HOPALONG CASSIDY: AN AMERICAN LEGEND By Grace Bradley Boyd and Michael Cochran (Russ Cochran
Publishing) — One of the joys of my life has been getting to know Grace Bradley Boyd, the effervescent and
indefatigable nonagenarian who spent thirty-five years married to William Boyd—better known as Hopalong
Cassidy. The first time I heard her relate the saga of how she developed a serious schoolgirl crush on him, then
went on meet and marry him, I had tears in my eyes. It’s an incredible story.
Now Grace has set her story—and Bill’s—down in print, as part of an elaborate and impressive coffee-table book.
Lifelong pop-culture guru Russ Cochran has produced a physically beautiful book that belongs in every film buff’s
library. His brother Michael spent the last two years working with Grace (who just turned 95) to craft a first-rate
text that is accompanied by eye-popping personal photos, movie stills, posters, and original artwork. You’ll see
everything from Hoppy’s original gun rig to the schoolbook on which Brooklyn-born Grace etched Bill Boyd’s
name on the spine—along with original one-sheet posters for every one of the Hopalong Cassidy features...as well
as original paintings for the covers of Clarence E. Mulford’s novels, generous samples of Hoppy merchandise, and
private photo-album glimpses of Grace and Bill’s life away from the movies.
The book boasts two introductions: one by President Bill Clinton (including a snapshot of him as a young boy
wearing a Hoppy outfit!) and another, even more eloquent, by songwriter Don McLean (with a childhood photo of
him in his cowboy getup).
I can’t say enough about this book: Grace’s text is candid and revealing, about herself and her husband (he was
married four times before he met Grace, the true love of his life). The chronicle of the Hopalong Cassidy series,
season by season, is equally informative. It’s well worth the $75 pricetag.
And if you’re feeling flush, you can call 1-800-322-7978 or visit the website to order a special limited edition
signed by Grace Bradley Boyd. There are only 1,000 of these and here’s Russ’s description of the book itself:
“Bound completely in the highest quality cowhide and foil stamped with three different colored dies, the pattern
embossed on the leather duplicates exactly the pattern of the leather carving on the actual holsters worn by
William Boyd in his portrayal of Hopalong Cassidy. The edges of the pages are silver gilded, and the spine contains
five "hubs" and silver embossing. The back cover of this very special edition is an embossed design copied exactly
from Hoppy's original holsters, full size. A real sterling silver heart is embedded into the back cover; this heart is an
exact replica of the silver hearts on the original holsters.” Wow.
Publishing) — One of the joys of my life has been getting to know Grace Bradley Boyd, the effervescent and
indefatigable nonagenarian who spent thirty-five years married to William Boyd—better known as Hopalong
Cassidy. The first time I heard her relate the saga of how she developed a serious schoolgirl crush on him, then
went on meet and marry him, I had tears in my eyes. It’s an incredible story.
Now Grace has set her story—and Bill’s—down in print, as part of an elaborate and impressive coffee-table book.
Lifelong pop-culture guru Russ Cochran has produced a physically beautiful book that belongs in every film buff’s
library. His brother Michael spent the last two years working with Grace (who just turned 95) to craft a first-rate
text that is accompanied by eye-popping personal photos, movie stills, posters, and original artwork. You’ll see
everything from Hoppy’s original gun rig to the schoolbook on which Brooklyn-born Grace etched Bill Boyd’s
name on the spine—along with original one-sheet posters for every one of the Hopalong Cassidy features...as well
as original paintings for the covers of Clarence E. Mulford’s novels, generous samples of Hoppy merchandise, and
private photo-album glimpses of Grace and Bill’s life away from the movies.
The book boasts two introductions: one by President Bill Clinton (including a snapshot of him as a young boy
wearing a Hoppy outfit!) and another, even more eloquent, by songwriter Don McLean (with a childhood photo of
him in his cowboy getup).
I can’t say enough about this book: Grace’s text is candid and revealing, about herself and her husband (he was
married four times before he met Grace, the true love of his life). The chronicle of the Hopalong Cassidy series,
season by season, is equally informative. It’s well worth the $75 pricetag.
And if you’re feeling flush, you can call 1-800-322-7978 or visit the website to order a special limited edition
signed by Grace Bradley Boyd. There are only 1,000 of these and here’s Russ’s description of the book itself:
“Bound completely in the highest quality cowhide and foil stamped with three different colored dies, the pattern
embossed on the leather duplicates exactly the pattern of the leather carving on the actual holsters worn by
William Boyd in his portrayal of Hopalong Cassidy. The edges of the pages are silver gilded, and the spine contains
five "hubs" and silver embossing. The back cover of this very special edition is an embossed design copied exactly
from Hoppy's original holsters, full size. A real sterling silver heart is embedded into the back cover; this heart is an
exact replica of the silver hearts on the original holsters.” Wow.
Leonard Maltin's Review
