 It's Hopalong Cassidy. With action and suspense out of the Old West comes the most famous hero of them all, Hopalong Cassidy, starring William Boyd. The ring of the Silver Spurs heralds the most amazing man ever to ride the prairies of the early West, Hopalong Cassidy. This famous hero thrills his 60 million fans with action and dangerous adventure. In the role of Hopalong Cassidy is the popular star of the motion picture series William Boyd and appearing as that laughable old character, California, is Andy Clyde. Now to our story, the man who made Willie Wurl. Hoppy Spurs at the moment are jingling down the boardwalk of Mescalero, heading for the Dusty Little Town's biggest attraction, Frenchie Laverne's Big Casino Dance Hall. For something new has been added, a troop of traveling actors who have brought new excitement to Mescalero's nightlife. Hoppy walks in, looking around, trying to spot California in the crowd milling about the place. Hey, California! Hoppy, well, first of all, Bridges, you finally decided to come and take a loop-see for yourself, huh? Now, California! Come on in to the exacting dudes in regular circus. They're over there near the runway. See? Hanging around Frenchie's gal, Dixie. Come on, I'll introduce you. Will you let go of my arm? I didn't come here to see any show. Show? They ain't given no show. They're given autographs. Autographs? Sure! The leading man for the next play, that young caller standing by, Dixie. He's been writing his name on pieces of paper and pasting them out. What for? Look, California, I'm getting dark circles under my disposition. Well, but isn't Hopalong Cassidy? Dixie's waving at you. Hoppy, come over here. Drew, I want you to meet the best-looking, most famous cowboy in these parts. Hopalong Cassidy himself. Hoppy, this is Drew Mansfield of the Avon players. Aye, a pleasure, I'm sure. Hoppy's the one who should be given out autographs. Ho-ho-ho-ho! Well, I'm meanin'. Why not? Here's my pen, Mr. Cassidy. Do you mind? Yes, I do. Come on, California. Oh, go on, Hoppy! You're a regular celebrity! He was Hoppy for me. I want it. Okay, okay, if you want to be foolish. He's doin' it. There! Thank you, dear. How about a seat? Hey, wait a minute! Hey, uh, Hoppy, Hoppy, wait for me. Where are you going? Say, what's the rush now? Hold on, uh, shucks. Dixie didn't mean no harm. You're gonna see her in the professor's show next week? The professor? Sure. Stratford Bardwell, he calls himself. The boss actor. A skinny old goat and velvet pants. Yeah, you should've seen him cry in his beer. Friends, he told him he couldn't use the opera house unless Dixie was playing, uh, uh, Julie Ed. Julie Ed? You don't mean... Oh, no. Ho-ho-ho! Not Romeo and Juliet! Yeah, yeah, come to think of it, that's what I hear them call it. Uh, by some fella named, uh, Willie, uh... William Shakespeare. Yeah, that's right. How do you know? Ha-ha-ha-ha! Shakespeare and Mascallero! Cassidy! Huh? Who's that? Oh, Joe Gregory. Hi. I didn't see you there in the dark. I... What's the matter? I kind of figured you'd be dropping around here. I've been thinking over what you told me yesterday in the hills. I told you. Think I didn't recognize you, huh, Cassidy? Just because you wrapped your bandana around your face? Now, hold on. Well, I'd recognize your voice anywhere. Or you've been wearing the same clothes and riding the same white horse. How dumb do you think I am? I don't know what you're talking about. Why, this coyote's been eating local weed. So you don't know what I'm talking about, huh? You don't even remember telling me to leave my money at the foot of Red Macy, either, do you? I never figured you was the kind of tribe Blackmail, Cassidy. Blackmail? I've been going straight for a long time trying to make good ramrod in the flying X, and... Now, just because of you and your threads... I... I... I... Gregory's here. You take care of him, California. I'm going after that shootin' ombré. Now back to Hopalong, Cassidy, and our story, The Man Who Made Willy World. When Joe Gregory stops Hopalong outside Frenchie Laverne's dance hall and accuses him of Blackmail, a shot rings out some distance away and Joe falls, badly wounded. Hoppy leaps on his horse and goes after the gunman while California carries Joe to Doc Radcliffe's place nearby. California is returning to