Richard Allen Boone (June 18, 1917 – January 10, 1981) was an American actor who starred in over 50 films and was notable for his roles in Westerns, including his starring role in the television series ''

Have Gun – Will Travel ''Have Gun – Will Travel'' is an American Western series that was produced and originally broadcast by CBS on both television and radio from 1957 through 1963. The television version of the series starring Richard Boone was rated number t ...

''.

Early life

Boone was born in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, the middle child of Cecile (née Beckerman) and Kirk E. Boone, a corporate lawyer and fourth great-grandson of

Squire Boone In the Middle Ages, a squire was the shield- or armour-bearer of a knight. Use of the term evolved over time. Initially, a squire served as a knight's apprentice. Later, a village leader or a lord of the manor might come to be known as a " ...

, frontiersman

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

's brother.The Kelsay Family
from the

Ancestry An ancestor, also known as a forefather, fore-elder or a forebear, is a parent or (recursively) the parent of an antecedent (i.e., a grandparent, great-grandparent, great-great-grandparent and so forth). ''Ancestor'' is "any person from whom ...

website; accessed April 11, 2017. His mother was Jewish, the daughter of immigrants from Russia. Richard Boone graduated from Hoover High School in

Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from ...

. He attended

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

Palo Alto, California Palo Alto (; Spanish language, Spanish for "tall stick") is a charter city in the northwestern corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a Sequoia sempervirens, coastal redwood tree kno ...

, where he was a member of

Theta Xi Theta Xi () is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity. It was founded at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) on April 29, 1864. Of all the social fraternities today, Theta Xi was the only one founded during the Civil War. Its ...

fraternity. He dropped out of Stanford prior to graduation and then worked as an oil rigger, bartender, painter, and writer. In 1941, Boone joined the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

and served on three ships in the

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

during World War II, seeing combat as an aviation ordnanceman, aircrewman, and tail gunner on

Grumman TBF Avenger The Grumman TBF Avenger (designated TBM for aircraft manufactured by General Motors) is an American World War II-era torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air and naval av ...

torpedo bomber A torpedo bomber is a military aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes. Torpedo bombers came into existence just before the First World War almost as soon as aircraft were built that were capable of carrying the weight ...

s, and ended his service with the rank of

petty officer first class Petty officer first class (PO1) is a rank found in some navies and maritime organizations. Canada Petty officer, 1st class, PO1, is a Naval non-commissioned member rank of the Canadian Forces. It is senior to the rank of petty officer 2nd-clas ...

Acting career

Early training

In his youth, Boone had attended the

San Diego Army and Navy Academy Army and Navy Academy is an elite private college-preparatory military boarding school for boys in Carlsbad, California. Founded in 1910, the academy admits boys in grades 7 through 12. History The academy was founded by Colonel Thomas A. Dav ...

in Carlsbad, California, where he was introduced to theatre under the tutelage of Virginia Atkinson. After the war, Boone used the

G.I. Bill The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, bu ...

to study acting at the Actors Studio in New York.

Broadway

"Serious" and "methodical", Boone debuted on the

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

theatrical scene in 1947 with ''

Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; grc, Μήδεια, ''Mēdeia'', perhaps implying "planner / schemer") is the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, a niece of Circe and the granddaughter of the sun god Helios. Medea figures in the myth of Jason an ...

'', starring

Judith Anderson Dame Frances Margaret Anderson, (10 February 18973 January 1992), known professionally as Judith Anderson, was an Australian actress who had a successful career in stage, film and television. A pre-eminent stage actress in her era, she won two ...

and

John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud, (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Briti ...

; it ran for 214 performances. He was then in a production of ''

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

'' (1948). Boone appeared in a short-lived TV series based on the play ''

The Front Page ''The Front Page'' is a Broadway comedy about newspaper reporters on the police beat. Written by former Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, it was first produced in 1928 and has been adapted for the cinema several times. Plot T ...

'' (1949–50), and on anthology series such as '' Actors Studio'' and '' Suspense.'' He returned to Broadway in '' The Man'' (1950), directed by

Martin Ritt Martin Ritt (March 2, 1914 – December 8, 1990) was an American director and actor who worked in both film and theater, noted for his socially conscious films. Some of the films he directed include '' The Long, Hot Summer'' (1958), '' The Black ...

