Tumblin' Tumbleweeds...A chat with Sagebrush Entertainment

Tim: How did you end up as co-copyright holder for the Hoppy property?

Mr Rosenthal: We acquired the rights from the estate of William Boyd in 1985 after a long and costly legal battle on the copyrights. Most of the people in the Boyd organization had either passed away or lost interest. I worked out a deal with Grace Boyd to continue the legend of Hopalong Cassidy.

Tim: What brought you into this field of western archivist/collector/restorer? I know for myself, that I found my love for the genre in my fathers attic reading his old Lone Ranger comics.

Mr Rosenthal: Film has always been an interest since I can remember. The family business was the electrical wholesale business in Chicago. Founded in 1918... its growth was the building of the movie theaters and the family was close to all the major studio heads. From Adolph Zucker, founder of Paramount, the Balabans, Nate Blumberg Chairman of the board of Universal. It was this exposure. That got me working in the Audio Visual department of the University of Chicago Lab School. Photograph a serious hobby along with electronics. Developing magnetic sound on 8mm film in 1954... all this kept my interest till in 1975 The family sold its interest and I went into the syndication business.

Tim: What is next on the horizon for Hoppy and the Roy video properties?

Mr Rosenthal: Our first property was Hopalong Cassidy 66 features, 52 half hour for television, 104 radio shows and a man who opened licensing to the tune of 2,400 item. When we bought out the estate we received 3,000 reels of 35mm material with a lot of labels missing. It took us a number of years to identify material six reels of picture and six reels of sound for one hour.

What's going to happen.... preparing the material for DVD, High Def television, a new feature film???? maybe. America and the world need a clean wholesome hero The same with Roy Rogers and all the rest

Tim: Can you summarize your philosphy?

Mr Rosenthal: I think our slogan says it all Sagebrush Entertainment, Inc. - "The Best of The West and More" --- Our small success and loyalty of our customers ... is because we make the customer the most important person we talk to... the run the relationship as a forties business... and to tell you the truth it works. The repeat customer amazes me.

The story is not yet complete. With the future of Roy Rogers, Hopalong Cassidy, Rex Allen, and many other cowboys

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