Rayford Barnes (October 23, 1920 – November 11, 2000) was an American film and TV character actor from
Whitesboro, Texas.
Early years
Barnes was born in Dallas, Texas, and attended the University of Texas. He acted in plays at the university and at little theaters in Dallas and San Antonio. After he moved to Oakland, California, he performed at the Pasadena Community Playhouse.
He had a younger brother, Lou Dupont, who was also an entertainer.
During World War II, Barnes served years in the Navy, working as a navigator.
Career
Barnes worked as a disc jockey at radio stations
KTSA
KTSA (550 AM "107.1 and 550 KTSA") is a commercial radio station in San Antonio, Texas. KTSA is owned by Alpha Media and airs a talk radio format. The studios, offices and three-tower transmitter are on Eisenhauer Road in San Antonio.
Most ho ...
and
WOAI.
After his military service, Barnes was a stagehand at three theaters in the San Francisco area, and he developed "a healthy respect for all the items actors depend upon for support ..."
In 1950, Barnes gained membership in Actors Equity and began to act on stage in Repertory Theater productions, including ''Three's a Family'' and ''Hasty Heart''. He also worked off-stage there, creating staging and scenes for two other plays.
Barnes appeared in films, mainly westerns, such as ''
Hondo'', ''
The Burning Hills
''The Burning Hills'' is a 1956 American CinemaScope Western directed by Stuart Heisler and starring Tab Hunter and Natalie Wood, based on a 1956 novel by Louis L'Amour.
Plot
When Trace Jordan's brother is murdered and several of their horses ...
'', ''
Fort Massacre'', ''
The Wild Bunch
''The Wild Bunch'' is a 1969 American epic Revisionist Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmond O'Brien, Ben Johnson and Warren Oates. The plot concerns an aging outlaw gang on th ...
'', ''
The Hunting Party'', and ''
Cahill U.S. Marshal''. He also appeared in the 1955 comedy ''
Bowery to Bagdad
''Bowery to Bagdad'' is a 1955 comedy film starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on January 2, 1955, by Allied Artists and is the thirty-sixth film in the series.
Plot
Sach buys a magic lamp containing a Genie. A group of gangsters s ...
''.
Barnes also appeared on dozens of TV series most notably ''
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
''The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp'' is the first Western television series written for adults, premiering four days before ''Gunsmoke'' on September 6, 1955. Two weeks later came the Clint Walker western ''Cheyenne''. The series is loosely bas ...
'' in which he portrayed
Ike Clanton
Joseph Isaac Clanton (1847 – June 1, 1887) was a member of a loose association of outlaws known as The Cowboys who clashed with lawmen Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan Earp as well as Doc Holliday. On October 26, 1881, Clanton was present at the G ...
.
Other series he appeared on include ''
Father Knows Best
''Father Knows Best'' is an American sitcom starring Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray and Lauren Chapin. The series, which began on radio in 1949, aired as a television show for six seasons and 203 episodes. Created by ...
'', ''
Bat Masterson
Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was born to ...
'', ''
Highway Patrol
A highway patrol, or state patrol is either a police unit created primarily for the purpose of overseeing and enforcing traffic safety compliance on roads and highways, or a detail within an existing local or regional police agency that is prima ...
'', ''
Racket Squad'', ''
The Untouchables'', ''
Cheyenne
The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian languages, Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized tribe, federally recognize ...
'', ''
Maverick'', ''
Have Gun - Will Travel'', ''
The Twilight Zone
''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television program, television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dysto ...
'' (episode "
A Quality of Mercy", with
Albert Salmi
Albert Salmi (March 11, 1928 – April 22, 1990) was an American actor of stage, film, and television. Best known for his work as a character actor, he appeared in over 150 film and television productions.
Early life
Salmi was born and raised ...
and
Ralph Votrian), ''
The Big Valley
''The Big Valley'' is an American Western drama television series that originally aired from September 15, 1965, to May 19, 1969 on ABC. The series is set on the fictional Barkley Ranch in Stockton, California, from 1884 to 1888. The one-hour e ...
'', ''
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 w ...
'', ''
The High Chaparral
''The High Chaparral'' television series, which was broadcast on NBC from 1967 to 1971, is an American Western action adventure drama set in the 1870s. It stars Leif Erickson and Cameron Mitchell. The series was made by Xanadu Productions in ...
'', ''
Bonanza
''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on ...
'', ''
Gunsmoke
''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...
'', ''
Rawhide'', ''
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byrne, are credited as being ...
'', ''
Little House on the Prairie
The ''Little House on the Prairie'' books is a series of American children's novels written by Laura Ingalls Wilder (b. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls). The stories are based on her childhood and adolescence in the Midwestern United States, American M ...
'', ''
Fantasy Island
''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo ...
