Wednesday, April 3, 2013

HOPALONG CASSIDY


Above, my Father Morris Ankrum (billed as Stephen Morris) has the drop on William 'Hoppy' Boyd in this lobby card from HILLS OF OLD WYOMING (Paramount, 1937). My Father was under contract to Paramount Studios in the late 1930's. He played the antagonist in many of the Hopalong Cassidy Western Films.  His early stage name was Stephen Morris. He later changed it to his own name.








Above from L-to-R are William Boyd, Russell Hayden,
Andy Clyde and 
Morris Ankrum (now billed as Morris Ankrum) 
in a lobby card from  
WIDE OPEN TOWN (Paramount, 1941).

2 comments:

Chatty Crone said...

What is a lobby card? And what is with his name change - is there any history to that? I am glad he got to change his name back to his real name! I remember Hopalong Cassidy. sandie

David said...

A lobby card was like a small poster 11 x 14 inches that would hang in the lobby of the theater.

I used to collect them back in early 1960's. The screen name was something studios would suggest. They came up with Stephen Morris. He later talked them into changing to his real name.