Ray Danton (born Raymond Caplan; September 19, 1931 – February 11, 1992) was an American radio, film, stage, and television actor, director, and producer whose most famous roles were in the screen biographies '' The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond'' (1960) and ''

The George Raft Story ''The George Raft Story'' is a 1961 American biographical film directed by Joseph M. Newman that stars Ray Danton as Hollywood film star George Raft. The picture was retitled ''Spin of a Coin'' for release in the United Kingdom, a reference to R ...

'' (1962).

Life and career

Early life

Danton was born Raymond Caplan in New York City, the son of Myrtle (née Menkin) and Jack Caplan. His family was Jewish, and he was a descendant of the

Vilna Gaon Elijah ben Solomon Zalman, ( ''Rabbi Eliyahu ben Shlomo Zalman''), also known as the Vilna Gaon ( ''Der Vilner Goen''; ; or Elijah of Vilna, or by his Hebrew acronym Gr"a ("Gaon Rabbenu Eliyahu": "Our great teacher Elijah"; Sialiec, April 23, 172 ...

. Danton entered show business as a child radio actor on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

radio's ''

Let's Pretend ''Let's Pretend'', created and directed by Nila Mack, was a CBS radio series for children. Prior to being renamed ''Let's Pretend'', the program had a variety of titles and formats. In its most famous form, ''Let's Pretend'', the Peabody Awar ...

'' show in 1943 at age twelve. He began acting on radio and stage regularly also working as an assistant stage manager.The Life Story of RAY DANTON Picture Show; London Vol. 65, Iss. 1697, (Oct 8, 1955): 12. Danton attended

Horace Mann School Horace Mann School (also known as Horace Mann or HM) is an American private, independent college-preparatory school in the Bronx, founded in 1887. Horace Mann is a member of the Ivy Preparatory School League, educating students from the New Yo ...

and in 1947 he started at what is now

Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The institution was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools. In 1912, it became the Carnegie Institu ...

where he appeared in many stage productions. He went to New York to try and make it on Broadway and ended up appearing on television dramas. In 1950, he went to London to appear on stage in the

Tyrone Power Tyrone Edmund Power III (May 5, 1914 – November 15, 1958) was an American actor. From the 1930s to the 1950s, Power appeared in dozens of films, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads. His better-known films include ''Jesse James (193 ...

production '' Mister Roberts''. He returned to guest star on shows like ''Danger'' (an episode directed by

Sidney Lumet Sidney Arthur Lumet ( ; June 25, 1924 – April 9, 2011) was an American film director. Lumet started his career in theatre before moving to film, where he gained a reputation for making realistic and gritty New York City, New York dramas w ...

) and ''Starlight Theatre''. Danton's acting career was put on hold when he served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

during the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

from 1951–1953. When he returned to the U.S., he resumed his television career, appearing in shows like '' Kraft Theatre'', ''

The Man Behind the Badge ''The Man Behind the Badge '' is a half-hour American television police drama series which aired on CBS from October 11, 1953, to October 3, 1954, originally hosted by Norman Rose. In its second syndicated season, the host became character act ...

'', ''Lux Video Theatre'' and ''You Are There''. He played

Jean Lafitte Jean Lafitte ( – ) was a French pirate, privateer, and slave trader who operated in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. He and his older brother Pierre spelled their last name Laffite, but English language documents of the time u ...

in '' The Pirate and the Lawyer'' (1955) for the ''

Hallmark Hall of Fame ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas Citybased greeting card company. It is the longest-ru ...

''. He then received an offer from Universal.

Universal

Danton made his film debut in '' Chief Crazy Horse'' (1955) playing Little Big Man. His second film for Universal '' The Looters'' (1955) was where he met his future wife

Julie Adams Julie Adams (born Betty May Adams; October 17, 1926 – February 3, 2019) was an American actress, billed as Julia Adams in her early career, primarily known for her numerous television guest roles. She starred in a number of films in the 1 ...

. MGM borrowed him to play

Susan Hayward Susan Hayward (born Edythe Marrener; June 30, 1917 – March 14, 1975) was an American actress best known for her film portrayals of women that were based on true stories. After working as a fashion model for the Walter Clarence Thornton, Walt ...

