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Editorial Review Book Description
This book gives a rare glimpse into the mechanics of writing and marketing popular fiction in the first half of the century as well as a profile of an industrious and fascinating writer and his characters. ... Read more Customer Reviews (1) 
The Story of Clarence E. Mulford
Clarence Edward Mulford was a thorough researcher of Western history for his novels, and kept 17,000 reference cards on various topics. Mulford didn't think much of the Hollywood versions of his stories. William Boyd always looked as if he just came from a clothing store, not like a working cowboy [for style or class?]. This book has a biography of Mulford, an examination of his works, the films, TV and radio shows, and comics. Chapter Two tells of the plots of each book. [Note how "rustling", disputes over cattle, form the basis of conflict for these stories. Who owned the open range and the animals found there?] Does this match the real history of that area (mining and farming was as valuable)? The stories of a young man whose courage and actions win him love and fortune seem like another version of the Horatio Alger stories. When did they fall out of fashion? Mulford began writing in Brooklyn NY before he ever visited the Western states (p.63). [A good writer can derive his stories from known facts, like Steven Crane.] Only Zane Grey and "Max Brand" outsold Mulford (p.66). Mulford collected Western maps and diaries for background information and veracity. He preferred pistol shooting to golf, more practical in snowy winters (p.75). Mulford kept detailed records (pp.82-84). His books were sold in Britain and translated into French, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, and German.
Chapter Three tells of the films. Harry Sherman modified the stories and made them the most successful of the B Westerns (pp.98-99). William Boyd created the movie version (pp.103-104). Their early success was due to the use of Mulford's plots. Some authors refused to have their books filmed (p.104.) [Gardner didn't want "Perry Mason" to be a drunk.] But films are visual rather than verbal, and this required changes (p.105). Chapter Four lists the books written when Mulford lived in Maine. Mulford's last book "Hopalong Serves a Writ" had no gunshots or romance (p.119). Mulford escaped a house fire that affected his lungs (p.121). William Boyd changed filming for the small screen (p.122) and portrayed a character without blame (p.123). Boyd sold everything he owned to buy all television rights to Hopalong Cassidy and hit the jackpot on TV (p.125). Mulford's novels used the background of historical events for his stories. [Did he ever use the Great Cowboy Strike of 1883 in his novels?] The world of Hopalong Cassidy seems like a corporate ideal. Hired hands are happy in their job, loyal to their employer, with no thought of ever owning their own ranching business. They give no thought to their future or illness or old age. Was all this historically true? In fact, any cowboy who owned a ranch would be fired and blacklisted in those days.
Appendix One lists all known published works. Appendix Two lists the film, radio, and television plays. Appendix Three looks at the West of popular fiction. [What need did they fill? Were they a variation of morality plays?] Appendix Four lists the reference books. Mulford's novels are still in print, Hopalong Cassidy films are on videotape (p.282).
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