

Little Smokey
Little Smokey

1953-01-01

A City Sparrow
A City Sparrow

1920-10-17

Moonlight and Honeysuckle
Moonlight and Honeysuckle

1921-07-01