HOPALONG CASSIDY Radio Show by Dick Judge Feb 14, 2005 What red-blooded kid of the early 1950s didn't listen to Hopalong Cassidy on the radio. A western that was greater than The Roy Rogers Show or Gene Autry's Melody Ranch. Hoppy was a hero to one and all. He and his sidekick, California Carlson, roamed the Southwest in thrilling stories week after week. Almost every tale had a little mystery in it, and almost every story ended with Hoppy's boiserous laugh. Clarence Mulford, the author of the Hopalong Cassidy stores, created a hard- fisted, rough and tought cowboy. Nowhewre's near or liked the loveable Hoppy of the movies and radio series. He became a hero in black and on a white horse - a super hero of the West. He rescued damsels and cowboys in trouble, along with ranchers and bankers and railroad owners always against the bad guys - robbers, thieves, rustlers and the like. William Boyd was Hoppy and his sidekick was played by either Andy Clyde or Joe DuVal. Boyd who began his movie career in the days of silent films was a forgotten man until he was asked to portray Hopalong Cassidy in the movies of the 1940s. By 1946 or so he had been in over 60 Hoppy movies and was crowned the king of the cowboys. He became the hero of kids around the world and this lasted until another resurgence in the form of the Hoppy radio series. Once more he attained the fame and regards of kids and adults. During the radio years, TV versions of his early films began appear- ing on televison. His early movies were edited for televison of the day and once more Bill Boyd entertained his fans. There's more - with the success of these old movies, still another series of original TV films came. And once again Bill Boyd as Hoppy was an immediate success The radio series were a hard sell. And the owners could find no takers. When this series began it was offered to the various networks. They wanted nothing to do with it so the owners had to sell it in syndication. But, af- ter a short time it became extremely successful that later on it was heard on the Mutual and CBS networks. For the most part the Hopalong Cassiday Radio Show was in syndication. There were many starting dates beginning in 1948. The dates used in this log is just one of those. Following the chronological order below is the alphabetical listings. If need be, the author of this log can be found at dickjudge@juno.com. Number of shows in the RADIO series: 104 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date No. Title Story line ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50-01-01 001 Dead Man's Hand Hoppy gets a letter asking for his help but it turns out to be forged 50-01-08 002 The Rainmaker of Eagle Nest Hoppy decides to settle down near Mountain the mountain but finds trouble when he gets there 50-01-15 003 Coltsville Terror Bad weather forces Hoppy and California into a deserted church and the deserted town of Coltsville 50-01-22 004 The Mystery of Skull Valley Hoppy and California find some Spanish coins 50-01-29 005 Renegades of the San Rafael John Carter is accused of selling his ranch to a water company and fellow anchers are upset because that's the only water 50-02-05 006 The Phantom Bandito Hoppy stops a youngster from poisoning himself 50-02-12 007 Murder on the Trail Man on his way to secret Lost Can- yon is killed 50-02-19 008 Hoppy Takes a Chance One of Hoppy's hands is an ex-con; he is accused of killing a stage- coach driver 50-02-26 009 The Voice of the Dead California's cousin dies and he and Hoppy go for a reading of the will 50-03-05 010 Ten Strike Gold Ambushed stage coach 50-03-12 011 The Red Rock Mesa The boys come across a ranch house that is burned down 50-03-19 012 The Empty Saddle It's round-up time at the Bar 20. Hoppy's top hand is late getting back from a dance, but his horse isn't 50-03-26 013 The Failure Young man sells