▁ 2 8 , ▁ 1 8 8 9 , ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁New ▁York ▁– ▁March ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 1 9 3 5 , ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles , ▁California ) ▁was ▁an ▁American ▁actor ▁bil led ▁as ▁William ▁" Stage " ▁Bo yd ▁or ▁William ▁Stage ▁Bo yd . ▁ ▁Biography ▁Bo yd ▁was ▁an ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁stage ▁actor ▁who ▁appeared ▁in ▁two ▁Broadway ▁plays ▁and ▁then ▁worked ▁in ▁motion ▁pictures . ▁To ▁avoid ▁confusion ▁with ▁the ▁better - known ▁perform er ▁working ▁under ▁the ▁same ▁name , ▁William ▁Bo yd ▁( best ▁known ▁for ▁playing ▁Hop al ong ▁Cass id y ), ▁Bo yd ▁adopted ▁the ▁name ▁William ▁" Stage " ▁Bo yd ▁to ▁emphas ize ▁his ▁experience ▁on ▁the ▁legit imate ▁stage . ▁Such ▁experience ▁was ▁considered ▁an ▁advantage ▁to ▁an ▁actor ▁after ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁talking ▁pictures . ▁ ▁Bo yd ' s ▁arr ests ▁for ▁alco hol ▁possession ▁( d uring ▁Pro hib ition ) ▁and ▁drug ▁possession ▁dam aged ▁his ▁career ▁and ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁William ▁Bo yd . ▁Many ▁newsp apers ▁reported ▁the ▁arr ests ▁but ▁published ▁photos ▁of ▁the ▁wrong ▁William ▁Bo yd , ▁who ▁lost ▁his ▁studio ▁contract ▁with ▁R K O . ▁ ▁Bo yd ' s ▁first ▁wife , ▁Margaret ▁Christians en , ▁later ▁married ▁the atr ical ▁producer ▁Harry ▁Fra ze e , ▁the ▁one - time ▁owner ▁of ▁the ▁Boston ▁Red ▁So x ▁who ▁is ▁best ▁remembered ▁for ▁s elling ▁B