Richard Boone

From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia 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 greatgrandson of Squire Boone 17441815 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 oilrigger 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 GI Bill to study acting at the Actors Studio in New York In 1950 Boone made his screen debut as a Marine officer in Milestones 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 19371940 Mimi Kelly 19491950 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 CLR