William Boyd

Biography

William Boyd was an American film producer and actor who became one of the best-known cowboy stars of his era, chiefly for his many Westerns as Hopalong Cassidy. Born in Hendrysburg, Ohio and raised in Ohio and Oklahoma, he broke into movies as an extra, including in Why Change Your Wife? (1920). Cecil B. DeMille gave him his breakout role in The Road to Yesterday, which drew critical praise, and then the lead in the silent drama The Volga Boatman, another success. He appeared in DeMille's The King of Kings (1927) and Skyscraper and in D.W. Griffith's Lady of the Pavements. In 1935 he asked for and won the title part in Hop-Along Cassidy. He later produced the final twelve Cassidy features himself, and in 1948 he brought the films to television, where they proved popular and helped launch the small screen's long run of Westerns.

77years old at death

Born June 5, 1895Hendrysburg
Died September 12, 1972Laguna Beach
Star sign: GeminiThe sign runs May 21 to June 20
Also credited as William Lawrence Boyd and Hopalong Cassidy

Movie Career

Films: 14
Career span: 23 years1920 to 1943

Genres

Western64%, 9 films
Drama50%, 7 films
Comedy29%, 4 films
Adventure7%, 1 film
History7%, 1 film

First and latest

Photos

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Big break
Boyd's breakout role was Jack Moreland in Cecil B. DeMille's The Road to Yesterday (1925), which earned him critical praise and led DeMille to cast him as the leading man of The Volga Boatman.
A role that slipped away
DeMille reportedly asked Boyd to play Moses in his remake of The Ten Commandments. Boyd turned it down, believing audiences would not accept him as Moses because they knew him as the Cassidy character.
Behind the camera
Boyd produced the last 12 Hopalong Cassidy features himself on noticeably lower budgets after producer Harry Sherman abandoned the franchise to make more ambitious epics.

William Boyd movies on Netflix

Bar 201943IMDb rating 6.3as Hopalong Cassidy
Hoppy Serves a Writ1943IMDb rating 6.3as Hopalong Cassidy
Doomed Caravan1941IMDb rating 6.3as Hopalong Cassidy
Santa Fe Marshal1940IMDb rating 6.7as Hopalong Cassidy
Three Men from Texas1940IMDb rating 6.8as Hopalong Cassidy
Law of the Pampas1939IMDb rating 6.7as Hopalong Cassidy
Renegade Trail1939IMDb rating 6.6as Hopalong Cassidy
In Old Mexico1938IMDb rating 6.6as Hopalong Cassidy
The Painted Desert1931IMDb rating 5.2as Bill Holbrook(Bill Boyd)
The King of Kings1927IMDb rating 7.3as Simon Of Cyrene
Two Arabian Knights1927IMDb rating 6.6as W. Daingerfield Phelps III
Hollywood1923IMDb rating 6.7as William Boyd
The Affairs of Anatol1921IMDb rating 6.6as Guest
Why Change Your Wife?1920IMDb rating 6.7as Naval Officer at Hotel

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Hoppy Serves a Writ1943 Westernas Hopalong Cassidy
IMDb rating 6.3310 votes
Bar 201943 Drama, Westernas Hopalong Cassidy
IMDb rating 6.3293 votes
Three Men from Texas1940as Hopalong Cassidy
IMDb rating 6.8275 votes
Two Arabian Knights1927as W. Daingerfield Phelps III
IMDb rating 6.61.3K votes
The Painted Desert1931as Bill Holbrook(Bill Boyd)
IMDb rating 5.2900 votes
The King of Kings1927as Simon Of Cyrene
IMDb rating 7.32.7K votes
Why Change Your Wife?1920as Naval Officer at Hotel
IMDb rating 6.71.6K votes
The Affairs of Anatol1921as Guest
IMDb rating 6.61.5K votes

Most often with

Lesley Selander directed five of these films, Cecil B. DeMille three. Russell Hayden appears in six of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Russell HaydenArt Felix