, with

Dorothy Gish Dorothy Elizabeth Gish (March 11, 1898June 4, 1968) was an American actress of the screen and stage, as well as a director and writer. Dorothy and her older sister Lillian Gish were major movie stars of the silent era. Dorothy also had great s ...

; it ran for 92 performances. Elia Kazan used Boone to feed lines to an actress for a film

screen-test A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film or in a particular role. The performer is generally given a scene, or selected lines and actions, and instructed to perform in front of a came ...

done for

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

Lewis Milestone Lewis Milestone (born Leib Milstein (Russian: Лейб Мильштейн); September 30, 1895 – September 25, 1980) was a Moldovan-American film director. He is known for directing ''Two Arabian Knights'' (1927) and '' All Quiet on the Weste ...

. Milestone was not impressed with the actress, but he was impressed enough with Boone's voice to summon him to Hollywood, where he was given a seven-year contract with Fox.

20th Century Fox

In 1950, Boone made his screen debut as a Marine officer in Milestone's '' Halls of Montezuma'' (1951). Fox used him in military parts in ''

Call Me Mister ''Call Me Mister'' is a revue with sketches by Arnold Auerbach and words and music by Harold Rome. The title refers to troops who are happily returning to civilian life and no longer want to be addressed by their military ranks. The Broadway pr ...

'' (1951) and '' The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel'' (1951). He had bigger roles in '' Red Skies of Montana'' (1952), ''

Return of the Texan ''Return of the Texan'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Delmer Daves and starring Dale Robertson and Joanne Dru.Kangaroo Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern ...

'' (1952) (directed by Milestone), and '' Way of a Gaucho'' (1952). Kazan directed him in ''

Man on a Tightrope ''Man on a Tightrope'' is a 1953 American drama directed by Elia Kazan, starring Fredric March and Terry Moore and Gloria Grahame. The screenplay by Robert E. Sherwood was based on a 1952 novel of the same title by Neil Paterson. Paterson base ...

'' (1953) and he had good parts in ''

Vicki Vicky, Vicko, Vick, Vickie or Vicki is a feminine given name, often a hypocorism of Victoria. The feminine name Vicky in Greece comes from the name Vasiliki. Women * Family nickname of Victoria, Princess Royal (1840–1901), wife of German ...

'' (1953) and ''

City of Bad Men ''City of Bad Men'' is a 1953 American Western film directed by Harmon Jones and starring Jeanne Crain and Dale Robertson. Plot A heavyweight championship fight between "Gentleman Jim" Corbett and Bob Fitzsimmons is coming to Carson City, Nev ...

'' (1953) In 1953, he played

Pontius Pilate Pontius Pilate (; grc-gre, Πόντιος Πιλᾶτος, ) was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official who presided over the trial of J ...

in ''

The Robe ''The Robe'' is a 1942 historical novel about the Crucifixion of Jesus, written by Lloyd C. Douglas. The book was one of the best-selling titles of the 1940s. It entered the ''New York Times'' Best Seller list in October 1942, four weeks later ...

'', the first Cinemascope film. He had only one scene in the film, in which he gives instructions to

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and he gave a memorable pe ...

, who plays the

centurion A centurion (; la, centurio , . la, centuriones, label=none; grc-gre, κεντυρίων, kentyríōn, or ) was a position in the Roman army during classical antiquity, nominally the commander of a century (), a military unit of around 80 ...

ordered to crucify

Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

. Boone also appeared in the second Cinemascope film, ''

Beneath the 12-Mile Reef ''Beneath the 12-Mile Reef'' is a 1953 American Technicolor adventure film directed by Robert D. Webb and starring Robert Wagner, Terry Moore and Gilbert Roland. The screenplay was by A.I. Bezzerides. The film was the third motion picture made ...

'' (1953).Rothel p. 15 Boone made two films for Panoramic, which distributed through Fox: '' The Siege at Red River'' (1954) and '' The Raid'' (1954). He then left the studio.

