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 Westerns on television, Western television 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 Ri ...

''.

Early life

Boone was born in

Los Angeles, California 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, ...

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

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (, 1734September 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 beyo ...

'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 ...

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 located primarily in the Verdugo Mountains region, with a small portion in the San Fernando Valley, of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located about north of downtown Los Angeles. As of 2024, Glendale ha ...

. He attended

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

Palo Alto, California Palo Alto ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for ) is a charter city in northwestern Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a Sequoia sempervirens, coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto. Th ...

, 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 in 1864. Of all the social fraternities today, Theta Xi was the only one founded during the Civil War. Its Grand Lodge is ...

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 naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

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 the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...

during World War II, seeing combat as an

aviation ordnanceman Aviation Ordnanceman (abbreviated as AO) is a United States Navy Naval Job. History Aviation Ordnancemen operate and handle aviation ordnance equipment. They are responsible for the maintenance of Gun, guns, Bomb, bombs, Torpedo, torpedoes, R ...

, 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 a ...

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 World War I, First World War almost as soon as aircraft were built that were capable of carryin ...

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-cla ...

Acting career

Early training

In his youth, Boone had attended the San Diego Army and Navy Academy in

Carlsbad, California Carlsbad is a beach city in the North County area of San Diego County, California, United States. The city is north of downtown San Diego and south of downtown Los Angeles. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of ...

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

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

to study acting at the

Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights located on West 44th Street in Hell's Kitchen in New York City. The studio is best known for its work refining and teaching method actin ...

in New York.

Broadway

"Serious" and "methodical", Boone debuted on the Broadway theatrical scene in 1947 with ''

Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; ; ) is the daughter of Aeëtes, King Aeëtes of Colchis. Medea is known in most stories as a sorceress, an accomplished "wiktionary:φαρμακεία, pharmakeía" (medicinal magic), and is often depicted as a high- ...

'', 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 Britis ...

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

Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...

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

The Front Page ''The Front Page'' is a Broadway theatre, 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 severa ...

'' (1949–50), and on anthology series such as ''

'' and ''

Suspense Suspense is a state of anxiety or excitement caused by mysteriousness, uncertainty, doubt, or undecidedness. In a narrative work, suspense is the audience's excited anticipation about the plot or conflict (which may be heightened by a viol ...

.'' He returned to Broadway in '' The Man'' (1950), directed by

Martin Ritt Martin Ritt (March 2, 1914 – December 8, 1990) was an American director, producer, and actor, active in film, theatre and television. He was known mainly as an auteur of socially-conscious dramas and literary adaptations, described by Stanley K ...

, with Dorothy Gish; it ran for 92 performances.

Elia Kazan Elias Kazantzoglou (, ; September 7, 1909 – September 28, 2003), known as Elia Kazan ( ), was a Greek-American film and theatre director, producer, screenwriter and actor, described by ''The New York Times'' as "one of the most honored and inf ...

used Boone to feed lines to an actress for a film screen-test 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 an American film director. Milestone directed '' Two Arabian Knights'' (1927) and '' All Quiet on the Western Front'' (1 ...

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

Kangaroo Kangaroos are 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 gre ...

'' (1952; directed by Milestone), and '' Way of a Gaucho'' (1952). His role in ''Kangaroo'' was greatly expanded from what it was in the original script.

directed him in ''

Man on a Tightrope ''Man on a Tightrope'' is a 1953 American drama directed by Elia Kazan, starring Fredric March, 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 based ...

'' (1953). He had solid parts in '' Vicki'' (1953) and '' City of Bad Men'' (1953). In 1953, he played

Pontius Pilate Pontius Pilate (; ) was the Roman administration of Judaea (AD 6–135), fifth governor of the Judaea (Roman province), Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official wh ...

in '' The Robe'', the first

Cinemascope CinemaScope is an anamorphic format, anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its cr ...

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 mellifluous baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s and gave a memor ...

, who plays the

centurion In the Roman army during classical antiquity, a centurion (; , . ; , or ), was a commander, nominally of a century (), a military unit originally consisting of 100 legionaries. The size of the century changed over time; from the 1st century BC ...

ordered to crucify

Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...

