His bad behavior (which included arrests for alcohol and drug possession)
not only wrecked his own career, but inadvertently derailed
William Boyd's career as well. When the first stories broke about
"Stage" Boyd's escapades, the photos splashed across the newspapers
were of the wrong Boyd. The day before, Boyd (I) had signed a large
contract with RKO, one that was immediately terminated by invoking the
morals clause. A judge dictated he be professionally credited with the "stage" moniker in 1935 to differentiate the two men. Ultimately it didn't matter as he'd die prematurely from a variety of ailments related to alcohol and drug abuse.
