Richard Boone

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  • BTW - I meant to add THIS tidbit about our good friend Andrew McLaglen. Not only did he direct more episodes of Gunsmoke than anyone else (96), he ALSO directed more episodes of Have Gun Will Travel than anyone as well (101), which, BTW, was MORE than the number he did for Gunsmoke! He also was one of the few directors to work with both JW and Clint Eastwood. Too bad it was never in the same project.

  • BTW - I meant to add THIS tidbit about our good friend Andrew McLaglen. Not only did he direct more episodes of Gunsmoke than anyone else (96), he ALSO directed more episodes of Have Gun Will Travel than anyone as well (101), which, BTW, was MORE than the number he did for Gunsmoke! He also was one of the few directors to work with both JW and Clint Eastwood. Too bad it was never in the same project.


    Yes, too right.
    Also a pity, from what we hear, that Duke ignored Clint's offer!

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

  • Yeah, I wish they could have put something together, because in some print sources I've seen, Duke spoke favorably at times about Clint, and they did meet at least once: at a party honoring JW's years in westerns. It's from (I think) 1969. There's a picture of JW, Clint, Lee Marvin, Lawrence Harvey, Fred MacMurray, and Rock Hudson (there might be Ernest Borgnine, as well) standing in front of cake made for the occassion.

  • Richard Boone is another actor who could make me drag my carcass into a movie theater in the '60s and pony up my hard earned cash. Two of his best are:
    "Rio Conchos", one of my favorite westerns but is not on dvd and was only released on VHS in pan and scan. Fortunately for me, Fox ran it wide screen last year and I managed to record it.
    "Thunder of Drums" is offered wide screen by Warner's.
    I'm sure most of the folks on this site have seen these films, but if not, seek them out.
    As for Boone or any other actor being bisexual, I could care less.



    We deal in lead, friend.

  • I sure wish he had made more western films in the 50s and 60s. The ones he did make are all memorable tho, and I'm thankful for those.

  • I meant to post this on the day but medical tests prevented me from doing so: yesterday, June 18, was Richard Boone's 95th birthday. Oh, Dick, we hardly knew ye.


    Those so inclined raise a glass with me to remember Richard Boone, John Wayne and all those great cowboys who are gone who brought us such great entertainment.


    (from Victor Hugo)


    I am standing upon that foreshore.


    A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength and I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white clouds just where the sea and sky come down to mingle with each other.


    Then someone at my side says, "There! She's gone!"


    "Gone where?"


    "Gone from my sight, that's all". She is just as large in mast and spar and hull as ever she was when she left my side; just as able to bear her load of living freight to the place of her destination. Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at that moment when someone at my side says, "There! She's gone!" there are other eyes watching her coming and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!"


    And that is dying.

    We're burning moonlight.



  • Hi Peridot, Thanks muchly for the extra info on Dick Boone. Didn't know that Ben helped him, etc. That will go into the book and you will be noted as the provider! Never liked Dick until I saw him in HGWT, then it took a bit until the character caught on. I watched every single episode that Netflix had, and most a lot more than once. One of my favorites was a dark one that had Paladin taking a sheep herder in by RR, and they stopped in the little town of JODY?...was that it? It was a two parter and Paladin got stomped into the dirt, including crushing his gun hand, (loved when he told the sheriff, this was his profession and he could use his left hand as well as his right)....great episodes. Loved when he got Malaria also and met up with the gypsies, (remember us women just LOVE to look after our heroes when they are hurt). Although, as many times as he was hit on the head, I don't know how he didn't have permanent brain damage!
    Another favorite was when Ken Curtis came to town with a half ownership of a swanky "saloon". He was in "Festus" mode. The LOOKS on their faces when he took up the autoharp and played and sang! That was priceless.......the fights were pretty good also. I will look for the Ben Johnson episodes.
    By the way, somewhere, someone said they didn't have cable. I got rid of mine when I cut back....too expensive, and I can't get TV reception out here. So, I joined Netflix. You can do a 30 day trial. It is great. A lot can be streamed in or you can pay a little more and have DVDs sent to your house. I keep them for sometimes a month going over and over them. Also,you can buy a box for your TV so you can get the streamed ones there instead of on your computer.
    No, didn't know he was on that list but am not surprised AT ALL. You know, he had kind of a Ward Bond type appeal, if you leave off the high falutin' part. He was rough, gravely voice, yet could show great tenderness and compassion. Both laughed very heartily and easily. My, I never thought of that...comparing the two. Amazing what conversation can bring out. What do you think? KP KEITH