''Medic''

During the filming of ''Halls of Montezuma'', he befriended

Jack Webb John Randolph Webb (April 2, 1920 – December 23, 1982) was an American actor, television producer, Television director, director, and screenwriter, who is most famous for his role as Joe Friday, Sgt. Joe Friday in the Dragnet (franchise) ...

, who was then producing and starring in '' Dragnet''. Boone appeared in the film version of '' Dragnet'' (1954). Webb was preparing a series about a doctor for

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

. From 1954–56, Boone became a familiar face in the lead role of that

medical drama A medical drama is a television show or film in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment. Most recent medical drama (film and television), dramatic programming go beyond the events pertaining to the chara ...

, titled ''

Medic A medic is a person involved in medicine such as a medical doctor, medical student, paramedic or an emergency medical responder. Among physicians in the UK, the term "medic" indicates someone who has followed a "medical" career path in postgra ...

,'' and in 1955 received an Emmy nomination for Best Actor Starring in a Regular Series. While on ''Medic,'' Boone continued to appear in films and guest-star on television shows. He was cast in Westerns such as '' Ten Wanted Men'' (1955) with Randolph Scott, ''

Man Without a Star ''Man Without a Star'' is a 1955 American Western film directed by King Vidor and starring Kirk Douglas, Jeanne Crain, Claire Trevor and William Campbell. It was based on the novel of the same name, published in 1952, by Dee Linford (1915–19 ...

'' (1955) with Kirk Douglas, '' Robbers' Roost'' (1955) with George Montgomery, ''Battle Stations'' (1955) with John Lund, ''

Star in the Dust ''Star in the Dust'' is a 1956 American Western film directed by Charles F. Haas and starring John Agar, Mamie Van Doren and Richard Boone. In the town of Gunlock, sheriff Bill Jorden is due to hang Sam Hall for cattle-stealing. Jorden has to ...

'' (1956) with

John Agar John George Agar Jr. (January 31, 1921 – April 7, 2002) was an American film and television actor. He is best known for starring alongside John Wayne in the films ''Sands of Iwo Jima'', '' Fort Apache'', and '' She Wore a Yellow Ribbon''. In h ...

, and ''

Away All Boats ''Away All Boats'' is a 1956 American war film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Jeff Chandler, George Nader, Lex Barker, and Julie Adams. It was produced by Howard Christie from a screenplay by Ted Sherdeman based on the 1953 novel by Kenn ...

'' (1956) with Jeff Chandler. He also guest-starred on ''

General Electric Theater ''General Electric Theater'' was an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations. Radio After an audition show ...

'', ''

Matinee Theatre ''Matinee Theater'' is an American anthology series that aired on NBC during the Golden Age of Television, from October 31, 1955, to June 27, 1958. Its name is often seen as ''Matinee Theatre''. The series, which ran daily from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. E ...

'' (a production of ''

Wuthering Heights ''Wuthering Heights'' is an 1847 novel by Emily Brontë, initially published under her pen name Ellis Bell. It concerns two families of the landed gentry living on the West Yorkshire moors, the Earnshaws and the Lintons, and their turbulent re ...

'' where he played Heathcliff), '' Frontier'', ''

Lux Video Theatre ''Lux Video Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1957. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays. Overview The ''Lux Vid ...

'', ''

The Ford Television Theatre ''Ford Theatre'', spelled ''Ford Theater'' for the original radio version and known, in full, as ''The Ford Television Theatre'' for the TV version, is a radio and television anthology series broadcast in the United States in the 1940s and 1950 ...

'', ''

Studio One in Hollywood ''Studio One'' is an American anthology drama television series that was adapted from a radio series. It was created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. It premiered on November 7, 1948 and ended on Sept ...

'', and ''

Climax! ''Climax!'' (later known as ''Climax Mystery Theater'') is an American television anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS progra ...

''. Boone had one of his best roles in ''

The Tall T ''The Tall T'' is a 1957 American Western film directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Randolph Scott, Richard Boone, and Maureen O'Sullivan. Adapted by Burt Kennedy from the 1955 short story "The Captives" by Elmore Leonard, the film is a ...

