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Hopalong Cassidy Music
To go to each section directly, click on these links:
New song about Hopalong Cassidy
Music in Hopalong Cassidy Films
Alan Livingston and The Capitol Record-Readers
Music & Memories of Hopalong Cassidy/ Cowboy Songs Corral Round-Up NEW!
Hopalong Cassidy Radio and Television Programs
Hopalong Cassidy books and magazines
Hopalong Cassidy Statue Dedication NEW!
The information below was compiled and written by songwriter Roger Hall, who when he was a young boy met William Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy. If you use any of this information please credit him and this American Music Preservation website.
For comments or questions about Hoppy music write to him -- click here
Please help support this American music preservation website
and keep its mission to provide free information online.Order your music books, CDs, and DVDs at the
A New Song about Hopalong Cassidy
On this CD with music by
songwriter Roger Lee Hall is a new song,
with beautiful lyrics by Susie Coffman, titled,"The Angels Handed Me A Rose
(Hoppy's Song For Grace)
This song is dedicated in memory of
Grace Bradley Boyd
(Mrs. Hopalong Cassidy)
To order the "Gentle Peace" CD,
Music in Hopalong Cassidy Films
By Roger Hall
Most B-western fans know about the singing cowboys of the 1930s and 1940s, such as Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Tex Ritter, and others .
Maybe you assume that because Hopalong Cassidy wasn't a singing cowboy there were no songs in his westerns. Wrong! There were actually over 40 songs featured in the Hoppy films. There were also talented music directors, such as Boris Moross who worked for many years at Paramount.
Highly skilled composers were also employed to write the background scores.These composers included: John Leipold (who did 8 Hopalong Cassidy scores), and Victor Young (who did 4 of them). Both of these composers received Oscars for other films:
John Leipold received his Oscar for John Ford's STAGECOACH in 1939.
Victor Young received an Oscar posthumously for Mike Todd's Oscar-winning film, AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS, in 1956.Here are a few westerns with some good music:
Music in Hopalong Cassidy Films in the 1930s
HOP-A-LONG CASSIDY (or HOPALONG CASSIDY ENTERS)(1935)
In the first film of the long-running Hopalong Cassidy film series, "Following the Stars" was sung by Jimmy Ellison as Johnny Nelson -- he wasn't a really strong singer but did very nicely making the song an important part of the film's story.
NORTH OF THE RIO GRANDE (1937)
This was even a Hoppy western with several Irish songs. Walter Long playing Irishman Bull O'Hara, warbles the song, "Wearin' of the Green," accompanied at the piano by George ("Windy") Hayes -- who wasn't really a piano player! Later in the film, singer Bernadene Hayes as Faro Annie sings the popular song,"When Irish Eyes Are Smiling (and Hoppy dances with her too!).
THE FRONTIERSMEN (1938)
The St. Bendan's Boy Choir directed by Robert Mitchell were featured in this western. This choir sang a bunch of traditional songs in this Hoppy movie, including "Home on the Range," "Columbia, The Gem of The Ocean," and "Auld Lang Syne." The film also featured a young Dickie Jones (who didn't sing), and a few years he was the voice of the wooden boy in Disney's animated film classic, PINOCCHIO. Many years later, Dick Jones was a guest at the Hopalong Cassidy Festival in 2006 in Cambridge, Ohio.
RENEGADE TRAIL (1939)
The next year of 1939 featured the first singing quartet in a Hoppy movie.
They were known as The King's Men and sang two songs in RENEGADE TRAIL.
This was one of the Hopalong Cassidy westerns with a young boy in the cast. His full name was Moyer MacLaren ("Sonny") Bupp [shown in the above picture]. A few years later, Sonny played Charles Foster Kane 's son in CITIZEN KANE. He told me that he had really enjoyed playing in that Hopalong Cassidy movie opposite William Boyd, who treated him very kindly.The first song in RENEGADE TRAIL was "Lazy Rolls The Rio Grande" with a solo by future singing cowboy star, Eddie Dean.