the Hitchin' Rail in front of the dance hall as Hoppy returns from the chase. Hoppy, did you hit the snake? Ah, no, I doubled back. How's Gregory? He's hurt mighty bad, Doc Search. You mean you let that dry gulcher get plum away? No, I wounded him before I lost him in the darkness, hurt him yelp. And I found this on the ground where he dropped it, a carbine. Hmm, that's a mighty fancy shootin' iron, all engraved. There, look at here. Yeah, I already noticed that, California. There's only one man I know who owns a custom-built carbine like that. Who? Frenchie Laverne. Why, the pole cat. Why did he want a Bushwack Joe Gregory-ish pole? I said it was Frenchie's gun. I didn't get close enough to tell who it was. It could have been Frenchie, but if it wasn't, he might be able to tell us who's been using these guns lately. Come on. Hey, hey, hey, where are you going? Frenchie's office is inside here above the dance hall. I know, but the way I'm feelin' right now, I'd rather drop in unannounced. Come on, the back stairway is around this way. See anybody in that window? No, the room's empty. Try the door. It ain't locked. Good. We're goin' in. The chump and the bullfrogs. This here's the most elegant room I ever seen. Look at all them leather chairs, the purdy pictures, and the doodads on the wall. Yeah, mighty fancy, all right. I'll just leave the carbine on the desk, right beside that roll of bandages. Yes, sir. You must have got that bullet hole plugged up right here in Frenchie's office. See, look at this here box full of bottles of medicine. Yeah, Frenchie's emergency kit. He's got everything in there. Yes, sir. Idle, dean, car, bollock, clove, clove. Watch this. Floral hydrate. What kind of medicine's that? That stuff is medicine the same way a blackjack is. That's the technical name for knockout drops. Yeah, what's it doing here? What are you doing here? Frenchie. That's the question, gentlemen. We're waiting for you, Laverne, and returning something I think belongs to you, that carbine. Oh, I see. Thank you, I'm glad you recognized it. Do sit down. I'll stand if you don't mind. I don't mind. What's troubling you? You see this sleeve? Your sleeve? Oh, you mean that hole in it? Two holes. One where the bullet went in and the other where it came out. Oh, what the hell happened? Take it easy, California. I wasn't hit. You see, Frenchie, Joe Greger was standing in front of me. The man who fired that shot from your gun was standing directly behind me. All he could see was my back. The bullet passed between my arm and body. Jump, Frenchie. Harsher, Frenchie. It must have been you he was shooting at, not Greger. Exactly. You seem to be in good shape, Frenchie. So I know the man I winged out there wasn't you. If I wanted to kill a man, I wouldn't waylay him in the dark. You can be sure of that. No, you'd hire somebody else to do it for you, wouldn't you? Come, let's not be offensive. Remember, I had every excuse to kill you just a few seconds ago when I found you prowling around here. Legally, you are burglous. However, I changed my mind. Then you admit it was one of your boys who tried to kill me? I admit nothing. But if you're interested, there are six of them on guard outside the door, I just entered. I see. And I don't suppose you have any idea how these bandages come to be on your desk. No idea. I've been out all evening. Oh, really, Cassidy, you're coming here like this. The only reason you're still alive is I decided I could use a man like you. Anyone smart enough to run a successful blackmail racket is smart enough to help me run this town. Hey, Cassidy, I'll catch you in on everything. Good night, Frenchie. That's your answer. Yeah, and if you're thinking of calling in your men who are waiting outside the door, forget it. Not that door. Nothing is going to happen to you in here. Well, we'll keep the herd up here on high ground for a couple of weeks, California. The grass is better. Yeah. Looks like the boys are having trouble. Yeah, that bunch of way ahead there is trying to run down the bluff below ground again. I've pulled it. Way down there past the foot of the bluff, those two riders. Well, I'll be darned. Ain't that Dixie in the paint? Yeah, and a man on a white horse. Can't recognize him from this far off. Look at him riding hand in hand there. Now they're