Hopalong Cassidy

Hopalong Cassidy was one of the most successful fictional characters of America's fictionized "Old West." A paragon of virtue, integrity, courtesy, and justice, he fought for the little guy against robbers, swindlers, dishonest ranchers, and other villains, usually accompanied by one or more sidekicks. Sarsaparilla was his libation of choice.

"Hoppy" first appeared in a series of short stories and novels by Clarence E. Mulford in the early years of the Twentieth Century. In the original portrayals, Cassidy was not the pillar of rectitude he later became. His transformation came when the character became the subject of a series of movies starting in the mid-1930s. Sixty-six movies were made, though few of them were based on Mulford's stories.

The success of the movies eventually led to radio, television, comic books, a newspaper comic strip, even a short-lived amusement park, Hoppyland, in Venice, California. The television show was the first cowboy show carried by a television network. Hoppy also reinvigorated the career of silent screen actor William Boyd, who played Hoppy in movies, on television, and on the radio.

Series description provided by Frank Bell.