'', ''
The Dukes of Hazzard
''The Dukes of Hazzard'' is an American action comedy TV series that was aired on CBS from January 26, 1979 to February 8, 1985. The show aired for 147 episodes spanning seven seasons. It was consistently among the top-rated television serie ...
'', and ''
Walker, Texas Ranger
''Walker, Texas Ranger'' is an American action crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film ''Lone Wolf McQuade'', with both this series and that film starring Chuck Norris as a member of the T ...
''. His final role was on the
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 ...
medical drama ''
ER'' in 1996.
Personal life
In 1950, Barnes married Betty, and the next year they had a son.
Barnes lived in Manhattan Beach, California, with his long-time companion, Debbie. He often spoke about his movie making experiences with John Wayne, for whom he had great admiration.
Death
Barnes died in
Santa Monica
Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...
or
Manhattan Beach, California
Manhattan Beach is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States, on the Pacific coast south of El Segundo, west of Hawthorne and Redondo Beach, and north of Hermosa Beach. As of the 2010 census, the population was 35 ...
, on November 11, 2000, at age 80.
Selected filmography
*''
Thunderbirds'' (1952) – Sgt. Case (uncredited)
*''
The Stranger Wore a Gun
''The Stranger Wore a Gun'' is a 1953 American Western film directed by Andre DeToth and starring Randolph Scott and Claire Trevor. Based on the short story "Yankee Gold" by John W. Cunningham, the film is about a former spy who moves to Arizo ...
'' (1953) – Raider Todd / Townsman (uncredited)
*''
Hondo'' (1953) – Pete – Card Player in Saloon
*''
Red River Shore'' (1953) – Pete – Henchman (uncredited)
*''
The Desperado'' (1954) – Ray Novak
*''
Return from the Sea'' (1954) – Radioman (uncredited)
*''
Drum Beat
A drum beat or drum pattern is a rhythmic pattern, or repeated rhythm establishing the meter and groove through the pulse and subdivision, played on drum kits and other percussion instruments. As such a "beat" consists of multiple drum stroke ...
'' (1954) – Captain Summer (uncredited)
*''
Bowery to Bagdad
''Bowery to Bagdad'' is a 1955 comedy film starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on January 2, 1955, by Allied Artists and is the thirty-sixth film in the series.
Plot
Sach buys a magic lamp containing a Genie. A group of gangsters s ...
'' (1955) – Canarsie
*''
Battle Cry
A battle cry or war cry is a yell or chant taken up in battle, usually by members of the same combatant group.
Battle cries are not necessarily articulate (e.g. "Eulaliaaaa!", "Alala"..), although they often aim to invoke patriotic or religious ...
'' (1955) – Marine Aide on Command Ship Off Saipan (uncredited)
*''
Seven Angry Men
''Seven Angry Men'' is a 1955 American Western film directed by Charles Marquis Warren and starring Raymond Massey, Debra Paget and Jeffrey Hunter.
It is about the abolitionist John Brown, particularly his involvement in Bleeding Kansas and hi ...
'' (1955) – William Doyle (uncredited)
*''
Wichita
Wichita ( ) may refer to:
People
*Wichita people, a Native American tribe
*Wichita language, the language of the tribe
Places in the United States
* Wichita, Kansas, a city
* Wichita County, Kansas, a county in western Kansas (city of Wichita i ...
'' (1955) – Hal Clements (uncredited)
*''
The Revolt of Mamie Stover'' (1956) – Soldier (uncredited)
*''
Behind the High Wall
''Behind the High Wall'' is a 1956 American film noir crime film directed by Abner Biberman starring Tom Tully and Sylvia Sidney.
It featured an early performance by John Gavin who had just signed with Universal. It was sometimes referred to ...
'' (1956) – George Miller
*''
The Burning Hills
''The Burning Hills'' is a 1956 American CinemaScope Western directed by Stuart Heisler and starring Tab Hunter and Natalie Wood, based on a 1956 novel by Louis L'Amour.
Plot
When Trace Jordan's brother is murdered and several of their horses ...
'' (1956) – Veach
*''
The Young Guns'' (1956) – Kid Cutler
*''
Stagecoach to Fury'' (1956) – Zick
*''
Beginning of the End'' (1957) – Chuck – National Guard Corporal
*''
Gun Glory'' (1957) – Blondie (uncredited)
*''
The Invisible Boy'' (1957) – Capt. McLaren (uncredited)
*''
Fort Massacre'' (1958) – Moss
*''
The Man Who Died Twice'' (1958) – Police Technician (uncredited)
*''
Ride a Crooked Trail
''Ride a Crooked Trail'' is a 1958 American Western film shot in CinemaScope and Eastman Color, with former World War II hero Audie Murphy and future Academy Award-winning actor Walter Matthau heading a strong if not well-known cast.
Gia ...
