Acting · Los Angeles, California, USA · Born June 18, 1917
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.
MovieThe Shootist: The Legend Lives On
2001
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
John Wayne's 'The Alamo'
1992
as Sam Houston
MovieThe Bushido Blade
1981
as Matthew Perry
MovieWinter Kills
1979
as Keifitz
MovieThe Big Sleep
1978
as Lash Cansino
MovieThe Hobbit
1977
as Smaug (voice)
MovieThe Last Dinosaur
1977
as Masten Thrust Jr.
MovieThe Shootist
1976
as Mike Sweeney
MovieGod's Gun
1976
as The Sheriff
MovieAgainst a Crooked Sky
1975
as Russian
MovieThe Great Niagara
1974
as Aaron Grant
MovieGoodnight, My Love
1972
as Francis Hogan
MovieThe Century Turns
1972
as Hec Ramsey
MovieDeadly Harvest
1972
as Anton Solca
TVHec Ramsey
1972
as Hec Ramsey
MovieIn Broad Daylight
1971
as Tony Chappel
MovieBig Jake
1971
as John Fain
MovieMadron
1970
as Madron
MovieThe Kremlin Letter
1970
as Ward
MovieThe Arrangement
1969
as Sam Arness
MovieThe Night of the Following Day
1969
as Leer
MovieKona Coast
1968
as Capt. Sam Moran
TVCimarron Strip
1967
as Sergeant Bill Disher
MovieHombre
1967
as Cicero Grimes
MovieThe War Lord
1965
as Bors
MovieRio Conchos
1964
as Lassiter
TVThe Richard Boone Show
1963
TVThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
as Self
TVThe Mike Douglas Show
1961
as Self
MovieA Thunder of Drums
1961
as Capt. Stephen Maddocks
MovieThe Alamo
1960
as Gen. Sam Houston
MovieOcean's Eleven
1960
as Voice of Minister (voice) (uncredited)
MovieThe Right Man
1960
as Abraham Lincoln
MovieI Bury the Living
1958
as Robert Kraft
TVHave Gun, Will Travel
1957
as Paladin
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
1957
as Self
MovieThe Garment Jungle
1957
as Artie Ravidge
MovieLizzie
1957
as Dr. Neal Wright
MovieThe Tall T
1957
as Frank Usher
MovieAway All Boats
1956
as Lieut. Fraser
MovieStar in the Dust
1956
as Sam Hall
MovieBattle Stations
1956
as The Captain
TVMatinee Theater
1955
MovieThe Big Knife
1955
as Narrator (Voice)
TVFrontier
1955
as Everett Brayer
MovieRobbers' Roost
1955
as Hank Hays
MovieMan Without a Star
1955
as Steve Miles
MovieTen Wanted Men
1955
as Wick Campbell
TVClimax!
1954
as Col. William Hughes
TVMedic
1954
as Dr. Konrad Styner
MovieDragnet
1954
as Capt .James E. Hamilton
MovieThe Raid
1954
as Capt. Lionel Foster
MovieThe Siege at Red River
1954
as Brett Manning
MovieBeneath the 12-Mile Reef
1953
as Thomas Rhys
MovieVicki
1953
as Lt. Ed Cornell
MovieThe Robe
1953
as Pontius Pilate
MovieCity of Bad Men
1953
as John Ringo
MovieMan on a Tightrope
1953
as Krofta
TVGeneral Electric Theater
1953
as Abraham Lincoln
MovieWay of a Gaucho
1952
as Major Salinas
TVThe Ford Television Theatre
1952
as Local Press
MovieKangaroo
1952
as John W. Gamble
MovieReturn of the Texan
1952
as Rod Murray
MovieRed Skies of Montana
1952
as Richard 'Dick' Dryer
MovieThe Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel
1951
as Capt. Hermann Aldinger
MovieCall Me Mister
1951
as Mess Sergeant
MovieHalls of Montezuma
1951
as Lt. Col. Gilfillan
Lux Video Theatre
1950
as Saxon
TVWhat's My Line?
1950
as Self - Mystery Guest
The Front Page
1949
as Wilson
TVSuspense
1949
as Mercer
TVStudio One
1948
as John Wesley Hardin
TVThe Ed Sullivan Show
1948
as Self