his ranch thinking he is a failure at ranching, then decides to help a man run for sheriff 50-04-02 014 The Bandits of Ridge Creek Tom Henkle loses his ranch and is sent to jail after stolen bank mon- ey is found at his place 50-04-09 015 The Killers of Sandy Gulch William Taylor is convicted of killing a banker. He escapes jail and his wife asks Hoppy to clear him 50-04-16 016 The Red Death Hoppy and California come across a dead man who is red all over 50-04-23 017 The Coyote's Creed Ricky Curtis asks for help. His cattle have been stampeded and his water poisoned 50-04-30 018 Bullots for Ballots Trouble brews in Gila Corners where folks are determined to elect a new sheriff 50-05-07 019 The Green River Payoff Hoppy and Sheriff Perry are after a gang of bank robbers 50-05-14 020 The Man Who Made Willy Whirl Joe Gregory accuses Hoppy of being a blackmailer 50-05-21 021 Range War Many ranchers, including Hoppy, find they are 100 head of cattle short at round-up time 50-05-28 022 The Letter from the Grave Hoppy gets a letter from a friend that was mailed last week, but written 15 years ago 50-06-04 023 Death Paints a Picture A picture in a dead man's pocket is a clue to the death of the man he was looking for 50-06-11 024 The Border of Nowhere Hoppy challenges corrupt mayor who wants to charge Hoppy cattle trail insurance of $2 for each head 50-06-18 025 The Medicine Man Hoppy meets up with a patent medicine man and a little later $20,000 from a cattle sale disap- pears 50-06-25 026 The Flying Outlaw Pigeons are used as means of comm- unications to steal gold shipments 50-07-02 027 The Sundown Kid On the trail Hoppy runs into a young man who is out of his head - suffering from sunstroke and a bullet-creased ear 50-07-09 028 Hoppy Sees Red California is fit to be tied. The new cook walks out, leaving a big big pile of dirty dishes and pans 50-07-16 029 Hoppy and the School Marm The school teacher breaks the win- dows of a new saloon and gambling hall. Later she disappears and Hoppy looks for her 50-07-23 030 The King of Cinnabar Young rancher that had been be- friended by Hoppy, refuses to pay $1 a head per month for using the "King's" range for watering his cattle 50-07-30 031 The Shell Game Hoppy and California are in NYC and California goes to see an old girl- friend, Hashknife Lil 50-08-06 032 Blood Money The boys comes across a man burying a suitcase. Right after that another man comes by and digs it up 50-08-13 033 The Disappearing Deputy An Indian deputy and friend asks for help. When Hoppy arrives his friend has disappeared 50-08-20 034 The Whistlin' Ghost The boys visit California's old home town. They come to a cabin, hear some whistling from a ravine and shots are fired at them 50-08-27 035 An Old Spanish Custom On a cattle buying trip to Don Or- tega's ranch they find burned buildings and the Don near death. He says men are after his buried treasure 50-09-03 036 The Secret of Martin Doon A land survey for a railroad was incorrectly done on purpose 50-09-10 037 And Four to Go Man comes riding onto the Bar 20. He is shot and killed in front of Hoppy. He has a list of four names in his pocket and Hoppy is on the list. Why? 50-09-17 038 The Red Terror The Red Terror is a fighter who kills a man he's boxing. Hoppy knows that this was done on purpose 50-09-24 039 Hoppy and the Iron Horse Accidents are happening to the rail- road and the chief suspect is the brakeman who is married to the boss' daughter 50-09-30 040 Gunsmoke Rides the Stage- The stage is held up amd the mine coach Trail payroll taken. Suspect is a nester with red hair 50-10-07 041 Tinker's Dam Stage is held up and the bandit was dressed in black including his horse that had a black cloth over it 50-10-14 042 Hoppy Pays a Debt Hoppy helps a young man who has a $10,000 gambling debt 50-10-21 043 Hoppy Turns on the Heat Banker asks for help in