The other song was "Hi Thar, Stranger!"
Hopalong Cassidy with The King's Men
in RENEGADE TRAIL (1939)One of the members of The King's Men was Ken Darby, who later worked at 20th Century Fox Studios as an arranger, songwriter and conductor.
He received three Oscars for his work on Hollywood musicals:
THE KING AND I (1956), PORGY AND BESS (1959), and CAMELOT (1967).To read about Ken Darby's music arranging and songwriting -- click here
Music in Hopalong Cassidy Films in the 1940s
There were less songs in later Hoppy movies, most of them in the early 1940s.
One of the movies featured The King's Men in STAGECOACH WAR (1940)
Brad King (real name: Jack Watt) appeared in 5 Hopalong Cassidy movies in 1941, including two with The Jimmy Wakely Trio:
STICK TO YOUR GUNS and TWILIGHT ON THE TRAILThe Guardsmen: RIDERS OF THE TIMBERLINE (1941) - "The Fightin' Forty"
The Sportsmen Quartette with Thurl Ravenscroft: LOST CANYON (1943) -
"Jingle, Jangle, Jingle"
Alan Livingston
and
The Capitol Record Readers
Beginning in 1946, there was a series of children's records produced under the Bozo the Clown logo.
They were released by Capitol Records and were the idea of this creative record producer...
Alan W. Livingston (1917-2009)
The first record produced by Livingston in the series was Bozo at the Circus and it became a million seller.
He produced several sets known as "Record-Readers," which included an illustrated picture book.These record sets became popular with kids everywhere, especially the ones for Hopalong Cassidy, who was at his peak in 1950.
This was the first children's record set to make it
to the Top Ten on the pop charts...
HOPALONG CASSIDY AND THE SINGING BANDIT
was available with two 78 rpm or 45 rpm records.The cast of characters for this record set:
Bill Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy
Andy Clyde as California
Rand Brooks as Lucky
and Topper as "Himself"
There was also an 18 page illustrated story booklet which accompanied the records. This set includes a simple song about Hopalong Cassidy with lyrics by Alan Livingston and music by Billy May, an accomplished arranger and conductor who worked with many great singers, including Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Peggy Lee. The singer of the Hopalong Cassidy song is not identified on the record.Listen to this complete story and song for
HOPALONG CASSIDY AND THE SINGING BANDIT
by clicking here.There was another Record-Reader released by Capitol Records in 1950,
HOPALONG CASSIDY AND THE SQUARE DANCE HOLDUP
It featured the same cast of characters and was again written and produced by Alan Livingston, with music provided by Billy May.
Listen to this complete story and song for HOPALONG CASSIDY AND THE SSQUARE DANCE HOLDUP by clicking here
Later on, Alan Livingston became the President of Capitol Records where he signed up Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, and The Beatles among others.
Other Hopalong Cassidy stories by different writers were also released on Capitol records, such as these titles:
"Hoppy's Good Luck Coin" by Hamilton Richards
"The Legend of Phantom Scout Pass" by Steve Graham
"Hopalong Cassidy and The Two-Legged Wolf" by Charles Shows
Two collections
by songwriter, Roger HallDid you know there were over 40 songs featured in Hopalong Cassidy
westerns during the 1930s and 1940s?Read about some of them and other fascinating facts and listen to songs in this collection of music and memories by songwriter Roger Hall, who met Hopalong Cassidy in New York City as a youngster in 1950. He has also appeared as a guest and sang a few songs at several Hopalong Cassidy Festivals in Cambridge, Ohio.
First published in 2005, there was a second edition in 2009. To celebrate the 65th anniversary of meeting Hopalong Cassidy in New York City for a photo shoot, Roger has finished a new revised 3rd edition with the illustrated book and many pictures, including from several Hopalong Cassidy Festivals, plus music and stories on a CD-R disc playable on any computer with Microsoft Word and mp3 audio program.
