Richard Boone
Known for: Acting
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
Series
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self
1962
Series
The Mike Douglas Show
Self
1961
Series
Matinee Theater
1955
Series
Have Gun, Will Travel
Paladin
1957
Series
What's My Line?
Self - Mystery Guest
1950
Series
What's My Line?
Self - Panelist
1950
Series
Climax!
Col. William Hughes
1954
Series
Climax!
David Neff
1954
Series
Climax!
Jarech
1954
Series
Climax!
Detective Ed Brooks
1954
Series
Studio One
John Wesley Hardin
1948
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
Self
1957
Series
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self
1948
Series
Suspense
Mercer
1949
Series
The Ford Television Theatre
Local Press
1952
Series
Cimarron Strip
Sergeant Bill Disher
1967
Series
Frontier
Everett Brayer
1955
Film
Ocean's Eleven
Voice of Minister (voice) (uncredited)
1960
Lux Video Theatre
Saxon
1950
Lux Video Theatre
Vincent Giel
1950
Film
The Robe
Pontius Pilate
1953
Film
The Shootist
Mike Sweeney
1976
Film
The Alamo
Gen. Sam Houston
1960
Film
Hombre
Cicero Grimes
1967
Series
Medic
Dr. Konrad Styner
1954
Series
Hec Ramsey
Hec Ramsey
1972
Film
Big Jake
John Fain
1971
Film
The Hobbit
Smaug (voice)
1977
Series
The Richard Boone Show
1963
Film
The Tall T
Frank Usher
1957
Film
The War Lord
Bors
1965
Film
The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel
Capt. Hermann Aldinger
1951
Film
The Bushido Blade
Matthew Perry
1981
Film
Man Without a Star
Steve Miles
1955
Film
The Arrangement
Sam Arness
1969
Film
The Big Sleep
Lash Cansino
1978
Film
Winter Kills
Keifitz
1979
Film
Halls of Montezuma
Lt. Col. Gilfillan
1951
Film
The Kremlin Letter
Ward
1970
Film
God's Gun
The Sheriff
1976
Film
Ten Wanted Men
Wick Campbell
1955
Film
Rio Conchos
Lassiter
1964
Film
Away All Boats
Lieut. Fraser
1956
Film
Star in the Dust
Sam Hall
1956
Film
Kangaroo
John W. Gamble
1952
Series
General Electric Theater
Abraham Lincoln
1953
Film
A Thunder of Drums
Capt. Stephen Maddocks
1961
Film
The Big Knife
Narrator (Voice)
1955
Film
Beneath the 12-Mile Reef
Thomas Rhys
1953
Film
Way of a Gaucho
Major Salinas
1952
Film
The Raid
Capt. Lionel Foster
1954
Film
Lizzie
Dr. Neal Wright
1957
The Front Page
Wilson
1949
Film
The Garment Jungle
Artie Ravidge
1957
Film
In Broad Daylight
Tony Chappel
1971
Film
The Last Dinosaur
Masten Thrust Jr.
1977
Film
Dragnet
Capt .James E. Hamilton
1954
Film
Man on a Tightrope
Krofta
1953
Film
City of Bad Men
John Ringo
1953
Film
Madron
Madron
1970
Film
The Night of the Following Day
Leer
1969
Film
Robbers' Roost
Hank Hays
1955
Film
Battle Stations
The Captain
1956
Film
Vicki
Lt. Ed Cornell
1953
Film
Red Skies of Montana
Richard 'Dick' Dryer
1952
Film
Against a Crooked Sky
Russian
1975
Film
The Right Man
Abraham Lincoln
1960
Film
The Siege at Red River
Brett Manning
1954
John Wayne's 'The Alamo'
Sam Houston
1992
Film
The Century Turns
Hec Ramsey
1972
Film
Deadly Harvest
Anton Solca
1972
Film
Goodnight, My Love
Francis Hogan
1972
Film
The Shootist: The Legend Lives On
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2001
Film
Call Me Mister
Mess Sergeant
1951
Film
I Bury the Living
Robert Kraft
1958
Film
The Great Niagara
Aaron Grant
1974
Film
Kona Coast
Capt. Sam Moran
1968
Film
Return of the Texan
Rod Murray
1952