stopping, huh? Hey, he's a kissin'er. What do you know? Must be Frenchie Laverne. It'd better be Laverne. If it isn't, Dixie's not going to have trouble. There he goes, riding off by himself. Oh, I see. Just leaving her there. Maybe Aunt Laverne and whoever it is don't want to be seen riding back into town with Dixie. Hey, hop, hop, hop. Hop here. Looks like that bunch is trying to stamp feet over the bluff. They're only heading up, turn them. They can over there, run down the girl. Sure. I'd better go hit her off. Fun a minute, Miss Renee. Not long, what's the matter? The boys are trying to head off to stampede down that bluff. Well, sounds like they've got everything under control now. But you'd better wait a while. I didn't know any of you boys were working cattle up there. If they stampede down that bluff, they're liable to. I mean, there's somebody riding up ahead. Oh, you'll be all right. Oh. You saw him? Well, I saw somebody. Hoppy. Yeah? You saw? My eyes aren't too sharp, Miss Renee. Can I depend on that? Of course. It's none of my business. Well, if you and Laverne want to go riding together, what's wrong with it? After all, he's been very good to you, Miss Renee. Why is she lots of things? So what? I don't know a Frenchie Laverne a thing. Not a thing. Why should he? Hoppy, don't call me Miss Renee. We're friends. We are, aren't we? Of course. What's bothering you, Miss Renee? Laverne. I hate him. I wish I'd never laid eyes on him. I wish I'd never come here. I hate it. It's a dirty little mud hole of a town. Well, why don't you leave if you feel that way about it? If I only could, if I only. Laverne can't keep you here. No. No? Of course not. Hey, it looks like California's heading this way with. Where? Oh, I'd better be gone. Bye. Hey, Hoppy. Hi, Hoppy. Well, I see you brought company with you, California. Hi, Chef. Hi. This is a surprise. I figured it might be. This plain old fool says he's going to arrest you. What? Kind of hot for a joke, isn't it? It ain't no joke, Cassidy. You're under arrest. What for? Blackmail and extortion, among other things. I've been trying to tell the old warra- Hold on, California. Who says I blackmailed him? Three ranchers in the territory who've had the gumption to come to the law about it. How many's keeping their mouths shut? I wouldn't be known. I never would have thought this a U-hop along. No, sir, I never would. Blackmail's a college game. I agree. What evidence have you got? Plenty, among other things. The blackmail note to old man Jenkins, the boss of the 10-star spread, threatening to tell his wife about that gal in Aveline if he don't pay off. He's going to deny you signed this. Go on, take a good look. Sure does look like my signature, all right. That's a fair fact. That's not enough, Cassidy. There's one other charge. It happens that Joe Gregory died this morning. I'm charging you with murder. Now back to Hop along Cassidy and the man who made Willie Whirl. Arrested on a charge of blackmail and murder, Hoppy is locked up in jail at Mescalero to await trial. It's a little after high noon, and the sun beats down on the adobe calaboos, making the sheriff mighty uncomfortable as he waits for the jailer to come and take over. I sure wish that jailer'd hurry back from dinner. It's so dagblasted hot in here. Howdy, Sheriff. California. If you want to see your pal, he's in that third cell over there. Hey, what's that you got? Oh, buckets of suds from the bar room across the street. I thought Hoppy might like something to cool off with. Howdy, Hoppy, I brought you something. So I heard. You know I don't drink that stuff. Why couldn't you have brought me some sarsaparilla or just plain water? Well, if you don't want it, I might as well toss it out into the street. I ain't thirsty myself, and uh. Hey, hold up there a minute, California. Spilling that beer on a day like this would be plumb sinful. If he don't want it, I sure can use it. Yeah, sure, Sheriff. I didn't think of offering it to you. Now go ahead and drink it if you want. Thanks. Eh. Good, eh? Oh, it sure hits the spot. That's fine. Say, is that a checkerboard you got here? Sure, drag up a chair. I'll beat you out of really play checkers. You teach me, eh? Go on, set them up. Just as soon as I finish this. Eh. I wish it had held more just a quarter. Which color pieces you like? White