. 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 m ...

'' (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, breaking his contract.

''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, most famous for his role as Joe Friday in the Dragnet (franchise), ''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 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 ...

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

medical drama A medical drama is a Television film, television movie or film in which events center upon a hospital, clinic, doctor's office, a paramedic, or any other medical topic or environment. Most recent medical drama (film and television), dramatic progra ...

, titled ''

Medic A medic is a person trained to provide medical care, encompassing a wide range of individuals involved in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of health conditions. The term can refer to fully qualified medical practitioners, such as physic ...

,'' and in 1955 received an

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...

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 ''Ten Wanted Men'' is a 1955 American Western (genre), Western film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, Bruce Humberstone and starring Randolph Scott. Plot Adam Stewart, a lawyer heading west with grown son Howie, is persuaded by brother John to ...

'' (1955) with

Randolph Scott George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor, whose Hollywood career spanned from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in dramas, come ...

, '' Man Without a Star'' (1955) with

Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in '' The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. ...

, '' Robbers' Roost'' (1955) with George Montgomery, ''Battle Stations'' (1955) with John Lund, '' Star in the Dust'' (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'' (1956) with Jeff Chandler. He also guest-starred on ''

General Electric Theater ''General Electric Theater'' is 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'' (a production of ''

Wuthering Heights ''Wuthering Heights'' is the only novel by the English author Emily Brontë, initially published in 1847 under her pen name "Ellis Bell". It concerns two families of the landed gentry living on the West Yorkshire moors, the Earnshaws and the ...

''), ''

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 Vi ...

'', '' The Ford Television Theatre'', ''

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 pro ...

'' Boone had one of his best roles in '' The Tall T'' (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 film), Caged'' (1950), ''Detective Story (1951 film), Detective Story'' (1951 ...

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 * Elizabe ...

'' (1957) and was a villain in '' The Garment Jungle'' (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, wh ...

, the intelligent and sophisticated, but tough gun-for-hire in the late 19th-century American West. The show had first been offered to actor

, 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 ...

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

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

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

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 ...

'' 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 a prominent 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 indi ...

in '' The Alamo'' (1960), a starring role in '' A Thunder of Drums'' (1961) and narrated a TV version of '' John Brown's Body''. Boone was an occasional guest panelist and also a mystery guest on ''

What's My Line? ''What's My Line?'' is a Panel show, panel game show that originally ran in the United States, between 1950 and 1967, on CBS, originally in black and white and later in color, with subsequent American revivals. The game uses celebrity panelists ...

'', the Sunday-night

CBS-TV CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...

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, CBS radio and television personality, ABC News (United States), ABC News executive, TV anchor, and game show host, best known for his wor ...

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

The Dick Van Dyke Show ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American 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 Productions"Calv ...

.'' ''The Richard Boone Show'' won a

Golden Globe 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 Januar ...

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 List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

. He returned to the mainland to appear in films such as '' Rio Conchos'' (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 Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008) was an American actor. He gained stardom for his leading man roles in numerous Cinema of the United States, Hollywood films including biblical epics, science-fiction f ...

, '' 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 activist. He was the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Paul Newman, numerous awards ...

, 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 w ...

''. 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. "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 The Laurel Awards were American cinema awards that honored films, actors, actresses, producers, directors, and composers. This award was created by the ''Motion Picture Exhibitor'' magazine, and ran from 1948 to 1971 (with the exception of 196 ...

for ''Rio Conchos'' in Best Action Performance;

Sean Connery Sir Thomas Sean Connery (25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to Portrayal of James Bond in film, portray the fictional British secret agent James Bond (literary character), James Bond in motion pic ...

won first place with '' Goldfinger'' and

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

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

Oahu Oahu (, , sometimes written Oahu) is the third-largest and most populated island of the Hawaiian Islands and of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital, Honolulu, is on Oahu's southeast coast. The island of Oahu and the uninhabited Northwe ...

, Boone helped persuade Leonard Freeman to film '' 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 Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

. 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 Steven Jack McGarrett is a fictional character who is the protagonist of CBS' '' Hawaii Five-O'' created by Leonard Freeman. McGarrett is a former United States Navy officer and the leader of a special state police task force, which is called F ...