Andy ClydeRoy Bucko

Glenn Strange

Fred BurnsLesley SelanderDirector, 5 films

Cecil B. DeMilleDirector, 3 films

Films together

Russell Hayden6 films together, 1938 to 1941
Russell Hayden's page
- Doomed Caravan1941IMDb rating 6.3Boyd as Hopalong CassidyHayden as Lucky Jenkins
- Santa Fe Marshal1940IMDb rating 6.7Boyd as Hopalong CassidyHayden as Lucky Jenkins
- Three Men from Texas1940IMDb rating 6.8Boyd as Hopalong CassidyHayden as Lucky Jenkins
- Law of the Pampas1939IMDb rating 6.7Boyd as Hopalong CassidyHayden as Lucky Jenkins
- Renegade Trail1939IMDb rating 6.6Boyd as Hopalong CassidyHayden as Lucky Jenkins
- In Old Mexico1938IMDb rating 6.6Boyd as Hopalong CassidyHayden as Lucky Jenkins
Art Felix4 films together, 1939 to 1943
Art Felix's page
- Bar 201943IMDb rating 6.3Boyd as Hopalong CassidyFelix as Ranch Hand
- Hoppy Serves a Writ1943IMDb rating 6.3Boyd as Hopalong CassidyFelix as Henchman
- Doomed Caravan1941IMDb rating 6.3Boyd as Hopalong CassidyFelix as Henchman
- Law of the Pampas1939IMDb rating 6.7Boyd as Hopalong CassidyFelix as Henchman
Andy Clyde4 films together, 1940 to 1943
Andy Clyde's page
- Bar 201943IMDb rating 6.3Boyd as Hopalong CassidyClyde as California Carlson
- Hoppy Serves a Writ1943IMDb rating 6.3Boyd as Hopalong CassidyClyde as California Carlson
- Doomed Caravan1941IMDb rating 6.3Boyd as Hopalong CassidyClyde as California Jack
- Three Men from Texas1940IMDb rating 6.8Boyd as Hopalong CassidyClyde as California Carlson
Roy Bucko3 films together, 1940 to 1943
Roy Bucko's page
- Bar 201943IMDb rating 6.3Boyd as Hopalong CassidyBucko as Henchman
- Hoppy Serves a Writ1943IMDb rating 6.3Boyd as Hopalong CassidyBucko as Posse Rider
- Three Men from Texas1940IMDb rating 6.8Boyd as Hopalong CassidyBucko as Henchman
Glenn Strange3 films together, 1938 to 1940
Glenn Strange's page
- Three Men from Texas1940IMDb rating 6.8Boyd as Hopalong CassidyStrange as Ben Stokes
- Law of the Pampas1939IMDb rating 6.7Boyd as Hopalong CassidyStrange as Slim Schultz
- In Old Mexico1938IMDb rating 6.6Boyd as Hopalong CassidyStrange as Henchman Burke
Fred Burns3 films together, 1938 to 1941
Fred Burns's page
- Doomed Caravan1941IMDb rating 6.3Boyd as Hopalong CassidyBurns as Luke
- Three Men from Texas1940IMDb rating 6.8Boyd as Hopalong CassidyBurns as Rancher
- In Old Mexico1938IMDb rating 6.6Boyd as Hopalong CassidyBurns as Henchman
Lesley SelanderDirector, 5 films, 1939 to 1943
All films by Lesley Selander
- Bar 201943IMDb rating 6.3Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy
- Doomed Caravan1941IMDb rating 6.3Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy
- Santa Fe Marshal1940IMDb rating 6.7Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy
- Three Men from Texas1940IMDb rating 6.8Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy
- Renegade Trail1939IMDb rating 6.6Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy
Cecil B. DeMilleDirector, 3 films, 1920 to 1927
All films by Cecil B. DeMille
- The King of Kings1927IMDb rating 7.3Boyd as Simon Of Cyrene
- The Affairs of Anatol1921IMDb rating 6.6Boyd as Guest
- Why Change Your Wife?1920IMDb rating 6.7Boyd as Naval Officer at Hotel
Also three films together4 more actors
- Julia FayeThe King of Kings (1927), The Affairs of Anatol (1921) and Why Change Your Wife? (1920)
- Earle HodginsBar 20 (1943), Hoppy Serves a Writ (1943) and Santa Fe Marshal (1940)
- Eddie DeanSanta Fe Marshal (1940), Law of the Pampas (1939) and Renegade Trail (1939)
- Cliff ParkinsonBar 20 (1943), Hoppy Serves a Writ (1943) and In Old Mexico (1938)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Awards

One award and honor.

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William Boyd's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Film	Result
Other honors
	Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame		Honored

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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