THE HOPALONG CASSIDY HITCHING POST
(THE MYER STORE FOR MEN)

Inspired by Graeme's terrific Hoppy article in the April "Card Collector", I was reminded of a small set of Hoppy cards I had tucked away in one of my albums.

In 1954, at the height of his popularity, William Boyd, the hugely successful Hollywood actor who played the role of the film and TV western "good-guy", Hopalong Cassidy, came to Melbourne. His visit was so popular, a crowd of 60,000 turned up, just to see him in the back of a Land Rover driven around Albert Park and a near-riot erupted when, at a 3AW sponsored event in a circus tent, with 4,000 tickets sold, 12,000 Hoppy enthusiasts arrived and turned the event into chaos. Hoppy was pushed to the back of the tent, the police were overwhelmed and two circus elephants were needed to bring the riot under control. "Hoppy called for calm, but they were trying to take his clothes off."

It was at the height of a world polio epidemic and Hoppy was on a world tour raising money for children crippled by the disease. It would appear the Melbourne leg of his visit was sponsored by the Myers Store.

The set of almost postcard-sized (74mm X 120mm) cards are numbered 1 - 6, are sepia and are blankbacked. Four of the cards show Hoppy with his horse "Topper", while the other two show him holding one of his two trusty, pearl-handled six-shooters. Each card has one of these two handwritten (facsimile) messages: "Good Luck from Hoppy" or "From Your Friend Hoppy". However, whilst the set is blankbacked, I have two copies of No 1; one of which has printed on the reverse:

No 4404
With Compliments
From the
Hopalong Cassidy
Hitching Post
3rd Floor
MYER STORE FOR MEN

I am unaware of the significance of the number "4404", but I feel it may have been a ticket for one of Hoppy's engagements whilst he was here in Melbourne. It is likely that there is a full set of six with the Myers reference on the reverse, as well as the blankbacked series. Does anyone out there have any more of the "Myers" backed cards? Please let the Editors know if you do.

PS: Whilst not a card, I also have a nice little Besters Sweets lolly tin featuring Hoppy, it was probably issued to coincide with his 1954 visit. There was also a "Hopalong Cassidy" board game produced and probably many other collectable Hoppy items were put out to cash in on his visit.

ERIC PANTHER

(Acknowledgement - Dr Derham Groves)

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