; Boone turned it down, however, and the role went to Jack Lord, who shared Boone's enthusiasm for the state, 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'' (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 Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest cinema actors of the 20th century,''Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia''

, '' The Arrangement'' (1969) with Douglas for

, '' The Kremlin Letter'' (1970) for

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics. He rec ...

, and ''

Big Jake ''Big Jake'' is a 1971 American Technicolor Western (genre), Western film starring John Wayne, Richard Boone and Maureen O'Hara. The picture was the final film for George Sherman in a directing career of more than 30 years, and Maureen O'Hara' ...

'' (1971) with

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

. Boone did some TV movies, '' In Broad Daylight'' (1971), '' 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."

Israel

Boone starred in the 1970 film ''

Madron Madron ( (village) or (parish)) is a civil parishes in England, civil parish and village in west Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Madron is named after Saint Madern's Church. Its annual Trafalgar Service commemorating the death of Horatio ...

'' (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 Yitzhak Rabin (; , ; 1 March 1922 – 4 November 1995) was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the prime minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–1977, and from 1992 until Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, his ass ...

"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 ''The Shootist'' is a 1976 American Western film directed by Don Siegel and based on Glendon Swarthout's 1975 novel of the same name,Swarthout, Glendon (1975). ''The Shootist'', New York, New York: Doubleday. and written by Miles Hood Swart ...

'' (1976). In the mid-1970s, Boone returned to The

Neighborhood Playhouse A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neighbourh ...

in New York City, where he had once studied acting, to teach. Boone did '' God's Gun'' (1976) with

Leif Garrett Leif Garrett (born Leif Per Nervik; November 8, 1961) is an American actor, singer, and television personality. He worked as a child actor, then in the 1970s became famous as a teen idol in music. He later received much publicity for his drug ...

Lee Van Cleef Clarence LeRoy Van Cleef Jr. (January 9, 1925 – December 16, 1989) was an American actor. He appeared in over 170 film and television roles in a career spanning nearly 40 years, but is best known as a star of spaghetti Westerns, particularly t ...

, and

Jack Palance Walter Jack Palance ( ; born Volodymyr Palahniuk, , ''Volodymyr Ivanovych Palahniuk''; February 18, 1919 – November 10, 2006) was an American screen and stage actor, known to film audiences for playing tough guys and villains. He was nominat ...

. He appeared in '' The Last Dinosaur'' (1977) and '' The Big Sleep'' (1978), and provided the character voice of the dragon Smaug in the 1977 animated film version of

J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlinson ...

'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 The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage, television, or in film, movies. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associa ...

in several ''Have Gun – Will Travel'' episodes. In 1963, Boone was injured in a car accident. Boone moved to

St. Augustine, Florida St. Augustine ( ; ) is a city in and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Located 40 miles (64 km) south of downtown Jacksonville, the city is on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida. Founded in 1565 by Spani ...

, from Hawaii in 1970 and worked with the annual local production of ''

Cross and Sword ''Cross and Sword'' was a 1965 play by American playwright Paul Green created to honor the 400th anniversary of the settlement of St. Augustine. It was Florida's official state play, having received the designation by the Florida Senate in 1973 ...

'', 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 Flagler College is a private university, private liberal arts college in St. Augustine, Florida. The school was founded in 1968 and offers 37 undergraduate majors and two master's programs. It also had a Flagler College – Tallahassee Campus, ...

in 1972–1973.

Death

Boone died at his home in St. Augustine, Florida due to complications from

throat cancer Head and neck cancer is a general term encompassing multiple cancers that can develop in the head and neck region. These include cancers of the mouth, tongue, gums and lips ( oral cancer), voice box ( laryngeal), throat ( nasopharyngeal, orophar ...

. His ashes were scattered in the

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

off Hawaii."Richard Boone"
biography,

Turner Classic Movies Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie channel, movie-oriented pay television, pay-TV television network, network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcas ...

(TCM), Time Warner, Inc., New York. Retrieved April 6, 2019.