    God, she reminds me of me! DUKE

  • WOW, that is a SUPER picture of Dick...the very first one. Really makes him look incredibly handsome. Thanks as usual for all the great pics Lasbugas. Are all the ones you post yours? KPKEITH

    God, she reminds me of me! DUKE

  • Hi Peridot, Thanks muchly for the extra info on Dick Boone. Didn't know that Ben helped him, etc. That will go into the book and you will be noted as the provider! Never liked Dick until I saw him in HGWT, then it took a bit until the character caught on. I watched every single episode that Netflix had, and most a lot more than once. One of my favorites was a dark one that had Paladin taking a sheep herder in by RR, and they stopped in the little town of JODY?...was that it? It was a two parter and Paladin got stomped into the dirt, including crushing his gun hand, (loved when he told the sheriff, this was his profession and he could use his left hand as well as his right)....great episodes. Loved when he got Malaria also and met up with the gypsies, (remember us women just LOVE to look after our heroes when they are hurt). Although, as many times as he was hit on the head, I don't know how he didn't have permanent brain damage!
    Another favorite was when Ken Curtis came to town with a half ownership of a swanky "saloon". He was in "Festus" mode. The LOOKS on their faces when he took up the autoharp and played and sang! That was priceless.......the fights were pretty good also. I will look for the Ben Johnson episodes.
    By the way, somewhere, someone said they didn't have cable. I got rid of mine when I cut back....too expensive, and I can't get TV reception out here. So, I joined Netflix. You can do a 30 day trial. It is great. A lot can be streamed in or you can pay a little more and have DVDs sent to your house. I keep them for sometimes a month going over and over them. Also,you can buy a box for your TV so you can get the streamed ones there instead of on your computer.
    No, didn't know he was on that list but am not surprised AT ALL. You know, he had kind of a Ward Bond type appeal, if you leave off the high falutin' part. He was rough, gravely voice, yet could show great tenderness and compassion. Both laughed very heartily and easily. My, I never thought of that...comparing the two. Amazing what conversation can bring out. What do you think? KP KEITH



    The only sequential two-parter they did on HGWT is called A Quiet Night in Town. Yes, the town was called Jody. Very good of you to recall. I'm afraid I'm not as familiar with Ward Bond as you. All I know is what I read in Dobe Carey's autobiography about him, really not a lot of information other than he was much loved by John Wayne and others with whom he worked. He must have been a wonderful man.
    Here's some additional information on that episode: Sidney Pollack, a close friend of Boone, was the actor who slammed down the rubber rifle to injure Paladin. Because Pollack wasn't allowed to wear his glasses while filming, he smashed Boone's hand with the prop rather than miss him as he was supposed to do. Boone had to have his hand and wrist x-rayed to determine whether it was broken from the blow. The pain we saw onscreen may have been real rather than acting. I've been unable to determine whether the x-ray was taken immediately or delayed until shooting was finished. From what I've read about Boone, it's likely he finished working before having medical care and it's now too late to inquire of Mr Pollack.


    Pollack was still apologetic after all those years. They remained close friends after the accident. He did wonder whether the reason he was never asked back for another appearance on the series might have been connected with Boone's smashed wrist.


    I do have the (snail mail) address of David Rothel, who wrote the bio of Richard Boone. He may know the answer to this question, or not. If we can contact one another off list I'd be glad to share it with you and you might ask it of him, if he's still living. It's a question that I didn't think to ask when I wrote him before. He was kind enough to answer a question I had...but then again, I have another idea. I'll have to get back to you about this one.


    A while back I began a count of Paladin's kills and concussions. My autistic son has been seriously ill nearly a year and that's interfered with my research ability. One day I hope to return to my counting coup again soon.


    However, I was successful in searching out the names of the horses used in HGWT. I posted them on the FAQ page of the IMDB HGWT page. That search took over six months but I learned a lot of interesting things along the way. The screen name for Paladin's horse was Rafter, BTW, and he never referred to his horse by name in any episode I have screened. There is a single one I haven't seen, so unless Paladin says Rafter in that one, he's unlike any other screen cowboy. Paladin broke the mould with his dark blue (in the first season), later black trail clothes, villain's mustache and no-name horse. Isn't it time for a remake?

    We're burning moonlight.

