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1931 William "Stage" Boyd party police raid...
1931 William "Stage" Boyd party police raid...
Item # 724060
March 01, 1931
THE NEW YORK TIMES, March 1, 1931
* Broadway actor William "Stage" Boyd
* Police raid on party w/ illegal drugs & alcohol
* Hollywood actor William "Hopalong" Boyd blame
The top of page 4 has a one column heading: "HOLLYWOOD POLICE RAID ACTOR'S PARTY" with subheads. (see images)
Complete with 32 pages, rag edition, a little irregular along the spine with some residue from disbinding, otherwise very nice.
background: In 1931, William “Stage” Boyd, a character actor known for his Broadway and early Hollywood roles, became the subject of a widely publicized police raid in Los Angeles, reportedly linked to illegal drugs and other vice-related activities. The press seized on the story, printing sensational headlines and photographs of Boyd that emphasized a scandalous lifestyle. The trouble was that the public and many in the industry confused him with William “Hopalong” Boyd, the wholesome cowboy hero of the popular Western film series, who had no connection to the raid or any illicit behavior. This case of mistaken identity caused immediate reputational damage to “Hopalong” Boyd, with studio executives worried about audience perception and some delaying promotion of his films until the confusion was clarified. The incident highlighted both the aggressive nature of early tabloid reporting and the precariousness of Hollywood stardom, where a shared name could almost instantly imperil a carefully cultivated public image.
Category: The 20th Century
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