getting a $14,000 loan back from a dance hall owner 50-10-28 044 Death Runs Dry Big drought and a local rancher is putting in an irrigatiom ditch but there has been a series of acci- dents 50-11-04 045 Melody of Murder The boys are on a stage with a wealthy Chinese man who wants to buy a ranch. He is later found murdered 50-11-11 046 The King of Spades Story line not known 50-11-18 047 Hoppy Takes the Bull by Hoppy is after a prize bull that is the Horns offered for sale but he thinks that there's something wrong 50-11-25 048 Dead or Alive Three men escape from prison, one of them being Hoppy's old prospect- ing partner 50-12-02 049 The Mystery at Three Oaks Why is a defunct mine so valuable that men are fighting and killing over picking up all the shares 50-12-09 050 The Plague of Parson's Folly An old-timer is found shot in the back in an abandoned church 50-12-16 051 Mystery at the Diamond Z Two men are arguing over a ranch. The owner wants to sell before the mortgage is foreclosed 50-12-23 052 The Santa Claus Rustlers Christmas story. Fast-talking boy runs away from home. He wants to make some quick money to buy a tree and presents for his parents 50-12-30 053 The Golden Lure Hoppy and California are asked to escort a girl home by her father. They think she's 10 but she turns out to be a very attractuve 19 year old girl 51-01-06 054 The Case of the Last Word A series of bank robberies have cleaned out local ranchers 51-01-13 055 Bad Medicine at Rimrock Young boy is hunted for a murder Hoppy doesn't think he committed 51-01-20 056 The Frightened Town It's a range war and Hoppy steps in to protect a doctor who wants to treat a wounded man 51-01-27 057 The Killer in Black California is sought as a killer after his clothes is switched with the real killer 51-02-03 058 Coming Attraction, Murder Hoppy visits an old Scottish friend and becomes a bodyguard to a French songbird 51-02-10 059 Wet Beef and Dry Bones A woman asks Hoppy to help her find her husband who is missing after going into a haunted canyon 51-02-17 060 The Black Grass Fever Hundreds of cattle are dying and the vet says this is because of black grass fever but there is no such disease 51-02-24 061 The Cold Country In a gold strike town Hoppy's friend wants to run away because he is falsely accused of killing his wife 51-03-03 062 The Buckshot Badman A rider is found shot in the back with a shotgun. The man he worked for also was killed the same way 51-03-10 063 The Boss of Vinegar Bend The "Boss" sells some worthless land to a widow and her daughter, both new to the West 51-03-17 064 The Land of the Gunhawks Hoppy and California are after a friend's son who thinks he killed a man and has run away 51-03-24 065 The Devil's Drum Taking a shortcut, the boys come across what was an abandoned cabin with food still warm on the table but no one is around 51-03-31 066 Hoppy Elects a Sheriff Who shall be elected? A man of law and order or a figure-head for the forces of evil 51-04-07 067 Peril at Pier Nineteen The boys are in San Francisco and an Australian rancher is robbed of his cash with which he was to buy cattle from Hoppy 51-04-14 068 Death Crosses the River Passenger on a stagecoach is killed and the bandits take his suitcase which is later determined to be Hoppy's 51-04-21 069 Stagecoach West The boys come across a burned down stagecoach horse exchange station. California think the Injuns done it 51-04-28 070 The Unwilling Outlaw Young man is mistaken for the Pana- mint Kid. After being sentenced to hang he escapes and asks Hoppy to help clear his name 51-05-05 071 Kidnapper's Trail A senator and his daughter are coming to town. But before they arrive, the senator's daughter is kidnapped 51-05-12 072 The Bandit of Blackton Bend Saloonkeeper and newspaper publish- er agree to a fist fight that is to settle their differences 51-05-19 073 Hook, Line