Hopalong Cassidy: Murder on the Trail – ComicWeb Old Time Radio Podcast

ComicWeb Old Time Radio
Program: Hopalong Cassidy
Episode: Murder on the Trail

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Hopalong Cassidy: Murder on the Trail


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Episode Summary:

Hopalong Cassidy and is sidekick California Carlson enter the town of Rapid River to investigate the murder of Mr. Mills, the wealthy stage coach operator. A messenger tells them that the museum curator wants to talk to Hop. The curator tells of the map that gives the trail into the Lost Canyon. Mills followed the map to the canyon and was killed. The curator assumes by religious fanatics that live in the canyon. Then in a simply remarkable disregard for history and human nature, Hopalong says: “It’s very seldom that wars are fought or murders are committed because of religion.” The curator goes to get the map, but falls short of his goal when an axe buries itself in his head.
Ignoring that statement about religion and wars, the action centers around the sheriff, a blind man (soon to be dead blind man) the widow, and a man named Brick, and they all find themselves on the trail leading to the Lost Canyon.


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Program Summary:
Unlike most radio shows that migrated to television in the late 1940s and early 1950s, the Hopalong Cassidy radio show was created to take advantage of the popularity of the television show. Loosely based on Clarence Mulford’s pulp western novels, Hoplaong Cassidy’s first incarnation was as a series of Grade B western feature films. However, the film and radio versions differed from Mulford’s character, who was originally written as a hard-living, drinking, and shooting tough of the Old West, the film Cassidy was the ultimate western hero, a true boy scout. Despite his all-black outfit, including the black hat, Cassidy took time out from his duties as foreman of the Bar-20 ranch to capture evildoers and save damsels in distress.

Hopalong Cassidy was accompanied on his adventures by his horse, Topper, and by the inevitable grizzled sidekick—California Carlson--played by Andy Clyde. Cassidy was played by William Boyd, whose early life was more reminiscent of the Mulford creation than the character he portrayed. Boyd enjoyed success shortly after arriving in Hollywood, and lived a life that took full advantage of his new-found wealth and fame, becoming notorious as a heavy-drinking womanizer. After a disastrous case of mistaken identity destroyed his career, Boyd’s behavior, whether consciously or not, began to model Cassidy’s.

A series of successful Hopalong Cassidy movies relaunched Boyd’s career, and Boyd, in a very savvy business move, bought up the rights to the character and brought it to television in 1949 as the first of the television westerns. The show was received enthusiastically by the public who eagerly bought up Hopalong Cassidy merchandise, including the first lunch box to bear an image. It was reported in Time magazine that the demand for Cassidy black shirts and pants had occasioned a national shortage of black dye.

Taking advantage of the popularity of the show, and his perfect radio voice, Boyd launched the radio show in 1950, opening each episode "with the ring of the silver spurs," until it ended in 1952.