Richard Boone

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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 and for starring in the TV series Have Gun – Will Travel. Boone was born in Los Angeles, California, the middle child of Cecile (née Beckerman) and Kirk E. Boone, a corporate lawyer and 4th great-grandson of Squire Boone 1744–1815, a brother to frontiersman Daniel Boone. His mother was Jewish, the daughter of immigrants from Russia. Richard Boone graduated from Hoover High School in Glendale, California. He attended Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, where he was a member of Theta Xi 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 and served on three ships in the Pacific during World War II, seeing combat as an aviation ordnance, aircrewman and tail gunner on Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bombers and ended his service with the rank of petty officer first class. In his youth, Boone had attended the San Diego Army and Navy Academy in Carlsbad, California, where he was introduced to theatre under the tutelage of Virginia Atkinson. After the war, Boone used the G.I. Bill to study acting at the Actors Studio in New York. 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 (1952) (directed by Milestone), and Way of a Gaucho (1952). Boone was married three times: to Jane Hopper (1937–1940), Mimi Kelly (1949–1950), and Claire McAloon (from 1951 until his death). Richard 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.

Filmography

Movies and shows, newest first

2001
The Shootist: The Legend Lives On
Movie Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1992
John Wayne's 'The Alamo'
Movie Sam Houston
1981
The Bushido Blade
Movie Matthew Perry
1979
Winter Kills
Movie Keifitz
1978
The Big Sleep
Movie Lash Cansino
1977
The Hobbit
Movie Smaug (voice)
1977
The Last Dinosaur
Movie Masten Thrust Jr.
1976
The Shootist
Movie Mike Sweeney
1976
God's Gun
Movie The Sheriff
1975
Against a Crooked Sky
Movie Russian
1974
The Great Niagara
Movie Aaron Grant
1972
Goodnight, My Love
Movie Francis Hogan
1972
The Century Turns
Movie Hec Ramsey
1972
Deadly Harvest
Movie Anton Solca
1972
Hec Ramsey
TV show Hec Ramsey
1971
In Broad Daylight
Movie Tony Chappel