and Murder On a fishing trip California snags the body of a man who has been missing for two days 51-05-26 074 The Phantom Panther A panther is said to have been killing and stampeding cattle, but no one has ever seen him 51-06-02 075 Hoppy Plays a Hunch Rancher on his way to pay off the last loan installment on his ranch is waylaid and robbed of his money 51-06-09 076 A Jailer Named Satan Evil sheriff forces his prisoners to work as hands on his ranch 51-06-16 077 The Man in the Yellow Mask A man thinks his son is the masked bandit who has been on a robbing and killing spree 51-06-23 078 Run, Sheep, Run Ranchers are angry because one of their own has sold out to a sheep- man 51-06-30 079 Hoppy Meets His Match Hoppy is mistakenly taken to be a long lost Prince. He is forced into marrying a wealthy woman who claims to be a Princess 51-09-22 080 Apaches Don't Need Guns Apaches are on the warpath. A man stumbles into camp with an arrow in his back 51-09-29 081 A Shot in the Dark A man causes resentment in town be- cause of his Eastern background. He has turned into a gambler and a drinker and his wife asks Hoppy to help 51-10-06 082 The Gunhawk Convention The bad guys have taken over town and have taken $10,000 in gold away from Hoppy and California 51-10-13 083 The Gunfighter in Short A 13 year old is after the man he Pants thinks killed his father 51-10-20 084 The Songbird of Santa Fe Hoppy promises a dying man that he will deliver a ring 51-10-27 085 Bayou Drums Mean Death While Hoppy and California are in New Orleans, a strange old woman, a priestess of voodoo, is causing trouble 51-11-03 086 Clean-Up of Caribou Mesa Hoppy and California are almost hanged as rustlers 51-11-10 087 Six Little Men Who Were While on a train, Hoppy and Calif- Green ornia meet a man who is later push- ed off the moving train by six men 51-11-17 088 Junior Badman Townspeople think the bank is being robbed but it turns out to be a 10 year old boy 51-11-24 089 The Devil and El Diablo An outlaw who disappeared years ago is back causing havoc once more 51-12-01 090 The Lawyer of Laredo Largest ranch owner in California is killed and Hoppy is asked to find out who did it 51-12-08 091 The Secret in the Hill Sheriff offers a reward of $500 for a killer Dead or Alive. Hoppy wants to know why 51-12-15 092 The Memory of Mace Melot Red-haired saloon girl takes a shot at Hoppy because she thinks he is a gunman after her boyfriend 51-12-22 093 The Spider Woman Old woman is chased by horsemen because she has cursed some men and they later die 51-12-29 094 The Killers of Lion Canyon Hoppy finds an old friend hurt bad by what are supposed to be caused by a mountain lion 52-01-05 095 The Wastrels of Juarez The cashier and new teller of the local bank have absconded with all the assets 52-01-12 096 Gambler's Luck Rancher down on his luck borrows $10,000 to make money playing poker but gets involved with a crooked card player and loses everything 52-01-19 097 Danger Wears Two Faces Hoppy and California are helping a friend by trailing his beef herd that has been rustled 52-01-26 098 California or Bust A friend of Hoppy's is in jail on a murder charge and he comes to the rescue 52-02-02 099 Death Comes Invited A bank robbery, the sheriff who has been shot, and a crooked deputy make a great story 52-02-09 100 The Bull Fight A rancher upgrades his stock with some pure-bred bulls. One is shot and he blames Hoppy for this 52-02-16 101 The Women of Windy Ridge A friend of Californa's is holed up in her house. She was wrongly accused of killing the marshal 52-02-23 102 Right Rope, Wrong Neck Hoppy and California are on their way to help a friend who faces the rope. They have his pardon but he escapes before they get there 52-03-01 103 Stampede at Semple's Who crosses first, Hoppy or another Crossing trail boss. They have a fist fight and Hoppy wins - or does