  • Dobe wrote in his Ford book about working on HGWT. He said that Boone's favorite location was Lone Pine, CA., at the foot of Mt. Whitney. Boone regularly rented out a whole ranch for the cast and crew and supplied first class food and drink, mainly drink.
    Dobe says:
    "One night at dinner out there, I was sitting next to costumer Joe Dimmitt who, like all of us, was well smashed. I noticed he was looking far off with a reverent expression. He turned to me and said, 'No wonder they come up here to make movies. Look at that beautiful goddamn view.' I followed his gaze and saw he was staring at the Hamm's Beer poster with the waterfall. When Dick heard this, he was finished for the night. He laughed so hard I thought he would rupture himself".



    We deal in lead, friend.

  • My son and I LOL'd at that one, thanks for sharing. How did I not remember it from the book?


    If HGWT were rebooted, who would be Paladin? I always thought Nathan Fillion could do a great job. He has the look and can ride a horse, plus he has the acting chops. He's already been in a space western.


    What do you think?

    We're burning moonlight.

  • Didn't know about RB's later problems, Russ. Did know about Duke's. He usually came off a scene and hit the O2 mask. He was sick for a month during The Shootist. They were not certain the movie would be finished. But, I read somewhere where he told one of his children he was not sure the Cancer was not returning.


    No, he was not at "death's door", but he didn't feel well a lot of the time....may have contributed to such a remarkable performance that was out of his norm. NO ONE noticed the symbol of American patiotism.....not when our hero was lying dead on the floor....all eyes were there. But, I am certain that it was not a happenstance. His whole history with Pappy and his life proves that! It was a message.....just don't think he thought it would take so long for us to see it......glad it did. Just renews what we already knew and makes it stronger. Did you like my Gordon bit? HAGO, Keith


    God, she reminds me of me! DUKE


  • Sir, I beg your pardon, but Richard Boone was asked to play Doyle Lonnigan in The Sting by Paul Newman. He turned it down because the part was small. Newman had the part rewritten to be larger in hopes of tempting Boone to play it because Paul Newman and Richard Boone had enjoyed making Hombre together. After the part was increased in size, he asked Boone to reconsider. Boone turned it down. The part was rewritten again. Boone was going to do it, but he was so rich from making HGWT that at the end he decided against it. It was a disappointment to Newman.


    Sir, if you must cast aspersions on a dead man you should know what you're talking about. Richard Boone was a hard drinker, it's true. His abuse of alcohol had nothing to do with this issue or this particular role. Allow me to suggest that you read his biography, Richard Boone, A Knight Without Armor In A Savage Land before you spread any further libel.


    Was Richard Boone an alcoholic? After studying his life I'm still not certain. Many men suffering from WWII PTSD self-medicated with alcohol. In the Navy Richard Boone had three ships destroyed under him: the Hancock, the Enterprise and the Intrepid. They were torpedoed, taken out by ack-ack and kamikazied. In addition his plane was shot down and he fought in hand-to-hand combat before he was rescued. Boone never spoke about this to anyone but his son, Peter, but for a single quip, 'We began to think somebody was trying to kill us.' Boone tried to get help from the VA but was stymied by the red tape.


    Richard Boone discarded his WWII medals. My husband's father did the same thing with his own WWII medals. For those of you who thought John Kerry was in the wrong, this is a common occurrence with some men. RB's mother rescued his medals. My father-in-law's mother rescued his ones, both from the trash cans. Mothers, saviours of the world. My father-in-law burned his uniform behind the house in the incinerator. He swore that he would never leave home again.


    Do you expect a man like Richard Boone to win a beauty contest? Richard Boone was in 2 near-fatal car accidents, both involving him going face-first through the windscreen. One wonders how that might affect the looks of anyone else. When these accidents happened there were no seat belts in cars. Boone was lucky to survive them. His chest broke the steering column of his car in the first accident. Had it not done so he would have likely have been impaled and killed. This was a common occurrence in accidents at that time.


    Boone was not a vain man. When he broke his nose in the second of these accidents he failed to have it repaired for years. Look at his films and television appearances, it's easy to spot on Boone's magnificent nose.



    After Richard Boone completed Have Gun - Will Travel, he never had to work again a single day in his life. Every job he accepted he did so because he wanted to work: he liked the script, he wanted to work with the other actors, or he wanted to help establish a film industry in Israel, his pet project.


    Is it appropriate to judge our ancestors and predecessors? In a word, no, social changes make it wrong to do so in every case. There's a great deal more than to pontificate, but this is not the appropriate platform. Suffice it to say that you are mistaken in many ways, sir.

    We're burning moonlight.