This computer disc is now available with additional files from the Hopalong Cssidy Dedication in Cambridge, Ohio in 2016. Read more about it -- click here
Also available on a seperate CD-ROM is "Back in the Saddle" - Cowboy Songs Corral Round-Up, in a collection with articles, pictures, music albums and the Cowboy Song Corral Series, including songs in Hopalong Cassidy westerns.
First collection -
New updated edition!
"Following the Stars"
Music & Memories of HopalongCassidy
by Roger Hall (2016 edition)
Second collection
Do you remember those entertaining days when you enjoyed listening
to radio programs? Between 1949 and 1952, William Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy appeared with his friend, Bing Crosby on his radio show, as well as the George Burns & Grace Allen Show and the Dean Martin& Jerry Lewis radio program.
Hopalong Cassidy, Peggy Lee and Bing Crosby
Get your copy of three radio programs on the CD-R:
"Bing and Hoppy On Radio"
Bravo, Bing!
A Tribute to Bing Crosby
Hopalong Cassidy Radio and Television Programs
The Hopalong Cassidy TV shows began in 1949. The next year the radio series started and ran from 1950 to 1952 for 104 episodes on the Mutual and CBS Radio Networks. The programs were recorded between 1948 and 1950 and featured primarily Andy Clyde as California and later Joe DuVal also as California. The theme music for this radio series
was by Albert Glasser, who composed over 150 film scores in his long career.
Here is wrote he said about the Hopalong Cassidy radio series music:Walter White, who had been in charge of Radio Free Europe broadcasts for which I had written some stuff, asked me if I would like to write the music for a new radio show he was producing with William Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy. Well, of course, I jumped at the opportunity. This was around December of 1948, and James Petrillo, head of the musicians union, had called a strike for January 1st, 1949.
So, everybody was scrambling to get their music recorded before the deadline, and I had to look all over town to find a studio that was not already booked. I finally found a place on Highland Avenue - upstairs, but we had to be out of there by midnight to beat the strike deadline. So, I wrote the cues, had them copied, and called the seven (7) men for the orchestra - all top men. We got there at 10:00, and everything went well. I wrote a real slow, walking horse theme for when the announcer says, "It's Hopalong Cassidy time..."
We left the studio at midnight New Year's eve, and, it was snowing outside! Snowing in Los Angeles!! That was for the sample show. Once the show was sold, and they needed more music, with the strike on, everybody was going out of the country to record - England, Germany, France, Mexico.
My buddy Elias Breeskin was in Mexico, and he told me that he could set me up there at Cherabusco Studios, so I went to Mexico. He took care of everything - all I had to bring was the music, my baton and the money!
So, the show was a hit, and after the strike, I continued to hire the same seven musicians who had recorded the sample show with me for all the other Hoppalong Cassidy music sessions.
-- quote courtesy of David L. Fuller
Record Producer, David L Fuller, with Albert Glasser (seated) in 1986
Read the interview
Book review of this recommended book at this link:
Jingle of the Silver Spurs:
The Hopalong Cassidy Radio Program, 1950-1952
Hopalong Cassidy
Ultimate Collector's Edition
(all 66 movies on 14 discs)
All 66 films were formerly released in an attractive lunch box
Music from the Television Series
Here he comes,
Here he comes,
There's the trumpets,
There's the drums,
Here he comes, Hopalong Cassidy,
Here he comes!
These lyrics are from the television theme song,
by L. Wolfe Gilbert (1886-1970)
and music by Nacio Herb Brown (1896-1964)
Though some of the Hopalong Cassidy movies were shown earlier in Los Angeles and New York, the first NBC TV network showing was on June 24, 1949. Entertainment writer, Susan Sackett wrote that William Boyd was -
"a gambling man, he hocked everything to purchase the TV rights to the films and his character...he sold the first package of Hopalong Cassidy television episodes - edited down versions of his films - to New York's local station WNBT. They were an overnight success, and by 1950 his show ranked in the top 10...children worshipped Hoppy, and the character became the first merchandising phenomenon."