or black? Oh, don't make much difference, I reckon. I'll beat you either way. Well, I'll take the white. Set them up. Sure is hot. You're making you sleepy, huh? Yeah, it sure does. Funny, I feel so... What? They matter, Sheriff. I don't know. My eyes, I can't tell the black pieces on the white. Don't. Hey, what happened? What's wrong with the sheriff? Hold your horses while I find these keys. There. What happened? What did you do? Oh, that beer. I let you drawn crazy, bringing me beer. That's crazy, huh? And you took those knockout drops from Frenchies' office. Yeah, I figured they might come in handy sometime. Now we get a chance to track down the pole cat who's doing you dirt. Evening, Laverne. Oh, crawling up my back steps again, eh, Cassidy? I noticed the door was open. Yes, I was cooling off. Sit down. I'd talk better standing. Drink? No? I hear you don't mind serving drinks. The whole town's talking about that Mickey you fixed for the sheriff. But they're not laughing, Cassidy. Joe Gregory was a good man. The boys don't like his being murdered. If you come here looking for protection. I don't need protection, Laverne. All I need is evidence on who really killed him. And you are the one who can supply it. What kind of evidence would you like? The truth, that your gunman missed me and killed Gregory by mistake. Oh, don't be childish. Do you really expect me to admit that? No, Cassidy, you should have known better than to reject my offer. Now you can stew in your own juice. You know, Laverne, it's a funny thing. Nearly all these black male victims were threatened with a revelation of information which only you might have. Either that or... Or what? Or someone working for you. One of those dance hall girls, for instance, whose job includes making the customers buy drinks. A girl might do quite a job getting some of the boys drunk enough to blab all their troubles and secrets and then pass on the information to a confederate who might make use of it. Really building up a case for yourself, aren't you, Cassidy? All you have to do is find the confederate. It could be you. Nice try, but it won't work. I didn't say it was you. I just said it could be. Could be almost any man One of those girls might go for. A girl who'd help that ombre make a fast dollar in the hope that they both might be able to pull out of here in style. What are you getting at? I'm just reaching Laverne, trying to find an answer. You see, I don't like being framed. You don't, eh? If you were innocent, you might help me. Get out. I will, but think it over, Laverne. Think it over. I don't want anything here but this table. I know. I don't want to wake this table boy sleeping there. Remember, I'm a wanted character. What you looking at? Is the horse's leg hurt? Oh, not bad. It just looked like it. Oh, it's nothing. Let's go on in. I still don't know why we... Dixie Renne and those actors are rehearsing inside. I want a word with her. I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear it. I don't want a word with her. This door and back is the only one that's open. Come on. Come on. It's dark. Let's get her away and watch the stage. He just says scars that never felt a wound. But soft. What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east. No, no, no. Off our feet. Thanks, Professor. That sounded perfectly fine. What's wrong with it? What is wrong, she asks. You can be forgiven, Miss Renne. You are a dancer. But Mansfield, he's supposed to be a professional. I resent that. You do. And what of the bard? What of Shakespeare? He is whirling in his grave. You won't do Mansfield. Miss Renne, I plead with you. Who is going to play Romeo? And if you don't like it. I submit my resignation immediately. But immediately. Well, goodbye. Oh, this is too much. Too much. Back here in the shadows, California. For bard, well, who have directed Edwin Booth cannot possibly stomach this amateur. Don't mind him, Dixie. He's a temperamental old cuss. And what of the bard? What of Shakespeare? He is whirling in his grave. Hey, man. Hey, listen to Mansfield imitate the professor. That grew Mansfield's short, can he? Yeah, he sure can. And this is one performance I won't forget. Come on, let's get out of here. The rehearsal's over. We don't have to be quiet no more. He's gone. Huh? The staple boy's gone. I say he's