Richard Boone died of cancer at the age of 63 on January 10, 1981. He was
cremated and his ashes were scattered in Hawaii.
Adrian Booth
Adrian Booth, actress, had parts in Western movies in the 1940's.
This 1949 Western, "The Last Bandit," featured (l to r)
Bill Elliott,
Adrian Booth, Jack Holt (father of Tim Holt),
Hank Bell, and Andy
Devine.
Edwin Booth
(Deceased)
Edwin Booth was born in Nebraska, then
graduated from high school and college in Colorado. He received a degree in
civil engineering. Booth moved to San Francisco, Calif. in about 1929 where,
due to the Depression, he was unable to find a job in his chosen field. So he
went to work in a grocery store. Later he moved to New Mexico and worked as a
prairie dog poisoner. When World War II broke out, he found employment as a
shipfitter in a navy shipyard. After the war, he worked as an accountant.
Along the way Edwin Booth had written a large number of short stories, none
of which he had been able to sell. His break came when he sold a short story
to "Fiction House". He continued selling short stories, and he sold 13 Western
novels as well. (See his photo and bio in the Dec., 1960 issue of The
Roundup.) And he wrote many Westerns under his name, as well as under the
names of Don Blunt and Jack Hazard. He was secretary-treasurer of the WWA from
1963-67 and was vice-president in 1970.
The list of his books includes Showdown at Warbird (1957), Jinx Rider
(1957), The Man Who Killed Tex (1958), Wyoming Welcome (1959), Danger Trail
(1959), The Desperate Dude (1960), Return to Apache Springs (1960), Crooked
Spur (1960, writing as Jack Hazard), Outlaw Town (1961), Dead Giveaway (1963,
writing as Don Blunt), Devil's Canyon (1964), Renegade Guns (1965), Trouble at
Tragedy Springs (1966), Shoot-Out at Twin Buttes (1967), The Man from Dakota
(1968), The Backshooters (1969), Grudge Killer (1971), Stage to San Felipe
(1972), Small Spread (1974), The Colt-Packin' Parson (1975), Ambush at Adams
Crossing (1976), Crossfire (1977), The Colorado Gun (Leisure Books, 1980),
Rebel's Return (Tower Books, 1981), Leadville (Leisure Books, 1986).
Of related interest would be a book by Edwin Booth and Edwina B. Grossman,
Edwin Booth: Recollections by His Daughter Edwin Booth Grossman &
Letters to Her and to His Friends (Ayer Company, 1972).
Ernest Borgnine
Earnest
Borgnine, stage and movie actor, was born as Ermes Borgnino on January 24,
1917, in Hamden, Connecticut. He graduated from high school in New Haven,
Conn. He joined the Navy and then, upon his release fro service, studied
acting at the Randall School of Dramatic Arts in Hartford, Conn.
Borgnine then became part of the troupe at the Barter Theatre in Virginia.
And from there he made his first appearance on the New York stage in a play
called, "Harvey."
Earnest Borgnine made his first film, "China Corsair," in 1951. He went on
to appear in such films as "From Here to Eternity," "Bad Day at Black Rock ,
and " Marty." His lead role in "Marty" earned him an Academy Award as Best
Actor in 1955.
His other films included "Badlanders," "McHale's Navy," "The Wild Bunch ,"
" The Poseidon Adventure," and "Emperor of the North." Along the way, Earnest
Borgnine also starred in the TV comedy series "McHale's Navy."
Borgnine lives in Beverly Hills, CA. He has been married, well let us say,
"multiple" times. His marriage to actress Ethel Merman lasted only 38 days. He
has been honored with the 33rd Degree of the Masonic Order, and their order of
the "Grand Cross". He has received three honorary doctorates. The San Luis
Obispo International Film Festival presented him with a lifetime achievement
award.
CLICK
HERE to see Ernest Borgnine's complete filmography.
Donald E. Bower
Donald E. Bower was born on July 19, 1920 at
Lockport, N.Y. He holds the B.A. degree from the University of Nebraska. From
1947 to 1960, he was the president of D.E. Bower and Co., Inc., his own
publishing company. From 1961 to 1964 he was the editor and publisher of a
newspaper, The Arapahoe Tribune. He served as executive editor of Colorado
Magazine from 1965 to 1969, then until 1974 was editor of American West
Magazine and then editor-in-chief of American West Publishing Company.
He served as executive director of the National Writers Club from 1974 to
1986. And since then he has been a free lance writer and editorial consultant.
Donald E. Bower's work has appeared in Colorado Magazine, American West
Magazine, Journal of the West, By-Line, Fawcett Publications, Contemporary,
and Empire. His books include Roaming the American West (1970), Ghost Towns
and Back Roads (1972), The Magnificent Rockies, The Great Northwest (1974),
Fred Rosentock: A Legend in Books and Art (1976), The Professional Writers
Guide (1984), Ten Keys to Writing Success (1987), and Sex and Spies (1988).
He has held memberships in Western Writers of America, The Westerners
(including being on the board of directors) from 1975-82, Authors Guild,
Authors League of America (since 1974), past president of Colorado Authors
League, The National Writers Club (since 1949), and American Society of
Journalists and Authors. The Colorado Authors League presented him with the
"Top Hand Award" in 1969 for the best article by a Colorado author. He won the
same honor in 1976 for the best nonfiction book by a Colorado author.
Bruce Boxleitner
Bruce Boxleitner, actor, was
born on May 12, 1950 in Elgin, IL. He graduated from Mount Prospect High
School, and immediately enrolled in Chicago's Goodman Theater acting school.
Soon, however, he moved to Hollywood to try to get into TV or the movies.
