Hubbry Logo
Hal HopperHal HopperMain
Open search
Hal Hopper
Community hub
Hal Hopper
logo
7 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Hal Hopper
Hal Hopper
Hal Hopper
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Key Information

Harold Stevens Hopper (November 11, 1912 – November 2, 1970) was an American singer/songwriter, film score composer and screenwriter.

Biography

[edit]

Hopper was a member of The Pied Pipers singing group.[1] He composed the themes tune to several television series such as Judge Roy Bean,[2] Colt .45, 26 Men, Circus Boy and Bearcats!

He guest starred on the CBS sitcom, Dennis the Menace, starring Jay North in the title role. Hopper's wife Marie was North's maternal aunt. North later claimed that Marie Hopper physically abused him on the set to ensure the standards of his performance.[3]

Hopper co-authored the script for the 1968 film Shalako, starring Sean Connery.

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Hal Hopper

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Hal Hopper is an American singer-songwriter, film score composer, screenwriter, and actor known for his work in popular music, television theme composition, and contributions to mid-20th-century film and television. Born Harold Stevens Hopper on November 11, 1912, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, he rose to prominence as a member of the vocal group The Pied Pipers during two stints from 1938–1939 and 1943–1950. Hopper co-wrote several notable songs, including "There's No You," which received prominent recordings in the 1940s, and joined ASCAP in 1949. In the 1950s and 1960s, he became best recognized for composing theme music for syndicated television western and adventure series, including Colt .45, 26 Men, Circus Boy, and Bearcats!. He also provided music for other productions and occasionally handled special vocal effects or arrangements. Later in his career, Hopper transitioned into screenwriting and acting, contributing the screenplay to the Western Shalako (1968) and an original story to Motorpsycho! (1965). He appeared in supporting roles in several Russ Meyer films, such as Lorna (1964) and Mudhoney (1965), as well as guest spots on television series. Hal Hopper died of emphysema on November 2, 1970, in Sylmar, California.

Early life

Early years

Harold Stevens Hopper was born on November 11, 1912, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He hailed from Oklahoma City before relocating to Los Angeles, California, where he attended Abraham Lincoln High School. Hopper graduated as part of the winter class of 1930. At Lincoln High School, Hopper met fellow student Chuck Lowry, and the two performed together in a school singing trio. Hopper studied violin and initially aspired to become a professional instrumentalist, while Lowry was an accomplished guitar player with similar ambitions. Following graduation amid the Great Depression, Lowry decided against enrolling at the University of Southern California after encountering long registration lines and instead accepted an offer to sing with a band in Phoenix, Arizona. He contacted Hopper, and the pair left immediately to begin their first professional singing engagement in Phoenix. This early 1930s experience marked Hopper's transition into professional singing. In 1938, he became one of the original members of the vocal harmony group The Pied Pipers.

Singing career

The Pied Pipers

Hal Hopper was a member of the vocal harmony group The Pied Pipers during two distinct periods: from 1938 to 1939 and from 1943 to 1950. In 1938, he was one of the original eight members of the octet, consisting of Jo Stafford and seven male singers, discovered by Tommy Dorsey in California. The group performed as guests on Dorsey's NBC radio broadcast, presenting arrangements such as a revamped "All of Me," the spiritual "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho," and a special scoring of "Alexander's Ragtime Band" combining Dorsey's orchestra with the eight voices. Hopper and the other members, many of whom came from earlier groups like The Four Esquires and The Three Rhythm Kings, contributed to the ensemble's early swing-style harmonies. Hopper left the group in 1939 when it reduced to a quartet format for ongoing work with Dorsey. He rejoined in late 1942 or early 1943, replacing John Huddleston who departed to join the war effort, just as the group returned to Los Angeles and signed with Capitol Records. During this longer second tenure, the lineup included Hopper alongside Chuck Lowry, Clark Yocum, and initially Jo Stafford (until her 1944 departure for a solo career), later with June Hutton as lead soprano. The Pied Pipers became known for their intricate close harmonies and achieved notable success on Capitol, producing chart hits and working with arranger Paul Weston. They served as the resident vocal group on Frank Sinatra's CBS radio program from September 1945 to mid-1947 and toured with him, while earning recognition as the #1 vocal group in DownBeat magazine polls for six consecutive years in the mid-1940s. Hopper's contributions as a harmony singer supported the group's reputation during this era of popular vocal music.