-- quoted in
"Following the Stars" - Music & Memories of Hopalong Cassidy
All of his TV shows, including 10 full length feature films, are now available on this DVD collection:
Hopalong Cassidy: The Complete Television Collection
The Hopalong Cassidy opening and closing
TV theme is included on this wonderful nostalgic CD collection:
Television's Greatest Hits, Volume 4:
65 TV themes from the '50s and '60s
The complete TV theme, titled "Hopalong Cassidy March,"
as recorded by Frank DeVol in 1952 is on this excellent 2 CD set with many popular themes and songs, including "Hoppy, Gene And Me" sung by Roy Rogers:
Treasury of the West, Volume 2
Books about Hopalong Cassidy
Former President Bill Clinton has written
the Preface to this lavishly illustrated book
by Grace Bradley Boyd and Michael Cochran titled,
Hopalong Cassidy: An American Legend
To read the book review+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
To read the book review
Hopalong Cassidy in Magazines
Get your copy of Roger Hall's fascinating article
on the first movie, HOP-A-LONG CASSIDY (1935)
in Films of the Golden Age (No. 42) from Fall, 2005.
Order your copy at:
The Summer 2013 issue (No. 73) of Films of the Golden Age
has a wonderful long article on William Boyd,
about his pre-Hopalong Cassidy film roles
in silent films and early talkies.
The article is "William Boyd: Before the Legend" by Diane Jarrett.
"Every kid needs a hero.
Hopalong Cassidy takes the place of
Buffalo Bill, Babe Ruth, Lindy, and all the rest.
He's everything that young America admires and wants."
(December 1950)
There were many articles written about Hopalong Cassidy, especially in 1950 in Time, Life and Look magazines, when he was at the peak of his popularity.
One of the most interesting was a Christmas issue of Coronet magazine (December 1950) with an article titled, "The Inside Story of Hopalong Cassidy" by Dwight Whitney.
This is an excerpt:
His [Hopalong Cassidy's] Saturday radio program, sponsored by General Foods, is heard on 151 CBS stations from coast to coast. His movies, the cause for all the furor, are televised from 60 stations. Last summer his second record album, Hopalong Cassidy and the Singing Bandit, sold 200,000 before issuance. During his personal appearance tour with the Cole Bros. Circus, the crowds broke all attendance records. From these various sources, Boyd stands to make well over $1,000,000 this year.
Also included in this 1950 Coronet magazine is the ...
One of the many magazines with Hoppy on the cover ...
Look magazine, August 29, 1950
Mrs. Hopalong Cassidy
A Tribute to Grace Bradley Boyd (1913-2010)
Hopalong Cassidy Song Series
This series was written by songwriter, Roger Hall,
and featured in each issue of HOPPY TALK,
the official publication of Friends of Hopalong Cassidy,
Canbridge, Ohio, boyhood home of William Lawrence Boyd,
Laura Bates, Editor; Fred Romary, Associate Editor.
No. 1: "HILLS OF OLD WYOMING" (1937)
HOPPY TALK, Vol. 19, No. 3 (2012)
No. 2: "TWILIGHT ON THE TRAIL" (1941)
sung by Brad King with The Jimmy Wakely Trio
HOPPY TALK, Vol. 19, No. 4 (2012-2013)
No. 3: "THE FUNNY OLD HILLS"
from TWILIGHT ON THE TRAIL (1941)
sung by Brad King with The Jimmy Wakely Trio
HOPPY TALK, Vol. 20, No. 1 (2013)
No. 4: "TAKE ME BACK TO THOSE WIDE OPEN SPACES"
from TRAIL DUST (1936)
HOPPY TALK, Vol. 20, No. 2 (2013)
No. 5: "LAZY ROLLS THE RIO GRANDE"
from RENEGADE TRAIL (1939)
sung by Eddie Dean and The King's Men
HOPPY TALK, Vol. 20, No. 3 (2014)
No. 6: "JINGLE, JANGLE, JINGLE"
from LOST CANYON (1943)
sung by The Sportsmen Quartet
HOPPY TALK, Vol. 20, No. 4 (2014)
In celebration of the Jimmy Wakley Centennial
Jimmy Wakely (1914-1982)
No. 7: "MY KIND OF COUNTRY"
(words by Frank Loesser/ music by Jimmy McHugh)
sung by The Jimmy Wakely Trio
in STICK TO YOUR GUNS (1941)
HOPPY TALK, Vol. 21, No. 1 (2014)
In memory of Dick Jones (1927-2014)
No. 8: "HOME ON THE RANGE"
(words by Dr. Brewster Higley/music by Daniel E. Kelley)
sung by St. Brendan's Boy Choir
in THE FRONTIERSMEN (1938)
in HOPPY TALK (Vol. 21, No. 2, Winter 2015)
No. 9: "WHEN THE MOON HANGS HIGH"
from BAR 20 RIDES AGAIN (1935)
words by Dave Franklin/music by Sam H. Stept)
sung by Chill Wills and His Avalon Boys
HOPPY TALK (Vol. 21, No. 3, Spring 2015)
Television's Greatest Hits, Volume 4:
65 TV themes from the '50s and '60s
Final song in this series
No. 10: "HERE HE COMES, HOPALONG CASSIDY!"