'' (1957) with Randolph Scott. He co-starred with

Eleanor Parker Eleanor Jean Parker (June 26, 1922 – December 9, 2013) was an American actress. She was nominated for three Academy Awards for her roles in the films ''Caged'' (1950), ''Detective Story'' (1951), and ''Interrupted Melody'' (1955), the first ...

in ''

Lizzie Lizzie or Lizzy is a nickname for Elizabeth or Elisabet, often given as an independent name in the United States, especially in the late 19th century. Lizzie can also be the shortened version of Lizeth, Lissette or Lizette. People * Elizabeth I ...

'' (1957) and was a villain in ''

The Garment Jungle ''The Garment Jungle'' is a 1957 American film noir crime film directed by Vincent Sherman and starring Lee J. Cobb, Kerwin Mathews, Gia Scala, Richard Boone and Valerie French. Plot Alan Mitchell is a returning Korean War veteran who joins hi ...

'' (1957).

''Have Gun – Will Travel''

Boone's next television series, ''

'', made him a national star because of his role as

Paladin The Paladins, also called the Twelve Peers, are twelve legendary knights, the foremost members of Charlemagne's court in the 8th century. They first appear in the medieval (12th century) ''chanson de geste'' cycle of the Matter of France, where ...

, the intelligent and sophisticated, but tough gun-for-hire in the late 19th-century American West. The show had first been offered to actor Randolph Scott, who turned it down and gave the script to Boone while they were making ''Ten Wanted Men.'' The show ran from 1957 to 1963, with Boone receiving more Emmy nominations in 1959 and 1960. During the show's run, Boone starred in the film ''

I Bury the Living ''I Bury the Living'' is a 1958 horror film directed by famed B movie director Albert Band and starring Richard Boone and Theodore Bikel. It was written by Louis A. Garfinkle and produced by Garfinkle and Band. Plot Robert Kraft is the newly a ...

'' (1958) and appeared on Broadway in 1959, starring as

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

in ''The Rivalry'', which ran for 81 performances. He occasionally did other acting appearances such as episodes of ''

Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' was an American television anthology series, anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology dr ...

'' and ''

The United States Steel Hour ''The United States Steel Hour'' is an anthology series which brought hour long dramas to television from 1953 to 1963. The television series and the radio program that preceded it were both sponsored by the United States Steel Corporation (U. S ...

'' and TV movie '' The Right Man'' (1960). He had a cameo as

Sam Houston Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played an important role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two i ...

in '' The Alamo'' (1960), a starring role in ''

A Thunder of Drums ''A Thunder of Drums'' is a 1961 American CinemaScope Western film directed by Joseph Newman and starring Richard Boone, George Hamilton, Luana Patten and Arthur O'Connell. The screenwriter James Warner Bellah adapted it from his 1946 short ...

'' (1961) and narrated a TV version of ''

John Brown's Body "John Brown's Body" (originally known as "John Brown's Song") is a United States marching song about the abolitionist John Brown. The song was popular in the Union during the American Civil War. The tune arose out of the folk hymn tradition o ...

''. Boone was an occasional guest panelist and also a mystery guest on ''

What's My Line? ''What's My Line?'' is a panel game show that originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, originally in black and white and later in color, with subsequent U.S. revivals. The game uses celebrity panelis ...

'', the Sunday-night CBS-TV quiz show. On that show, he talked with host

John Charles Daly John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly (February 20, 1914 – February 24, 1991) was an American journalist, host, radio and television personality, ABC News executive, TV anchor, and game show host, best known for his work on the CBS panel game show ...

about their days working together on the TV show ''The Front Page.''

''The Richard Boone Show''

Boone had his own television anthology, ''

The Richard Boone Show ''The Richard Boone Show'' is an anthology television series. It aired on NBC during the 1963-64 season. Synopsis Richard Boone hosted the series and starred in about half of the episodes, garnering an Emmy nomination for himself and a Golden G ...