'' (1958) – Teeler Gang Member (uncredited)
*''
Tombstone Territory
''Tombstone Territory'' is an American Western series starring Pat Conway and Richard Eastham. The series' first two seasons aired on ABC from 1957 to 1959. The first season was sponsored by Bristol-Myers (consumer products) and the second se ...
'' (1958) – Laredo Markham
*''
Lone Texan'' (1959) – Finch
*''
The Gunfight at Dodge City
''The Gunfight at Dodge City'' is a 1959 DeLuxe Color Western CinemaScope film. It was produced by the Mirisch Company, directed by Joseph M. Newman, co-written by Martin Goldsmith and Daniel B. Ullman and starred Joel McCrea as Bat Masterson. ...
'' (1959) – Corporal (uncredited)
*''
Never So Few
''Never So Few'' is a 1959 CinemaScope Metrocolor war film, directed by John Sturges and starring Frank Sinatra, Gina Lollobrigida, Peter Lawford, Steve McQueen, Richard Johnson, Paul Henreid, Brian Donlevy, Dean Jones, Charles Bronson, and Phi ...
'' (1959) – Soldier in Helicopter (uncredited)
*''
13 Fighting Men
''13 Fighting Men'' is a 1960 American drama film directed by Harry W. Gerstad and written by Robert Hamner and Jack W. Thomas. The film stars Grant Williams, Brad Dexter, Carole Mathews, Robert Dix, Richard Garland and Richard Crane.
The fil ...
'' (1960) – Sgt. Yates
*''
Bells Are Ringing'' (1960) – Bookie (uncredited)
*''
Young Jesse James'' (1960) – Pitts
*''
North to Alaska
''North to Alaska'' is a 1960 comedic Western/ Northern film directed by Henry Hathaway and John Wayne (uncredited). The picture stars Wayne along with Stewart Granger, Ernie Kovacs, Fabian, and Capucine. The script is based on the 1939 pla ...
'' (1960) – Gold Buyer (uncredited)
*''
Cimarron'' (1960) – Cavalry Sergeant Who Breaks Up Fight (uncredited)
*''
Bat Masterson
Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was born to ...
'' (1961) – Ed Twister
*''
The Three Stooges in Orbit'' (1962) – Zogg / Airline Co-Pilot
*''
Gunsmoke
''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...
'' (1962) – Lee
*''
Sunday in New York'' (1963) – Pilot Morgan (uncredited)
*''
Guns of Diablo'' (1965) – Dan Macklin
*''
Shenandoah'' (1965) – Horace – Rebel Deserter (uncredited)
*''
Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter
''Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter'' is a low-budget Western horror film released in 1966, in which a fictionalized version of the real-life western outlaw Jesse James encounters the fictional ''grand''daughter (the film's title notwi ...
'' (1966) – Lonny Curry
*''
The Wild Bunch
''The Wild Bunch'' is a 1969 American epic Revisionist Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmond O'Brien, Ben Johnson and Warren Oates. The plot concerns an aging outlaw gang on th ...
'' (1969) – Buck
*''
Kelly's Heroes
''Kelly's Heroes'' is a 1970 World War II comedy-drama heist film, directed by Brian G. Hutton, about a motley crew of American GIs who go AWOL in order to rob a French bank, located behind German lines, of its stored Nazi gold bars. The film ...
'' (1970) - Soldier Hauling Maitland's Yacht (uncredited)
*''
The Hunting Party'' (1971) – Crimp
*''
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
''Conquest of the Planet of the Apes'' is a 1972 American science fiction film directed by J. Lee Thompson and written by Paul Dehn. It is the fourth of five films in the original ''Planet of the Apes'' series produced by Arthur P. Jacobs. The fi ...
'' (1972) – Riot Control Commander in Plaza (uncredited)
*''
Little Cigars'' (1973) – Gus
*''
Cahill U.S. Marshal'' (1973) – Pee Wee Simser
*''
Mitchell'' (1975) – Det. Tyzack
*''
Breakheart Pass'' (1975) – Sgt. Bellew
*''
Invisible Strangler'' (1978) – Sgt. Archer
*''
The Magic of Lassie'' (1978) – Reward Seeker
*''
The Dukes of Hazzard
''The Dukes of Hazzard'' is an American action comedy TV series that was aired on CBS from January 26, 1979 to February 8, 1985. The show aired for 147 episodes spanning seven seasons. It was consistently among the top-rated television serie ...
'' (1979–1985, TV Series) – U.S. Marshal Ken Collins
*''
Death Hunt
''Death Hunt'' is a 1981 Western action film directed by Peter Hunt. The film stars Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, Carl Weathers, Maury Chaykin, Ed Lauter and Andrew Stevens. ''Death Hunt'' was a fictionalized account of the Royal ...
'' (1981) – Trapper #3
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barnes, Rayford
1920 births
2000 deaths
20th-century American male actors
American male film actors
American male television actors
Male actors from Texas
People from Whitesboro, Texas
Western (genre) television actors
University of Texas alumni