The 6'3" Boxleitner did good. He began as co-star to Kate Jackson in the
popular TV show, "Scarecrow and Mrs. King". And then he joined one of his
heroes, James Arness (Matt Dillon in the "Gunsmoke" TV series), as a star of
the TV Western series, "The Macahans". It was on the set of "The Macahans"
that he grew to admire and love the actress Kathryn Holcomb Ogilvy (She had
been in commercials and had a part in "How the West Was Won"). And on May 28,
1977, he and "Kitty" were married.
Bruce Boxleitner is a fan of the cowboy life, and collects guns and Western
memorabilia. At one time he was a member of "The Buckskinners," a group of
Western-minded people who go backpacking and camping and only use tools that
were used in the old West days.
Bruce Boxleitner has
written a novel and it is now available in most major book stores. Other
novels, we understand, are on the way.
In 1987, he divorced from actress Kathryn Holocomb Ogilvy, with whom he has
two sons, Sam and Lee. And in 1990, he began dating "Little House on the
Prairie" star Melissa Gilbert. They were married on January 1, 1995.
CLICK HERE to see
the complete filmography of Bruce Boxleitner.
William Boyd
(Deceased)
William L. Boyd, actor, was born on June 5, 1895 in
Cambridge, OH. His father was a simple day laborer who had trouble keeping
food on the family table. The family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma when he was
seven. By the age of fifteen, his parents were dead and he had to quit school
to earn his own living. He worked at a variety of jobs, including stints as a
grocery clerk, a surveyor, and an oil field worker.
At the age of 24, 6'0" William Boyd was already grey haired. And he set out
for Hollywood. Five years later he got a small part in a movie, "Why Change
Your Wife?" (1920) directed by the legendary Cecil B. DeMille. And by 1926 he
was starring in movies and making over $100,000 a year back when there were no
income taxes. And he was quite a rounder and ladies man during this part of
his career.
However, by the early 1930's he had fallen on hard times and was without a
studio contract. To make matters worse, another actor also named "William
Boyd" was arrested for gambling and for transporting illegal whiskey and--get
this--William L. Boyd's picture was published with the newspaper stories. That
event dogged our hero so much, that he started calling himself "Bill Boyd".
But even that became confusing to the public, because there was another
Western movie star named, yep, Bill Boyd (b. 1910 & d. 1977), "The Cowboy
Rambler".
Fortunately, in 1935 Hopalong Cassidy came to William Boyd's rescue. It was
then that he accepted the role of this cowboy with a bullet-induced limp. The
character embodied the ethic of not smoking, drinking or chewing tobacco. Nor
did he swear or kiss the girls, at least not very often. Now with snow-white
hair, he made a striking and unusual image for a Western star with his white
hair and horse and his black hat and clothes. He made 54 Hoppy films between
1935 and 1943, all with producer Harry Sherman. And, although he was a mighty
poor horseman at first, his equine expertise grew with each film. And he rode
that big white horse, Topper, for nineteen years.
When Mr. Sherman moved on to other projects, William Boyd kept going and
made twelve more Hoppy movies and they all made money. And in 1948, in a
stroke of marketing genius, William Boyd bought the rights to all of his Hoppy
films. And he turned around and put them on the new medium called
"television". He made a bundle of money off those old films. And he became one
of the most aggressive marketer of side products to ever come along. His image
as "Hopalong Cassidy" was placed on lunch boxes, tooth brushes, boots,
records, guitars, knives, badges, and literally hundreds of other products.
William Boyd married five times. His wives included Laura Maynard (1917 -
1921); Ruth Yeager Miller (1921 - 1923); Elinor Fair (1926 to 1929); actress
Dorothy Sebastian (1930 to 1937); and dancer and singer Grace Bradley (1937
-1972).
William Boyd worked one last time with Cecil B. DeMille, in the circus 1952
movie,"The Greatest Show on Earth". And then he officially retired to Palm
Desert, CA., in 1953. In 1968 he had surgery to remove a cancer from a lymph
gland and stopped granting all interview and photograph requests. He died from
heart failure complicated by Parkinsons Disease on September 13, 1972, in
Laguna Beach, CA. He was buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery (Great Mausoleum,
Sanctuary of Sacred Promise) in Glendale, CA.
His influence still continues, though, as there is a " William Boyd
Festival" held annually, in May, in his hometown of Cambridge, Ohio.
CLICK HERE to go to the Official
Hopalong Cassidy web site.
CLICK HERE to see
the complete filmography of William Boyd.
This listing is far from complete and may contain errors. Therefore,
all Westerners and/or their agents are requested to submit recommended changes
by contacting Stan Paregien.
I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your
wonders.
I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing praise to your
name, O Most High.
--Bible: Psalm 9:1-2
© 2008 by Stan Paregien, Sr.
Johnny Bond, singer and composer and guitarist, was born
in Oklahoma. He was the lead guitar player for cowboy movie star Gene Autry
for many years, traveling around the world and appearing in several Western
movies.
Ward Bond was born April 9, 1903, probably in Benkelman, Nebraska. At 6'3" he
was a fine athlete and attended the University of Southern California. He and
fellow football player John Wayne found part-time laborer jobs at a movie
studio....and became extras...and became stars.
Richard Boone was born
on June 8, 1916 in Los Angeles, CA. And, yes, he was distantly related to
famed frontier explorer Daniel Boone. He went to Stanford University for a
while, then decided he wanted to concentrate on acting and was accepted at Lee
Strasberg's "Actors' Studio."
David Rothel's book
about Richard Boone contains a complete biography, along with a filmography
and notes about the episodes of his TV shows.