Songwriting

Notable songs

Hal Hopper joined the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) in 1949. His songwriting credits include several popular compositions such as "There's No You," "Mind If I Love You?," "The Riddle Song," "With All My Heart," and "Colt .45." "There's No You," co-written with lyricist Tom Adair, stands out among his works; it was first published in 1944 and originally recorded by Frank Sinatra with Axel Stordahl and His Orchestra. The song gained further recognition through numerous covers by artists across genres. Some of Hopper's songwriting overlapped with his television composing, notably on the title song for Colt .45, where he provided the music.

Television composing

Theme music and contributions

Hal Hopper composed theme music for several American television series in the 1950s, focusing primarily on Western and adventure programs. His contributions included the theme for Colt .45 (1957–1960), which aired across 64 episodes, with the music later supplemented by lyrics from Douglas Heyes. He also co-composed the theme for 26 Men (1957–1959) with Russell Hayden, receiving credit for all 78 episodes of the series. Similarly, Hopper co-composed the theme for Circus Boy (1956–1957) with Victor McLeod, credited for 16 episodes. In addition to these main title themes, Hopper provided supplementary work for other series. He contributed additional music to one episode of Judge Roy Bean in 1956 and special vocal effects to one episode of The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin in 1955. After Hopper's death in 1970, his theme music and uncredited musical cues were used in the 1971 action series Bearcats!, which ran for 14 episodes.

Acting career

Film and television roles

Hal Hopper had a modest but consistent acting career, primarily consisting of supporting and guest roles in film and television during the 1950s and 1960s. His on-screen appearances often featured him in small parts, including law enforcement officers, workers, and other minor characters. He frequently took such roles alongside his other work in entertainment. In television, Hopper made several guest appearances across various series. He appeared in four episodes of Dennis the Menace from 1960 to 1962, portraying characters such as the Delivery Man, Lou, and Driver's Helper. He also guest-starred in two episodes of U.S. Marshal during 1959 and 1960 as Sheriff Donaldson and Van, as well as one episode of The Virginian in 1962 as Joe. His film roles included notable supporting parts in exploitation and adventure pictures. Hopper played Luther in Russ Meyer's Lorna (1964), the Chauffeur in Kitten with a Whip (1964), Sidney Brenshaw in Russ Meyer's Mudhoney (1965), and a Legionnaire in Beau Geste (1966). Later in his career, Hopper continued with minor television appearances, including Savarona's Chauffeur in the TV movie The Lonely Profession (1969) and the Doorman in Drive Hard, Drive Fast (1970). His acting work during the 1960s occurred alongside his screenwriting contributions.

Screenwriting

Film credits

Hal Hopper made limited but notable contributions to feature film screenwriting during the mid-to-late 1960s. He shared screenplay credit on Shalako (1968), a Western directed by Edward Dmytryk and starring Sean Connery. The screenplay was co-authored by J.J. Griffith, Hal Hopper, and Scot Finch, adapted from a screen story by Clarke Reynolds based on Louis L'Amour's novel. Hopper also received shared credit for the original story on Motorpsycho! (1965), directed by Russ Meyer. The original story was attributed to Russ Meyer, James Griffith, and Hal Hopper, with the screenplay credited to W.E. Sprague and Russ Meyer. These two credits represent the entirety of Hopper's documented work as a screenwriter for feature films.

Personal life

Family and relationships

Hal Hopper married Mary Elizabeth Cotton on September 21, 1945, a marriage that endured until his death in 1970. Through this marriage, Hopper became the uncle of actor Jay North, as Cotton—also referred to as Marie—was the sister of North's mother, Dorothy North (née Cotton). Hopper and his wife served as North's on-set guardians during the filming of the television series Dennis the Menace, accompanying him on promotional tours as well. North has publicly stated that he does not speak fondly of Hopper and his wife, holding them largely responsible for his early-adult emotional problems.

Death

Final years and passing

In his final years, Hal Hopper continued to work as an actor in small television roles. He appeared as a doorman in the 1970 TV movie Drive Hard, Drive Fast and as Savarona's chauffeur in the 1969 TV movie The Lonely Profession. He also guest-starred as a bartender in a 1969 episode of The Bold Ones: The Lawyers. Hopper died of emphysema on November 2, 1970, in Sylmar, California, at the age of 57. His theme music for the television series Bearcats! was used posthumously when the show premiered in 1971.
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.