William Lawrence Boyd (1895 - 1972)

Ancestors

Biography

• As an actor, he portrayed cowboy hero Hopalong Cassidy in movies, on television, and in personal appearances.^[1] (A link to the official Hopalong Cassidy website.)

Life Events

Born William Lawrence Boyd on June 5, 1895, in Hendrysburg, Ohio, to parents Charles William Boyd and his wife Lida Alberta Wilkins, Bill grew up in Ohio and Oklahoma. After his father's death he moved to California where he worked as an orange picker, and an auto salesman, among other occupations.
He started working as an actor as an extra, putting that on hold, when the United States joined the allied efforts in the Great War, to enlist in the army. He was, however, exempt from military service due to having a "weak heart".

Boyd's 2nd wife, actress Ruth Miller (1921)

A major break in acting came when he gained the role of "Jack Moreland" in the 1925 Cecil B. DeMille film The Road to Yesterday, which was followed by another De Mille movie role, that of leading man "Feodor " in The Volga Boatman, and then as "Simon of Cyrene" in yet another De Mille epic The King of Kings.

Boyd's 3rd wife actress Elinor Fair (1919)

Boyd was married five times, and divorced four times. At least two of the weddings took place in a theatrical setting, and one in Las Vegas, Nevada. Four of his wives were actresses, while the first was wealthy heiress Laura Maynard. His only child, born to second wife Ruth Miller, died of pertussis aged just eight months 23 days. He remained married to 5th wife Grace Elsa Bradley until his death.

William Boyd and 4th wife, actress Dorothy Sebastian, in a publicity shot for the film His First Command. (1929)

Having been somewhat of a high living "playboy" for many years, a fairly "typical' Hollywood lifestyle, he changed his way of life, and his attitudes after being wrongly identified in the press as another actor, William "Stage" Boyd, who had been arrested on gambling and liquor charges. Despite the newspaper posting an apology the following day, the damage was done and Boyd's career tanked. In an attempt to distance himself, and avoid comparison to Stage Boyd, he began being credited as "Bill Boyd"; but it wasn't until 1935 (coincidentally the same year Stage Boyd died) that things started looking up. That was the year he was offered the role of supporting character "Red Connors" in the movie Hop-Along Cassidy, but talked his way into the lead role instead.

Hopalong Cassidy and Topper

Although author Clarence E. Mulford's "Hop-Along" was written as a hard-drinking, rough-living, red-headed wrangler, Boyd managed to depict him as a cowboy hero who did not smoke, swear, or drink alcohol (his drink of choice being sarsaparilla). It was not long before Boyd became indelibly associated with the character - even going so far in later years to dress as the cowboy in public.

After producer Harry "Pop" Sherman lost interest in the Hopalong franchise, wishing to move on with more ambitious projects, Boyd produced another 12 films from his own pocket. He also bought the rights to his films, believing they were not yet played out.

William Boyd, with his 5th wife Grace Bradley Boyd at the Stork Club in 1954.

1948 saw an upturn in the popularity of both Boyd and the Hopalong movies, after Boyd took one of them to the local NBC television station, offering it at a nominal rental. It was so well received that NBC requested more - which Boyd was only too happy to supply. This venture not only made him the first national TV star, it restored his personal fortune, and saw the launch of a new Hopalong Cassidy radio show that ran for four years.
Boyd was very serious about being a role model for children - his "friends" - and refused to put the brand name to anything he saw as unsuitable or dangerous, and also refused to make appearances anywhere his "friends" were charged admission.

William Boyd, with unknown children, in Chicago promoting a TV show. (1950)

As his health declined, he began refusing public appearances, interviews, and photographs, preferring to not disillusion his "friends", wishing them to remember him as he had been.

William Lawrence Boyd passed away on September 12, 1972, in Laguna Beach, California, aged 77 years, with the cause given as complications related to Parkinson's disease and congestive heart failure. He was buried in the Sanctuary of Guiding Love alcove in the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, Los Angeles County, California, where his wife, Grace, would later be laid beside him.

LEGACY

• Boyd was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• He was also inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Sources

1. ↑ Hopalong Cassidy on Wikipedia

• William Boyd (1895-1972) on Find A Grave: Memorial #2123 retrieved 21 July 2018

• "Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X62S-G92 : 9 March 2018), Charles W. Boyd in entry for William L. Boyd, 05 Jun 1895; citing Birth, , Belmont, Ohio, United States, county courthouses, Ohio; FHL microfilm 902,138.

• "Hawaii, Honolulu Passenger Lists, 1900-1953," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV9Z-NDXB : 16 March 2018), William Boyd, 1931; citing Ship , NARA microfilm publication A3422 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• "United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V48P-4M6 : 8 November 2017), William Lawrence Boyd, 1942; citing NARA microfilm publication M1936, M1937, M1939, M1951, M1962, M1964, M1986, M2090, and M2097 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• "Brasil, Cartões de Imigração, 1900-1965," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VRQF-79V : 6 August 2017), William Laurence Boyd, Immigration; citing 1950, Arquivo Nacional, Rio de Janeiro (National Archives, Rio de Janeiro).

• "California Death Index, 1940-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VP28-DZ2 : 26 November 2014), William L Boyd, 12 Sep 1972; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.

See also:

• Wikipedia page : William Boyd (actor)
• Wikidata: Item Q1477751, en:Wikipedia

• William Boyd at IMDb