Filmography

Film

* '' Halls of Montezuma'' (1951) as Lt. Col. Gilfillan * '' 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 * '' Return of the Texan'' (1952) as Rod Murray * ''

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

'' (1953) as Krofta * '' Vicki'' (1953) as Lt. Ed Cornell * '' The Robe'' (1953) as

* '' City of Bad Men'' (1953) as John Ringo * ''

'' (1953) as Thomas Rhys * '' Siege at Red River'' (1954) as Brett Manning * '' The Raid'' (1954) as Captain Lionel Foster * '' Dragnet'' (1954) as Captain Jim Hamilton * ''

'' (1955) as Wick Campbell * '' Man Without a Star'' (1955) as Steve Miles * '' Robbers' Roost'' (1955) as Hank Hays * ''

The Big Knife ''The Big Knife'' is a 1955 American melodrama film directed and produced by Robert Aldrich from a screenplay by James Poe based on the 1949 play by Clifford Odets. The film stars Jack Palance, Ida Lupino, Wendell Corey, Jean Hagen, Rod S ...

'' (1955) as Narrator (voice, uncredited) * '' Battle Stations'' (1956) as The Captain * '' Star in the Dust'' (1956) as Sam Hall * '' Away All Boats'' (1956) as Lieutenant Fraser * '' The Tall T'' (1957) as Frank Usher * ''

'' (1957) as Dr. Neal Wright * '' The Garment Jungle'' (1957) as Artie Ravidge * ''

'' (1958) as Robert Kraft * ''

Ocean's 11 ''Ocean's 11'' is a 1960 American heist film directed and produced by Lewis Milestone from a screenplay by Harry Brown and Charles Lederer, based on a story by George Clayton Johnson and Jack Golden Russell. The film stars an ensemble cast a ...

'' (1960) as Minister (voice, uncredited) * '' The Alamo'' (1960) as General

* '' A Thunder of Drums'' (1961) as Captain Stephen Maddocks * '' Rio Conchos'' (1964) as James Lassiter * ''

'' (1965) as Bors * '' Hombre'' (1967) as Grimes * '' Kona Coast'' (1968) as Captain Sam Moran * '' The Night of the Following Day'' (1968) as Leer * '' The Arrangement'' (1969) as Sam Arness * '' The Kremlin Letter'' (1970) as Ward * ''

'' (1970) as Madron * ''

'' (1971) as John Fain * ''The Singing Filipina'' (1971) as Himself * '' Against a Crooked Sky'' (1975) as Russian * '' Diamante Lobo'' (1976) as The Sheriff * ''

'' (1976) as Mike Sweeney * '' The Last Dinosaur'' (1977) as Maston Thrust Jr. * '' The Big Sleep'' (1978) as Lash Canino * '' Winter Kills'' (1979) as Keifitz * '' The Bushido Blade'' (1981) as

Commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (India), in India ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ' ...

Matthew C. Perry Matthew Calbraith Perry (April 10, 1794 – March 4, 1858) was a United States Navy officer who commanded ships in several wars, including the War of 1812 and the Mexican–American War. He led the Perry Expedition that Bakumatsu, ended Japan' ...

(final film role)

TV

* ''

'': 3 episodes (1949–1950) * ''

'': 10 episodes (CBS, 1949–1950) * ''

'': episode "Photo Finish", as Mercer (1950) * ''

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

'': 4 episodes, various roles (1955–1957) * '' Matinee Theatre'': episode "Wuthering Height", Heathcliff (1955) * ''

'': episode "Love Is Eternal",

(1955) * ''

'': episode "The Hunted", Saxon (1955) * '' The Ford Television Theatre'', ''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) * '' The Richard Boone Show'': 25 episodes, in various roles, (1963–1964) * ''

'': episode "The Roarer", as Sergeant Bill Disher (1967) * ''The Mark Waters Story'' (1969) * '' In Broad Daylight'': as Tony Chappel (1971) * '' 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 ''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the ...

'': as

Smaug Smaug () is a dragon and the main antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's 1937 novel ''The Hobbit'', his treasure and the mountain he lives in being the goal of the quest. Powerful and fearsome, he invaded the Dwarf kingdom of Erebor 171 years prio ...

(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 esophageal cancer in Florida 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