Hopalong Cassidy (1952-1954)

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  • Glad you enjoy them. My favorites are


    Trail Dust
    Borderland
    Rustler's Valley


    and


    The Eagle's Brood.


    They are true period westerns -- no cars, no paved roads, no telephone polls, no mailboxes, no iron fences, no neon signs in the window, etc. The horses are spirited, the scenery is beautiful and the landscapes pristine. Not anymore, of course. Today many of those locations are housing developments.


    Gabby Hayes is an asset, of course. I'm just beginning to realize what a natural actor and brilliant comedian he was.


    I confess I do have a problem with William Boyd's outfit. His outfit is all wrong. It is never believable, it calls attention to itself, and it diminishes the films. At least for me it does.


    Do you know of another 1930s western series that was as good as the Hopalong Cassidy films?



    Richard

    [CENTER]
    [/CENTER]

    Edited 2 times, last by Richard--W ().



  • I too liked "Rustler's Valley" a lot. In fact, I haven't watched a single one of the Thirties Hoppy films that I really disliked. When I was a kid back in the Forties and Fifties, I'm sure I saw a lot of these movies, either at Saturday matinees or on TV. But's that been so long ago and this 73-year-old memory sure ain't what it used to be so I had forgotten most of those I've been watching.

    I also really enjoy old Gabby's performances. He's a card. I even like the guy that plays Lucky in most of the films. Gabby also played in many Roy Rogers and Duke movies back then.

    I have no complaints about Hoppy's black clothes. In fact, they make a nice contrast against Topper's white coat. What is weird is when he comes on undercover dressed like some dude.

    I used to also enjoy the Duke's Musketeers movies back in the old days but if I remember right, the plots in those weren't as complicated and well-written as the Hoppy films. And of course, I liked Gene Autrey and Roy Rogers.

    De gustibus non est disputandum

  • By the 1940s the screenplays got worse and worse as they strayed further and further away from Clarence E. Mulford and the films got cheaper and cheaper until they were hardly better than grade Z fare.



    Actually, Richard, I've now watched several of the Hoppy films made in the 40's that I thought weren't bad at all. Although I have to admit that I preferred Hoppy's saddle pals in the 30's films to his buddies of the 40's movies.

    I'm curious, do you know where exactly in California, Arizona, Nevada or wherever it was those 40's films were photographed, what with those lofty, snow-covered peaks in the background and the desert-like terrain with huge granite boulders that the cattle drives and chase scenes were set. That was really some rugged-looking country. I looked up the filming locations but don't know where they are.

    De gustibus non est disputandum


  • I'm curious, do you know where exactly in California, Arizona, Nevada or wherever it was those 40's films were photographed, what with those lofty, snow-covered peaks in the background and the desert-like terrain with huge granite boulders that the cattle drives and chase scenes were set. That was really some rugged-looking country. I looked up the filming locations but don't know where they are.


    Jim,
    I did a random search of the films, and it looks as if most were filmed
    in Lone Pine, California, particularly, Alabama Hills, and Kernville.
    Indeed many of Duke's movies were shot here,
    and here is our thread with those locations highlighted
    Duke's Movie Locations- California

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

  • Jim,
    I did a random search of the films, and it looks as if most were filmed
    in Lone Pine, California, particularly, Alabama Hills, and Kernville.
    Indeed many of Duke's movies were shot here,
    and here is our thread with those locations highlighted
    Duke's Movie Locations- California



    Thanks for your input, Keith, but I can't recall a single one of Duke's movies where the terrain looked as bleak and rugged as it does in most of those Hopalong Cassidy films. Maybe in some of his old Musketeer movies the countryside looked that bad but not in his later, greater movies. "Three Godfathers" and "The Searchers" are the only Duke movies I can think of that even come close.

    De gustibus non est disputandum

    Edited once, last by Stumpy ().

  • Maybe in some of his old Musketeer movies the countryside looked that bad but not in his later, greater movies. "Three Godfathers" and "The Searchers" are the only Duke movies I can think of that even come close.


    You're right Jim,
    Most of the LoneStar/Mongram, early Republic
    Duke's movies were filmed in these locations.
    Also some of the scenes from King Of the Pecos, Westward Ho!, Helltown,
    3 Godfathers, How The West Was Won, North To Alaska
    were filmed in the Lone Pine area

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

  • Can't believe it - here I've been commenting on the total barrenness of the countryside in the Hopalong Cassidy films and this afternoon I watched one that was filmed in tall timber country and he and his saddle pals played undercover lumberjacks, for gosh sakes. :laugh:

    De gustibus non est disputandum

  • The latest Hoppy film I watched has him beating up Robert Mitchum. Maybe that little episode inspired old Bob to become a tough guy himself. :wink_smile:

    De gustibus non est disputandum


  • On a Hoppy biography He bought the rights to Hopalong. His wife tells
    how they moved to a smaller house and purchased the rights to series.
    He was very careful with the image. He did meet the creator of series,
    but he played the part much differently then was written by the author.
    A very classy guy and his wife was the same also.

