In 1904 Clarence E. Mulford created the fictional cowboy hero Hopalong Cassidy, in a series of popular short stories and novels based on the character.
Early on, Mulford portrayed Cassidy as a rude, dangerous, rough-talking man with a wooden leg that caused him to walk with a “hop.”
In 1935 the movie actor William Boyd transformed Cassidy into a sober and clean-cut hero.
In June 1949, “Hopalong Cassidy, played by William Boyd,” premiered on network (NBC) TV. The popular show continued for 52 more episodes.
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