''. Although it aired only from 1963 to 1964, he received his fourth Emmy nomination for it in 1964 along with ''

The Danny Kaye Show ''The Danny Kaye Show'' was an American variety show, hosted by the stage and screen star Danny Kaye, which aired on Wednesday nights from September 25, 1963, to June 7, 1967, on the CBS television network. Directed by Robert Scheerer, it premi ...

'' and ''

The Dick Van Dyke Show ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961 to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. It was produced by Calvada Product ...

.'' ''The Richard Boone Show'' won a Golden Globe for Best Show in 1964.

Hawaii

After the end of the run of his weekly show, Boone and his family moved to

Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island o ...

. He returned to the mainland to appear in films such as ''

Rio Conchos The Río Conchos (Conchos River) is a large river in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It joins the Río Bravo del Norte (known in the United States as the Rio Grande) at the town of Ojinaga, Chihuahua. Description The Rio Conchos is the main rive ...

'' (1964), ''

The War Lord ''The War Lord'' is a 1965 American drama historical film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and starring Charlton Heston. The film, which concerns medieval warfare and culture in 11th-century Normandy, is an adaptation of the play ''The Lovers ...

'' (1965) with Charlton Heston, '' Hombre'' (1967) with

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...

, and an episode of ''

Cimarron Strip ''Cimarron Strip'' is an American Western television series starring Stuart Whitman as Marshal Jim Crown. The series was produced by the creators of '' Gunsmoke'', and aired on CBS from September 1967 to March 1968. Reruns of the original show ...

''. The latter was the first time he guest-starred on someone else's show and he did it as a favor for the director, friend

Lamont Johnson Ernest Lamont Johnson Jr. (September 30, 1922 – October 24, 2010) was an American actor and film director who has appeared in and directed many television shows and movies. He won two Emmy Awards. Early years Johnson was born in Stoc ...

. "It's harder and harder to do your best work on TV," he said."Richard Boone: a Different Time", ''Los Angeles Times'', May 11, 1967, p. D26. In 1965, he came in third in the Laurel Award for ''Rio Conchos'' in Best Action Performance; Sean Connery won first place with '' Goldfinger'' and

Burt Lancaster Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor and producer. Initially known for playing tough guys with a tender heart, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-yea ...

won second place with '' The Train''. While he was living on

Oahu Oahu () (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering place#Island of Oʻahu as The Gathering Place, Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over t ...

, Boone helped persuade Leonard Freeman to film ''Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series), Hawaii Five-O'' exclusively in Hawaii. Prior to that, Freeman had planned to do "establishing" location shots in Hawaii, but principal production in Southern California. Boone and others convinced Freeman that the islands could offer all necessary support for a major TV series and would provide an authenticity otherwise unobtainable. Freeman, impressed by Boone's love of Hawaii, offered him the role of Steve McGarrett; Boone turned it down, however, and the role went to Jack Lord, who shared Boone's enthusiasm for the region, which Freeman considered vital. Coincidentally, Lord had appeared alongside Boone in the first episode of ''Have Gun – Will Travel,'' titled "Three Bells to Perdido". At the time, Boone had shot a pilot for CBS called ''Kona Coast (TV series), Kona Coast'' (1968), which he hoped CBS would adopt as a series ("I really don't want to do another series," he said "but I've been battling for three years to get production going in Hawaii and if a series will do it, I'll do it."), but the network went instead only with ''Hawaii Five-O''. ''Kona Coast'' – which Boone co produced – was released theatrically.

Films

Boone then focused on films: ''The Night of the Following Day'' (1969) with Marlon Brando, ''The Arrangement (film), The Arrangement'' (1969) with Douglas for Elia Kazan, ''The Kremlin Letter'' (1970) for John Huston, and ''Big Jake'' (1971) with John Wayne. Boone did some TV movies, ''In Broad Daylight (1971 film), In Broad Daylight'' (1971), ''Deadly Harvest (1972 film), Deadly Harvest'' (1972), and ''Goodnight, My Love'' (1972). Around this time he moved to Florida.

