This book is many books in one. Most of all, it is a love story that reads like a fairy tale. A twelve-year-old girl goes to the movies in Brooklyn with her mother in 1926. The girl sees a larger-than-life image on the screen of actor William Boyd, and she falls madly in love. She writes his name in her school books. She starts collecting articles about him movie magazines. She fantasizes that someday she will marry him. The girl is Grace Bradley. In 1931, a talent scout from Paramount Pictures sees Grace dancing in a New York cabaret and offers her a screen test. She is immediately signed to a contract with Paramount and moves to Hollywood with her mother. She still thinks of William Boyd, but makes no attempt to contact him after she is living in Hollywood. In 1937, her phone rings and the voice on the other end says, "This is William Boyd. May I speak to Grace Bradley?" Grace is shocked and thinks someone is playing a joke on her until she hears the famous Bill Boyd laugh, then she knows it is the real thing. Three weeks later to the day, they are married.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
You must put it down,
By Gene P (Great Falls, VA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hopalong Cassidy - An American Legend (Hardcover)
Extremely well written and interesting to read. I'd say "you can't put it down", but it's so heavy you have to put it down to read it. It's a terrific biography as well as filmography, and includes many collectables and photos of Hoppy wanna-bes. Interesting business insights too! Grace Boyd's life is more intriguing than most romance novels. Hoppy as a role model is unsurpassed. Russ Cochran and Steve Geppi did a great job putting this package together.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"An American Legend ... Hopalong Cassidy ... Gemstone Publishing (2008)",
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This review is from: Hopalong Cassidy - An American Legend (Hardcover)
Gemstone Publishing presents - "HOPALONG CASSIDY - AN AMERICAN LEGEND (Hardcover)" -- This dazzling tribute is the compelling story of actor William Boyd's journey from childhood to fame and fortune as America's most revered Western film star --- Through 66 feature films produced between 1935 and 1948 and Boyd's personal dedication, Hopalong Cassidy became America's most beloved Western icon. Co-written by Grace Bradley Boyd (Mrs. Hoppy) and richly illustrated with photographs and posters, this offers a first hand account of their amazing love story and the original man in black who brought the qualities of honesty, courage and justice from the silver screen into our homes --- Preface by Bill Clinton, a Hoppy fan with the outfit to prove it!
Hopalong Cassidy - An American Legend, a deluxe hard cover coffee table book co-written by Mrs. Hoppy herself, Grace Bradley Boyd, and biographer Michael Cochran. Included are a preface by President Bill Clinton and foreword by songwriter and recording artist Don McLean, both among the legions of youth strongly influenced by Hoppy in the early 1950s. Portrayed by veteran film actor William Boyd in 66 classic B-Westerns released between 1935 and 1948, Hopalong Cassidy is remembered by millions of baby boomers as the silver-haired man in black who set the standards of courage, action, and moral conduct for more than three generations in the mid-20th Century --- Empowered by Boyd's unfaltering dedication to the character as a post-war role model, Hoppy led the charge to television in 1949 to become the new medium's first superstar, creating a tidal wave of popularity that lasted well into the 1950s --- But that zenith of fame is just one aspect of the incredible chronicle revealed in this compelling memoir. Like all heroic tales, the story is an intertwining of many lives, including Grace Bradley, a 12 year-old girl who fell in love with a charismatic silent film star and ten years later fulfilled her childhood vow to marry him, and William Boyd, a fading actor inspired by love and gratitude to dedicate his life to the character that became a beacon to the world --- Narrated in the clear, strong voice of Grace Bradley Boyd, and told with the wisdom and perspective of her 94 years, the saga unfolds with enough interconnecting stories to spoke a wagon wheel, a rich tapestry of lives, places and events interwoven by fate over the span of a century --- As the definitive account of a uniquely American icon, the richly illustrated 368 page book is an absolute must read for all aficionados of the Western genre and Hopalong Cassidy fans in particular. SPECIAL FEATURE: BIOS: 1. William Boyd Date of Birth: 5 June 1895 - Hendrysburg, Ohio Date of Death: 12 September 1972 - Laguna Beach, California Hats off and thanks to Grace Bradley Boyd, Michael Cochran and the staff of Gemstone Publishing --- order your copy now from Amazon or Gemstone Publishing where there are plenty of copies available, stay tuned once again for top notch releases --- please stand up and take a bow Gemstone Publishing --- Western Classic, all my heroes have been cowboys! Total Pages: 368 Pages ~ Gemstone Publishing ~ (10/15/2008)
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Here he comes........,
By
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This review is from: Hopalong Cassidy - An American Legend (Hardcover)
If your a fan or have any interst in this iconic figure, it's a great book. Super pictures of Bill Boyd and Topper, insight into the films and film making process, and some understanding of the relationship the actor had with his wife, Grace. Plenty of movie memorabilia, and discourse about the 40/50's Hoppy craze that swept the nation as a result of his film popularity and self positioning as a TV pioneer. Yes, before there was Davy Crocket and coonskin caps, there was Hopalong Cassidy and kids running around in black Hoppy outfits. Great effort about someone greatly beloved in his day. Kids of today are disadvantaged in not having screen role models like Hoppy to be entertained by and look up to. Much like Clayton Moore with the character of the Lone Ranger, Bill Boyd became Hopalong Cassidy, and was proud of it. Sixty six films and two seasons of TV episodes, Hoppy was the man in black.
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