's boyfriend in ''

I'll Cry Tomorrow ''I'll Cry Tomorrow'' (1955) is a biopic that tells the story of Lillian Roth, a Broadway star who rebels against the pressure of her domineering mother and struggles with alcoholism after the death of her fiancé. It stars Susan Hayward, Rich ...

'' (1955), a sizeable hit. Back at Universal he had a role in '' The Spoilers'' (1955) then played his first lead in '' Outside the Law'' (1956). He was prolific in television work as well as film where he received the

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...

in 1956 for the new male star of the year in film. He had the lead in '' The Night Runner'' (1957) and appeared in shows like ''Studio 57'', ''Schlitz Playhouse'', ''

Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' is an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 134 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of t ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', ''Matinee Theatre'', ''Climax!'', and ''Decision''.

Warner Bros.

Danton had a supporting role in '' Too Much, Too Soon'' (1958) at Warner Bros playing an abusive husband of

Diana Barrymore Diana Blanche Barrymore Blythe (March 3, 1921 – January 25, 1960) was an American film and stage actress. Early life Born Diana Blanche Barrymore Blythe in New York, New York, Diana Barrymore was the daughter of actor John Barrymore and hi ...

. He signed a long term contract with the studio, appearing in ''

Onionhead ''Onionhead'' is a 1958 American comedy drama film set on a U.S. Coast Guard ship during World War II, starring Andy Griffith and featuring Felicia Farr, Walter Matthau, Erin O'Brien, James Gregory, Joey Bishop and Claude Akins. It is dir ...

'' (1958). Danton starred in '' Tarawa Beachhead'' (1958) at Columbia, with co-star Kerwin Mathews, and his off-screen wife Julie Adams. That year, Danton guest-starred in '' Yancy Derringer'' and shows ''77 Sunset Strip''. He returned to MGM to star in two films for Albert Zugsmith: '' The Beat Generation'' and '' The Big Operator''. Warners gave him supporting roles in '' Yellowstone Kelly'' and '' Ice Palace'' and gave him the lead in a TV series '' The Alaskans'' (1959-1960). The studio then cast him in his most famous role '' The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond'' (1960) where he played the eponymous gangster for director

Budd Boetticher Oscar Boetticher Jr. ( ; July 29, 1916 – November 29, 2001), known as Budd Boetticher, was an American film director. He is best remembered for a series of low-budget Westerns he made in the late 1950s starring Randolph Scott. Early life Boet ...

. He appeared in the drama series '' Bourbon Street Beat'', ''

Hawaiian Eye ''Hawaiian Eye'' is an American detective television series that ran from October 1959 to April 1963 on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network. Premise Private investigator Tracy Steele (Anthony Eisley) and his half-Hawaiian ...

'', ''Cheyenne'', ''Maverick'' and '' The Roaring 20s''. In 1960, Danton and Ron Foster were cast as Kane and Tommy Potts, respectively, in the episode "Bounty List" of the Western series '' Colt .45''. He also appeared in the ABC/WB Western '' Lawman''. Response was so strong Warners announced they would give Danton his own show, ''Las Vegas''. Instead, he did '' A Fever in the Blood'' (1961) and reprised the role of Legs Diamond in Vic Morrow's '' Portrait of a Mobster''. Danton maintained his gangster persona with the title role in ''

'', a screen biography of 1930s actor/dancer

George Raft George Raft (né Ranft; September 26, 1901 – November 24, 1980) was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. A stylish leading man in dozens of movies, Raft is remembe ...

. "I guess I'm the last of the big time gangsters," he said in a 1962 interview. In 1961, Danton co-starred with

Rosalind Russell Catherine Rosalind Russell (June 4, 1907November 28, 1976) was an American actress, model, comedian, screenwriter, and singer,Obituary '' Variety'', December 1, 1976, p. 79. known for her role as fast-talking newspaper reporter Hildy Johnson in ...

Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. In the BFI, British Film Institute listing of 1999 of BFI Top 100 British films, the 100 most important British films of the 20th century ...

, and Madlyn Rhue in ''

A Majority of One A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, and others worldwide. Its name in English is '' a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes''. It is similar in shape to the Ancient ...