''Hec Ramsey''

In the early 1970s, Boone starred in the short-lived TV series ''Hec Ramsey,'' which

produced for Mark VII Limited Productions, and which was about a turn-of-the-20th-century Western-style police detective who preferred to use his brain and criminal forensic skills instead of his gun. The character Ramsey's back story had him as a frontier lawman and gunman in his younger days. Older now, he was the deputy chief of police of a small city in Oklahoma, still a skilled shooter, and carrying a short-barreled Colt Single Action Army revolver. Boone said to an interviewer in 1972, "You know, Hec Ramsey is a lot like Paladin, only fatter." This quote was often misinterpreted to mean that ''Hec Ramsey'' was a sequel to ''Have Gun – Will Travel,'' when it actually was not.

Israel

Boone starred in the 1970 film ''Madron (film), Madron'' (1970), the first Israeli-produced film shot outside Israel, set in the American West of the 1800s. In that year, he accepted an invitation from Israel's Commerce Ministry to provide the Israeli film industry with "Hollywood know-how." In 1979, he received an award from Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin "for his contribution to Israeli cinema."

Final performances

He starred in The Great Niagara (1974) and ''Against a Crooked Sky'' (1975) and supported John Wayne a third time, in Wayne's final film, ''The Shootist'' (1976). In the mid-1970s, Boone returned to The Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City, where he had once studied acting, to teach. Boone did ''God's Gun'' (1976) with Leif Garrett, Lee Van Cleef, and Jack Palance. He appeared in ''The Last Dinosaur'' (1977) and ''The Big Sleep (1978 film), The Big Sleep'' (1978), and provided the character voice of the dragon Smaug in the 1977 The Hobbit (1977 film), animated film version of J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Hobbit''. Boone's last appearances were in ''Winter Kills'' (1979) and ''The Bushido Blade'' (1979).

Personal life

Boone was married three times: to Jane Hopper (1937–1940), Mimi Kelly (1949–1950), and Claire McAloon (from 1951 until his death). His son with McAloon, Peter Boone, worked as a child actor in several ''Have Gun – Will Travel'' episodes. In 1963, Boone was injured in a car accident. Boone moved to St. Augustine, Florida, from Hawaii in 1970 and worked with the annual local production of ''Cross and Sword'', when he was not acting on television or in movies, until shortly before his death in 1981. In the last year of his life, Boone was appointed Florida's cultural ambassador. During the 1970s, he wrote a newspaper column, called "It Seems to Me", for a small, free publication called ''The Town and Traveler''. Some paper copies are in his biographical file at the St. Augustine Historical Society. He also gave acting lectures at Flagler College in 1972–1973.

Death

Boone died at his home in St. Augustine, Florida, due to complications from throat cancer. His ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean off Hawaii."Richard Boone"
biography, Turner Classic Movies (TCM), Time Warner, Inc., New York. Retrieved April 6, 2019.

Filmography

Film

* '' Halls of Montezuma'' (1951) as Lt. Col. Gilfillan * ''Call Me Mister (film), Call Me Mister'' (1951) as Mess Sergeant * '' The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel'' (1951) as Captain Hermann Aldinger * '' Red Skies of Montana'' (1952) as Richard 'Dick' Dryer * ''

'' (1952) as John W. Gamble * '' Way of a Gaucho'' (1952) as Major Salinas * ''Pony Soldier'' (1952) (uncredited) * ''

'' (1953) as Krofta * ''

'' (1953) as Lt. Ed Cornell * ''

'' (1953) as

* ''

'' (1953) as John Ringo * ''

'' (1953) as Thomas Rhys * ''Siege at Red River'' (1954) as Brett Manning * '' The Raid'' (1954) as Capt. Lionel Foster * '' Dragnet'' (1954) as Captain Jim Hamilton * '' Ten Wanted Men'' (1955) as Wick Campbell * ''

'' (1955) as Steve Miles * ''Robbers' Roost (1955 film), Robbers' Roost'' (1955) as Hank Hays * ''The Big Knife'' (1955) as Narrator (voice, uncredited) * ''Battle Stations'' (1956) as The Captain * ''

'' (1956) as Sam Hall * ''

'' (1956) as Lieut. Fraser * ''

'' (1957) as Frank Usher * ''

'' (1957) as Dr. Neal Wright * ''

'' (1957) as Artie Ravidge * ''

