Hopalong Cassidy's Palm Desert Home Auction June 2; Memorabilia Auction June 4

Hopalong Cassidy's Palm Desert Home Auction June 2; Memorabilia Auction June 4

PALM DESERT, Calif., May 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The desert hideaway of one of America's best loved cowboy-actors, William Boyd aka "Hopalong Cassidy," is being auctioned June 2 by Pacific Auction Exchange.

"This is a great opportunity to own a piece of TV western history," said Mario Hernandez, a Rancho Mirage contractor and owner of TileCare Company, who restored Boyd's home to the glamour of yesteryear. "The house is basically white and black, just like Hoppy's black western garb and his white horse Topper."

Hernandez now owns the two-bedroom, 1.75-bathroom, 1,892-square-foot home, which served as winter retreat for Boyd and his wife Grace from 1955 to 1971. Boyd was 77 when he died in 1972. Boyd was honored with a hiking trail named for him in the foothills of Palm Desert.

Besides the house auction, more than a chuck wagon full of western and personal memorabilia from Boyd's home will be on the auction block June 4 at Bonham & Butterfields Auctioneers in Los Angeles. To view Hoppy's house and memorabilia online, click to www.hoppyhouse.com

Many of the 35 plus historic items, including authentic saddles that were mounted atop bar stools William Boyd's home here, will be available for sale. The saddles honor some of America's cowboy heroes such as Roy Rogers, John Wayne, Gene Autry, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and Calamity Jane. Other items include bolo ties, a vintage radio and exercise bike, bass violin, brass horse door knockers, a coffee cup with Hoppy's portrait, furniture and artwork from the estate home.

"I'm very proud to be able to offer Hoppy's memorabilia to his many fans around the United States," Hernandez said. "Hoppy was a great role model for kids and adults when he was making movies. He never swore, didn't drink, rarely kissed girls," Hernandez said with a laugh. "He had a squeaky clean image."

Hernandez, whose father Emilio was Boyd's landscaper in 1957-58, said he was intrigued with Boyd's house as well as Boyd's career as Hoppy.

The auction is expected to attract as many as 400 people, according to Steve LaRocque, owner of the Pacific Auction Exchange/AlynnRock Group, Inc. in Pleasanton, Calif.

The house will be sold with no minimum bid and no reserve. It will sell to the highest bidder regardless of price. Auction previews at the house will take place on May 19, from 4:07 p.m. to 6:07 p.m., May 26, from 11:07 a.m. to 1:07 p.m. and June 1, from 6:07 p.m. to 7:07 p.m. A Bidder's Information Seminar will be held at 7:07 p.m. on June 1. The auction will be held at 12:07 p.m. June 2. The public is welcome at all events.

Prospective buyers must bring a cashier's check for $20,000 which will serve as a part of the deposit if they are successful in the auction. This will be an absolute auction, meaning the highest bid will be accepted, according to La Rocque. The $20,000 cashier's checks will be returned to unsuccessful bidders. LaRocque can be reached at 877-PAX2BID or 925-600-7766. Go to www.paxbayareaauctions.com to request auction information.

Some of the memorabilia will be auctioned off during the house auction, Hernandez said.

"I plan to make a donation to some charities, specifically the Boys & Girls Club of the Coachella Valley and the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's disease research," Hernandez said. Boyd died from heart failure brought on from Parkinson's disease.

Hopalong Cassidy was the hero of 28 western novels written by Clarence Mulford in the 1920s, '30s and '40s.

Boyd, a star of the silent movies under contract to Cecil B. DeMille, brought Hopalong to the screen in a feature produced by Paramount Pictures. Paramount made 34 more pictures with Bill Boyd as Hoppy and United Artists produced 31 others, also with Bill Boyd. On June 24, 1949, Hoppy starred in what became the first network Western television series, airing on NBC. Boyd starred in 52 half-hour TV programs and 104 radio shows.

Source: PRNewsWorks on behalf of Mario Hernandez

CONTACT: Steve La Rocque, CEO/President of Pacific Auction
Exchange/AlynnRock Group, Inc, +1-877-PAX2BID; or Media, John Hussar of
PRNewsWorks, +1-760-567-8073, john@prnewsworks.com, for Mario Hernandez

Web site:

http://www.hoppyhouse.com/
http://www.paxbayareaauctions.com/

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