gone. Yeah, so he is. I only hope he didn't need to go after that. That's just what he did. Oh, the sheriff. Old beer, huh? It's about time you learned that this town don't take to escaped murderers. Let me have those guns. But if you'll just wait until the actors come out from the rehearsal, I think I can find out who's responsible. I ain't waiting for nothing. Get on your horses and no funny stuff. Look, they're coming out now. If I can just... These guns in your ribs say you get moving toward the jailhouse. But there'll be more trouble. Not if I can't... Ah! What in blazes? It's French. I'll blade your last love scene with Dixie. Drop that gun, Frenchie. Ah! What's going on? Quiet! Quiet, everybody! Quiet! Look, I had to do it. He was going to kill me. I saw it all. Be quiet. He's dead. Frenchie is dead. I'll handle this. Now let me see. I guess he is. All right, get back, folks. I didn't want to kill him. The sheriff saw it all, Drew. It was the only thing you could do. Can I up here, sir? You be quiet, Cassidy. So plain much happening. I don't know what to do first. You stay right here where I can keep an eye on you. Don't you think you'd better tend to Drew's wound first? You hurt. No. No, not at all. Let me see there. Did Frenchie wing you? No, nothing. Nothing, I tell you. I'll take Dixie home now and get her away from all this. Sheriff, are you going to stand here and let the blackmailer murder a getaway? I sure ain't. I'm taking you in right now. I'm talking about Drew Mansfield. He killed Joe Greger and he's been impersonating me. Why, you dirty. Why, autumn? If you're so innocent, why don't you let us tend to your arm? Because I'm not hurt, I tell you. For a man who's not wounded, there's sure a lot of blood dripping down your sleeve. Here, let me cut the sleeve open with my knife. No! What's the matter, Drew? What have you got up your sleeve? Now back to hop along, Cassidy. Why couldn't you leave me alone, Cassidy? Sure, let you get away and then I'd take the ramp for all you've been doing. Well, if this ain't the dag blamest thing I ever seen. Drew has on another suit of clothes under his regular ones. Yeah, and that underneath suit of clothes is just like hoppy. You're all trying to frame him. I tell you, Frenchie was a guilty man. That's not very sporting of you, Miss Renee. Trying to pin Gill on your dead boyfriend. I've never forgotten that autograph you asked me for and then turned it into a blackmail note. But he tried to kill Drew. He was tired of your two timings. I realized it was Drew that you met in the canyon. That day he was riding a white horse with black stockings. But the night when I was in the stables, I noticed his horse had his black stockings painted over with white calcum. Well, I'll be darned. That's what you stop to look at. Yeah. He made his horse look all white like topper. Then he could pretend he was you. This is the dirtiest flame up I've ever seen. There's not a word of truth to any of it. Those protests seem a little feeble, Drew. Hop along. Kind of looks like I owe you an apology. All right, come along, Drew Manfield. You've played your last trick, Steve. Very golly, Hoppy. How do you always figure these things out? I knew I was right when I heard Drew impersonate the professor tonight. He could impersonate me just as well. I understand about that and about the horse, but how in turn nation did you ever guess that Drew had done another suit underneath these regular clothes? Well, I noticed that his clothes seemed awfully bulky. Too much so for this hot weather. So I deduced that he had double dressed. Huh? Double dressed? That's a term actors use. They can quickly take off the top layer and have another complete suit underneath. Well, how did you know? Ha, ha, ha. I once played both the angel and the devil in a Sunday school play. Oh, Hoppy. Yeah! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. Goodbye from Hop along Cassidy and California. These partners will be riding out again soon into a threatening episode of Range War, and we hope you'll be with us. Hop along Cassidy, starring William Boyd, is transcribed and produced in the West by Walter White Jr., the man who made Willie Whirl was written by Irvin Ashkenazi. All stories are based upon the characters created by Clarence E. Mulford. This is a Commodore production.