'' (1958) as Robert Kraft * ''Ocean's 11 (1960 film), Ocean's 11'' (1960) as Minister (voice, uncredited) * '' The Alamo'' (1960) as General

* ''

'' (1961) as Captain Stephen Maddocks * ''Rio Conchos (1964 film), Rio Conchos'' (1964) as James Lassiter * ''

'' (1965) as Bors * '' Hombre'' (1967) as Grimes * ''Kona Coast (film), Kona Coast'' (1968) as Capt. Sam Moran * ''The Night of the Following Day'' (1968) as Leer * ''The Arrangement (1969 film), The Arrangement'' (1969) as Sam Arness * ''The Kremlin Letter'' (1970) as Ward * ''Madron (film), Madron'' (1970) as Madron * ''Big Jake'' (1971) as John Fain * ''The Singing Filipina'' (1971) as Himself * ''Against a Crooked Sky'' (1975) as Russian * ''Diamante Lobo'' (1976) as The Sheriff * ''The Shootist'' (1976) as Mike Sweeney * ''The Last Dinosaur'' (1977) as Maston Thrust Jr. * ''The Big Sleep (1978 film), The Big Sleep'' (1978) as Lash Canino * ''Winter Kills (film), Winter Kills'' (1979) as Keifitz * ''The Bushido Blade'' (1981) as Commodore (United States), Commodore Matthew C. Perry (final film role)

TV

* '' Actors Studio'': 3 episodes (1949–1950) * ''The Front Page (TV series), The Front Page'': 10 episodes (CBS, 1949–1950) * ''Suspense (U.S. TV series), Suspense'': episode "Photo Finish", as Mercer (1950) * ''

'': 59 episodes, as Dr. Konrad Styner (1954–1956) * ''

'': 4 episodes, various roles (1955–1957) * ''

'': episode "Wuthering Height", Heathcliff (1955) * ''

'': episode "Love Is Eternal",

(1955) * ''

'': episode "The Hunted", Saxon (1955) * ''

'', ''Catch at Straws'', local press man (1956) * ''

'': episode "A House of His Own", Vincent Giel (1956) * ''Frontier'': episode "The Salt War", Everett Brayer (1956) * ''

'': episode "Dead of Noon", as John Wesley Hardin (1957) * ''

'': all 225 episodes, as Paladin, and Smoke, (1957–1963) * ''

'': 3 episodes, in various roles, (1958–1960) * ''

'': 2 episodes in various roles, (1959–1960) * ''The Right Man'' (TV movie): as Abraham Lincoln (1960) * ''

'': 25 episodes, in various roles, (1963–1964) * ''

'': episode "The Roarer", as Sergeant Bill Disher (1967) * ''The Mark Waters Story'' (1969) * ''In Broad Daylight (1971 film), In Broad Daylight'': as Tony Chappel (1971) * ''Deadly Harvest (1972 film), Deadly Harvest'': as Anton Solca (1972) * ''Hec Ramsey'': all 10 episodes, as Deputy Police Chief Hec Ramsey, (1972–1974) * ''Goodnight, My Love'': as Francis Hogan (1972) * ''The Great Niagara'' (TV movie): as Aaron Grant (1974) * ''The Last Dinosaur'' (1977) * ''The Hobbit (1977 film), The Hobbit'': as Smaug (voice) (1977)

References

Bibliography

* Rothel, David (2001). ''Richard Boone: A Knight Without Armor in a Savage Land''. Madison, NC: Empire Publishing,

External links

* * *
Richard Boone
at Virtual History

greensburgdailynews.com; accessed September 1, 2017. {{DEFAULTSORT:Boone, Richard 1917 births 1981 deaths 20th Century Studios contract players 20th-century American male actors American male television actors American people of English descent American people of Russian-Jewish descent United States Navy personnel of World War II Boone family (show business) Deaths from pneumonia in Florida Deaths from cancer in Florida Deaths from esophageal cancer Male actors from Honolulu Male actors from Los Angeles Male Western (genre) film actors Military personnel from Rhode Island Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre alumni People from St. Augustine, Florida Stanford University alumni United States Navy non-commissioned officers Western (genre) television actors