(Television Theme Song)
words by L. Wolfe Gilbert/music by Nacio Herb Brown)
sung by Studio Chorus
HOPPY TALK (Vol. 21, No. 4, Summer 2015)
Hopalong Cassidy Festivals
in Cambridge, Ohio
Note: This annual festival is no longer presented
Songwriter Roger Hall first attended this Festival in 1995
for the 100th birthday celebration of William Boyd.
He also attended in 2000 for the 50th anniversary
of his meeting Hopalong Cassidy in 1950 and he sang two songs:
"Hopalong Cassidy Clippity-Clippity Clop" (1954)
"Following the Stars" (1935)See pictures from several Hopalong Cassidy Festivals
in Roger's book:"Following the Stars - Music & Memories of Hopalong Cassidy
"Hendrysburg to Hollywood" wall mural
by Artist Sue Dodd
2009 Hopalong Cassidy festival
Lone Ranger and Tonto Look-A-Likes
with Roger ahd Gail Hall
Special cake at Cowpoke Dinner
Invited guests at the Cowpoke Dinner
(left to right):
Robert Hinkle, Dale Berry,
Francis Reeves, Laura Bates,
Martin Kove, Bo Hopkins,
Russ McCubbin, Edd Brynes
Little Buckaroo Costume Contest
NEW!
Hoppy Statue Dedication (June 3, 2016)
Recommended Links
"Back in the Saddle Again" - Cowboy Songs Corral Round-Up
"Following the Stars" - Music & Memories of Hopalong Cassidy --
illustrated book with music, pictures and stories. Newly expanded edition for 2016.Hopalong Cassidy Collectibles -- Joseph J. Caro's reference guide with over 1,200 color photos.
Hopalong Cassidy Songs - songs from the movies and about Hoplaong Cassidy sung by Roy Rogers ("Hoppy, Gene and Me"), Roger Miller ("Hoppy's Gone") and others.
The Old Corral -- Chuck Anderson's great website dedicated to B-western stars, including Hoppy.
The Silver Screen Cowboy Project -- new songs about past cowboy stars, including a new one about Hoppy.
Western Clippings -- latest cowboy news and info by author, Boyd Magers.
William Boyd -- Wikipedia article. He was married five times:
Laura Maynes in 1917
Ruth Yeager Miller in 1921
Elinor Virginia Crow in 1926
Dorothy Sebastian in 1930
Grace Bradley on June 5th, 1937 -- she married William Boyd on his 42nd birthday. They remained married until his death in 1972. Later, this beautiful lady became known and beloved as "Mrs. Hopalong Cassidy." She has written her memories about her life with her late husband in the handsome illustrated book titled, Hopalong Cassidy: An American Legend
Please remember to credit this page!
Most of the information on this page
was compiled by songwriter, Roger Hall.
If you copy any text or pictures from this page
please give credit toHopalong Cassidy Music
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