''. He was one of many stars in ''The Longest Day'' (1962) and had a supporting role in '' The Chapman Report'' (1962). On October 9, 1962, Danton appeared as the gunfighter Vince Jackson in the episode "The Fortune Hunter" of '' Laramie''. He also guest-starred in the NBC Western ''

Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...

'' and its successor series '' Redigo'', both starring Richard Egan. November 7, 1962 he took on the role of Lt. Steve Hamilton, one of Col. Teddy Roosevelt's "Rough Riders"(It's 1898 and The Spanish American War)in an episode entitled "Riff-Raff" on the first season of "The Virginian." Danton was in the TV movie '' FBI Code 98'' (1963). In 1964, Danton was cast in the episode "The Wooing of Perilous Pauline" of ''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American Western (genre), Western anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was ...

''. He returned to the stage to perform in '' 110 in the Shade''.

Europe

Danton went to Europe to star in '' Sandokan to the Rescue'' (1964) which was popular enough for a sequel '' Return of Sandokan'' (1964). He stayed in Europe to make '' Code Name: Jaguar'' (1965). He returned to the USA to guest star in ''Honey West'' and ''The Man from UNCLE'' then went back to Europe to make ''

Secret Agent Super Dragon ''Secret Agent Super Dragon'' () is a 1966 internationally co-produced Eurospy film directed by Giorgio Ferroni, and starring Ray Danton as the titular secret agent. Plot The plot centers on a secret agent and an evil organization that is dr ...

'' (1966), '' How to Win a Billion... and Get Away with It'' (1967), '' Si muore solo una volta'' (1967), ''

Lucky, el intrépido ''Lucky, the Inscrutable'' (, , ) is a 1967 spy film directed by Jesús Franco and starring Ray Danton. Cast Production During the 1960s, the Spanish film industry was regularly making co-production with Italy. For ''Lucky, the Inscrutable'' ...

'' (1967), '' Hello Glen Ward, House Dick'' (1968), and '' Die grosse Treibjagd'' (1969). He would periodically return to the US to guest star on shows like ''Ironside'', ‘’Hawaii Five-0’’, ''It Takes a Thief'', and ''Dan August''.

Producer and director

He formed a production company in Europe producing films like '' The Last Mercenary'' and began directing with '' Deathmaster'' (1972) and ''

Psychic Killer ''Psychic Killer'' is a 1975 American supernatural horror film directed by Ray Danton and written by Greydon Clark, Mikel Angel and Ray Danton. The film stars Paul Burke, Jim Hutton, Julie Adams, Nehemiah Persoff, Neville Brand and Aldo Ray. ...

'' (1975). Danton continued directing as well as acting and started producing films such as ''Triangle'' in 1971. He was in '' The Ballad of Billie Blue'' (1972), '' A Very Missing Person'' (1972), '' Runaway!'' (1973), '' The Centerfold Girls'' (1974), and '' Apache Blood'' (1975).

Return to the U.S.

He guest-starred in an episode of '' Nakia'' and a '' Hawaii Five-O'' episode, "Steal Now, Pay Later". He began a busy directing career in television, helming episodes of ''Switch'', ''Baretta'', ''Cagney & Lacey'', ''Fame'', ''T.J. Hooker'' and ''Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer''. "Acting has fallen to an all-time low in this country," he said in a 1985 interview. He directed a stage production of ''Come Back, Little Sheba'' in 1987. Danton directed many episodes of '' Magnum PI'' in Season 8, 1987–1988.

Personal life

Danton was married to actress

from 1954 or 1955 until their divorce in 1981. They had two sons: assistant director Steven Danton (b. 1956) and editor Mitchell Danton (b. 1962).

Death

Danton died of

kidney failure Kidney failure, also known as renal failure or end-stage renal disease (ESRD), is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney fa ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

.McMurray, Emily J (editor) ''Contemporary Theatre, Film, and Television'' Volume 11, Garland Publishing, Inc. (1993)

Filmography

*'' Chief Crazy Horse'' (1955) as Little Big Man *'' The Looters'' (1955) as Pete Corder *'' The Spoilers'' (1955) as Blackie *''