he? 52-03-08 104 Cowtown Trouble Shooters There's a feud between two cattle (Last show in the series) buying companies ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Below is the alphabetical listing - - - 50-09-10 037 And Four to Go 51-09-22 080 Apaches Don't Need Guns 51-01-13 055 Bad Medicine at Rimrock 51-05-12 072 Bandit of Blackton Bend, The 50-04-02 014 Bandits of Ridge Creek, The 51-10-27 085 Bayou Drums Mean Death 51-02-17 060 Black Grass Fever, The 50-08-06 032 Blood Money 50-06-11 024 Border of Nowhere, The 51-03-10 063 Boss of Vinegar Bend, The 51-03-03 062 Buckshot Badman, The 52-02-09 100 Bull Fight, The 50-04-30 018 Bullots for Ballots 52-01-26 098 California or Bust 51-01-06 054 Case of the Last Word, The 51-11-03 086 Clean-Up of Caribou Mesa 51-02-24 061 Cold Country, The 50-01-15 003 Coltsville Terror 51-02-03 058 Coming Attraction, Murder 52-03-08 104 Cowtown Trouble Shooters (Last show) 50-04-23 017 Coyote's Creed, The 52-01-19 097 Danger Wears Two Faces 50-01-01 001 Dead Man's Hand 50-11-25 048 Dead or Alive 52-02-02 099 Death Comes Invited 51-04-14 068 Death Crosses the River 50-06-04 023 Death Paints a Picture 50-10-28 044 Death Runs Dry 51-11-24 089 Devil and El Diablo, The 51-03-24 065 Devil's Drum, The 50-08-13 033 Disappearing Deputy, The 50-03-19 012 Empty Saddle, The 50-03-26 013 Failure, The 50-06-25 026 Flying Outlaw, The 51-01-20 056 Frightened Town, The 52-01-12 096 Gambler's Luck 50-12-30 053 Golden Lure, The 50-05-07 019 Green River Payoff, The 51-10-13 083 Gunfighter in Short Pants, The 51-10-06 082 Gunhawk Convention, The 50-09-30 040 Gunsmoke Rides the Stagecoach Trail 51-05-19 073 Hook, Line and Murder 50-09-24 039 Hoppy and the Iron Horse 50-07-16 029 Hoppy and the School Marm 51-03-31 066 Hoppy Elects a Sheriff 51-06-30 079 Hoppy Meets His Match 50-10-14 042 Hoppy Pays a Debt 51-06-02 075 Hoppy Plays a Hunch 50-07-09 028 Hoppy Sees Red 50-02-19 008 Hoppy Takes a Chance 50-11-18 047 Hoppy Takes the Bull by the Horns 50-10-21 043 Hoppy Turns on the Heat 51-06-09 076 Jailer Named Satan, A 51-11-17 088 Junior Badman 51-05-05 071 Kidnapper's Trail 51-01-27 057 Killer in Black, The 51-12-29 094 Killers of Lion Canyon, The 50-04-09 015 Killers of Sandy Gulch, The 50-07-23 030 King of Cinnabar, The 50-11-11 046 King of Spades, The 51-03-17 064 Land of the Gunhawks, The 51-12-01 090 Lawyer of Laredo, The 50-05-28 022 Letter from the Grave, The 51-06-16 077 Man in the Yellow Mask, The 50-05-14 020 Man Who Made Willy Whirl, The 50-06-18 025 Medicine Man, The 50-11-04 045 Melody of Murder 51-12-15 092 Memory of Mace Melot, The 50-02-12 007 Murder on the Trail 50-12-16 051 Mystery at the Diamond Z 50-12-02 049 Mystery at Three Oaks, The 50-01-22 004 Mystery of Skull Valley, The 50-08-27 035 Old Spanish Custom, An 51-04-07 067 Peril at Pier Nineteen 50-02-05 006 Phantom Bandito, The 51-05-26 074 Phantom Panther, The 50-12-09 050 Plague of Parson's Folly, The 50-01-08 002 Rainmaker of Eagle Nest Mountain, The 50-05-21 021 Range War 50-04-16 016 Red Death, The 50-03-12 011 Red Rock Mesa, The 50-09-17 038 Red Terror, The 50-01-29 005 Renegades of the San Rafael 52-02-23 102 Right Rope, Wrong Neck 51-06-23 078 Run, Sheep, Run 50-12-23 052 Santa Claus Rustlers, The 51-12-08 091 Secret in the Hill, The 50-09-03 036 Secret of Martin Doon, The 50-07-30 031 Shell Game, The 51-09-29 081 Shot in the Dark, A 51-11-10 087 Six Little Men Who Were Green 51-10-20 084 Songbird of Santa Fe, The 51-12-22 093 Spider Woman, The 51-04-21 069 Stagecoach West 52-03-01 103 Stampede at Semple's Crossing 50-07-02 027 Sundown Kid, The 50-03-05 010 Ten Strike Gold 52-01-05 095 The Wastrels of Juarez, The 50-10-07 041 Tinker's Dam 51-04-28 070 Unwilling Outlaw, The 50-02-26 009 Voice of the Dead, The 51-02-10 059 Wet Beef and Dry Bones 50-08-20 034 Whistlin' Ghost, The 52-02-16 101 Women of Windy Ridge, The