    "A people that values their Privileges above it's Principles. Soon looses both." Dwight Eisenhower

  • "Richard-but I never came across a story that captures the feel and flavor of the time"


    Because of what you said about this book, I am trying to buy it, you made it sound so
    good I want to read it. I normally don't read novels but just real stuff like Biography's.
    I also have a desire to read "True Grit" because that is the source for two fine movies, because the book "True Grit" is such a great book.
    Thanks for that post telling about Clarence Mulford, I found him at the website:
    http://books-authors.knoji.com…ator-of-hopalong-cassidy/
    This website tells why the character was named Hopalong.
    William Boyd did a great job with Hopalong Cassidy. Boyd was about as fine a man as Roy Rogers.
    A wonderful example to Kids.
    William Boyd insisted on speaking grammatical English during this series, because he knew so many children would be watching and wanted to set a good example. From an earlier post.

    "A people that values their Privileges above it's Principles. Soon looses both." Dwight Eisenhower

    Edited 3 times, last by colkid60: correction ().

  • ethanedwards- I played the trailer on Hopalong's first movie, it was a little rough but I enjoyed I will have to look at getting a couple of movies of his.
    Also listened to Roy Rodgers yodeling it was great, he sang and yodeled so good there, I really liked it.
    How did you post that here?? Technically I mean?

    "A people that values their Privileges above it's Principles. Soon looses both." Dwight Eisenhower

  • ethanedwards- I played the trailer on Hopalong's first movie, it was a little rough but I enjoyed I will have to look at getting a couple of movies of his.
    Also listened to Roy Rodgers yodeling it was great, he sang and yodeled so good there, I really liked it.
    How did you post that here?? Technically I mean?


    Hopalong was my hero, before Duke.


    To post a YouTube.


    1.Note the YouTube URL for the video
    for example, the one I posted


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F37VQnMhssg


    2. Copy after the = symbol, the code letters and numbers
    for example from the one above
    F37VQnMhssg


    3. Click on the YouTube icon in the post toolbar
    and you will see [extendedmedia]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= {/YT] appear.


    4. Post that code in between, and Hey Presto!!


    Also see
    How to Post a YouTube Video in this Forum

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 9 times, last by ethanedwards ().

  • William Boyd insisted on speaking grammatical English during this series, because he knew so many children would be watching and wanted to set a good example.



    This is one of the foremost reasons why I like older movies, and their stars, much more than the newer stuff. I believe movies, TV, books and everything else in our cultures should be geared toward teaching those younger than us good manners and morals. I'm 75 years old, and a military retiree, so during my lifetime I've heard every profanity ever invented. But I STILL cannot stand the filthy language that is so common in movies, TV and books nowadays. There have been several times I've walked out of modern movies because the dialogue was one "F" word after another.

    De gustibus non est disputandum

  • This is one of the foremost reasons why I like older movies, and their stars, much more than the newer stuff. I believe movies, TV, books and everything else in our cultures should be geared toward teaching those younger than us good manners and morals. I'm 75 years old, and a military retiree, so during my lifetime I've heard every profanity ever invented. But I STILL cannot stand the filthy language that is so common in movies, TV and books nowadays. There have been several times I've walked out of modern movies because the dialogue was one "F" word after another.


    Stumpy: I spent eight years in the Navy and also heard it all and said some of it.You have this correct, mostly I don't go to 'R' rated movies,with some exceptions.Anything Clint Eastwood does and
    if I can get a review that talks about why it is rated. Sometimes it may be a violent scene, but be in the history of the story, I may go to this.Like "Mississippi Burning". It tells a story that has to be told,just like the Holocaust. It is a terrible, horrendous story but, we can't forget it. I don't go to any of the dark stuff. all this digitized stuff at night to me, is totally uninteresting.
    Also bastardizing Lincoln or any historical figure. The later Superman, Batman offerings, some were probably ok and many of you may have enjoyed them, but I have only seen pieces of them and don't watch them. Superman having sex with Lois Lane to match modern immorality,again I don't watch it.


    "Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!"


    This is the essence of the TV Character that we watched from the early 50's. Except me, we didn't get TV until the fall of 1955, the day the Army-Navy game was on.
    I just ordered the original TV series on Superman with Christopher Reeve, and earlier the Batman 1966 TV series with Adam West.

    "A people that values their Privileges above it's Principles. Soon looses both." Dwight Eisenhower

    Edited 3 times, last by colkid60: add to ().

  • This is one of my posts from the Forum. "What Was The Last Western You Watched?"
    Thanks for that post telling about Clarence Mulford, I found him at the website:
    http://books-authors.knoji.com/clare...along-cassidy/
    This website tells why the character was named Hopalong.
    William Boyd did a great job with Hopalong Cassidy. Boyd was about as fine a man as Roy Rogers.
    A wonderful example to Kids.
    William Boyd insisted on speaking grammatical English during this series, because he knew so many children would be watching and wanted to set a good example.
    If you see the Biography of William Boyd on the web- watch it if you are interested. Hoppy had the welfare of the kids foremost in his heart. Also his wife who shares quite a bit in the Biography, was a wonderful support for Hoppy and these ideals.
    Hoppy has Class and Character, two things people presenting to kids should All have.

    "A people that values their Privileges above it's Principles. Soon looses both." Dwight Eisenhower

  • A new cable t.v. network named Cozi has been running episodes of Hopalong Cassidy (as well as The Lone Ranger, Roy Rodgers and The Virginian).I hadn't seen these shows in years and it's amazing how well they hold up. Hoppy was a great show and it's easy to see why he became such a cultural phenomenon.

    They'd never forget the day,the stranger rode into town