'' (1955) as David Tredman *'' Outside the Law'' (1956) as John Conrad, alias Johnny Salvo *'' Somebody Up There Likes Me'' (1956) as Off-Screen Reporter (voice, uncredited) *'' The Night Runner'' (1957) as Roy Turner *'' Trackdown'', episode "Sweetwater Texas" (1957) as Clem Reese *'' Too Much, Too Soon'' (1958) as John Howard *'' Decision'', season 1, episode 3: "The Danger Game" (1958) *''

'' (1958) as Ensign Dennis Higgins *'' Yancy Derringer'', episode "An Ace Called Spade" (1958) as Spade Stuart *'' Tarawa Beachhead'' (1958) as Lt. Joel Brady *'' The Beat Generation'' (1959) as Stan Hess *'' The Big Operator'' (1959) as Oscar 'The Executioner' Wetzel *'' Lawman'', 2 episodes (1959, 1960) as different characters *'' Yellowstone Kelly'' (1959) as Sayapi, Gall's Nephew *'' Ice Palace'' (1960) as Bay Husack *'' The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond'' (1960) as Jack 'Legs' Diamond *''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. The Cheyenne comprise two Native American tribes, the Só'taeo'o or Só'taétaneo'o (more commonly spelled as Suhtai or Sutaio) and the (also spelled Tsitsistas, The term for th ...

'', season 5, episode 5: "Savage Breed" (1960) as Marshal Al Lestrade *'' Maverick'', season 4, episode 16: "A State Of Siege" (1961) as Don Felipe Archuleta *'' A Fever in the Blood'' (1961) as Attorney Clem Marker *'' Portrait of a Mobster'' (1961) as 'Legs' Diamond *''

'' (1961) as George Raft *''

'' (1961) as Jerry Black *'' The Longest Day'' (1962) as Capt. Frank *'' Laramie'' (1962) as Vince Jackson, a very suave conman/gunslinger *'' The Virginian'', episode "Riff Raff" (1962) as Lieutenant Steve Hamilton, an officer serving under

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

Teddy Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York politics, including serving as ...

in the Spanish-American War *'' The Chapman Report'' (1962) as Fred Linden *'' FBI Code 98'' (1963) as Fred Vitale * '' Sandokan to the Rescue'' (1964) as Sandokan * '' Sandokan Against the Leopard of Sarawak'' (1964) as Sandokan *'' Code Name: Jaguar'' (1965) as Jeff Larson *''

'' (1966) as Bryan Cooper / Super Dragon *''Ballata da un miliardo'' (1967) as Big Joe Martin *' (1967) as Mike Gold *'' Lucky, the Inscrutable'' (1967) as Lucky *''Llaman de Jamaica, Mr. Ward'' (1968) as Glen Ward *'' The Last Mercenary'' (1968) as Mark / Marco Anderson *''Triangle'' (1970) as Carlo Di Fermi *'' Hawaii Five-O'' (1970) as Jimmy Nuanu *' (1971) as Jimmy Logan *''The Ballad of Billie Blue'' (1972) *''

The Runaway Train This is a list of ''Doctor Who'' audiobooks. The first ''Doctor Who'' audiobook, consisting of readings by Gabriel Woolf of the novelisations of ''The Three Doctors (Doctor Who), The Three Doctors'', ''Carnival of Monsters'', and ''Terror of th ...

'' (1973) as Prof. Jack Dunn *''Blood, Black and White'' (1973) *'' Hawaii Five-O'' (1974) as Colby *'' Centerfold Girls'' (1974) as Perry *'' Apache Blood'' (1975) as Yellow Shirt *''

The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner, aired on NBC from September 13, 1974, to January 10, 1980. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigator Jim Rockford, with Noah Beery Jr. in th ...

'', episode: "Chicken Little is a Little Chicken" (1975) as Chester Sierra *''

'' (1975) as Narrator (voice, uncredited) *'' Sixpack Annie'' (1975) as Mr. O'Meyer *'' Our Man Flint: Dead on Target'' (1976) as Derek Flint

References

External links

*
Ray Danton in Secret Agent Super Dragon (TCM Movie Morlocks)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Danton, Ray 1931 births 1992 deaths 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American Jews American expatriates in Italy American male film actors American male radio actors American male stage actors American male television actors American television directors Deaths from kidney failure in California Film directors from New York City Jewish American male actors Male actors from Los Angeles Television producers from California United States Army personnel of the Korean War Warner Bros. contract players Western (genre) television actors