Ray Danton | |
|---|---|
 Danton in trailer forThe George Raft Story (1961) | |
| Born | Raymond Caplan (1931-09-19)September 19, 1931 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | February 11, 1992(1992-02-11) (aged 60) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1942–1992 |
| Spouse | |
| Partner | Jeannie Austin |
| Children | 2 |
Ray Danton (bornRaymond Caplan; September 19, 1931 – February 11, 1992)[1] was an American radio, film, stage, and television actor, director, and producer whose most famous roles were in the screen biographiesThe Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond (1960) andThe George Raft Story (1962).
Danton was born Raymond Caplan[2] in New York City, the son of Myrtle (née Menkin) and Jack Caplan.[3] His family was Jewish, and he was a descendant of theVilna Gaon.[3]
Danton entered show business as a child radio actor onNBC radio'sLet's Pretend show in 1943 at age twelve.[4] He began acting on radio and stage regularly also working as an assistant stage manager.[5]
Danton attendedHorace Mann School and in 1947 he started at what is nowCarnegie Mellon University where he appeared in many stage productions. He went to New York to try and make it on Broadway and ended up appearing on television dramas. In 1950, he went to London to appear on stage in theTyrone Power productionMister Roberts. He returned to guest star on shows likeDanger (an episode directed bySidney Lumet) andStarlight Theatre.[5]
Danton's acting career was put on hold when he served in theUnited States Armyinfantry during theKorean War from 1951–1953. When he returned to the U.S., he resumed his television career, appearing in shows likeKraft Theatre,The Man Behind the Badge,Lux Video Theatre andYou Are There. He playedJean Lafitte inThe Pirate and the Lawyer (1955) for theHallmark Hall of Fame. He then received an offer from Universal.[5]
Danton made his film debut inChief Crazy Horse (1955) playingLittle Big Man. His second film for UniversalThe Looters (1955) was where he met his future wifeJulie Adams.[6]
MGM borrowed him to playSusan Hayward's boyfriend inI'll Cry Tomorrow (1955), a sizeable hit. Back at Universal he had a role inThe Spoilers (1955) then played his first lead inOutside the Law (1956).
He was prolific in television work as well as film where he received theGolden Globe Award in 1956 for the new male star of the year in film.[7]
He had the lead inThe Night Runner (1957) and appeared in shows likeStudio 57,Schlitz Playhouse,Playhouse 90,Studio One in Hollywood,Matinee Theatre,Climax!, andDecision.
Danton had a supporting role inToo Much, Too Soon (1958) at Warner Bros playing an abusive husband ofDiana Barrymore. He signed a long term contract with the studio, appearing inOnionhead (1958).
Danton starred inTarawa Beachhead (1958) at Columbia, with co-star Kerwin Mathews, and his off-screen wife Julie Adams. That year, Danton guest-starred inYancy Derringer and shows77 Sunset Strip.
He returned to MGM to star in two films forAlbert Zugsmith:The Beat Generation andThe Big Operator.[8]
Warners gave him supporting roles inYellowstone Kelly andIce Palace and gave him the lead in a TV seriesThe Alaskans (1959-1960).
The studio then cast him in his most famous roleThe Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond (1960) where he played theeponymous gangster for directorBudd Boetticher.
He appeared in the drama seriesBourbon Street Beat,Hawaiian Eye,Cheyenne,Maverick andThe Roaring 20s.
In 1960, Danton andRon Foster were cast as Kane and Tommy Potts, respectively, in the episode "Bounty List" of the Western seriesColt .45.[9] He also appeared in the ABC/WB WesternLawman. Response was so strong Warners announced they would give Danton his own show,Las Vegas.[10]
Instead, he didA Fever in the Blood (1961) and reprised the role of Legs Diamond inVic Morrow'sPortrait of a Mobster.
Danton maintained his gangster persona with the title role inThe George Raft Story, a screen biography of 1930s actor/dancerGeorge Raft. "I guess I'm the last of the big time gangsters," he said in a 1962 interview.[11]
In 1961, Danton co-starred withRosalind Russell,Alec Guinness, andMadlyn Rhue inA Majority of One. He was one of many stars inThe Longest Day (1962) and had a supporting role inThe Chapman Report (1962).
On October 9, 1962, Danton appeared as the gunfighter Vince Jackson in the episode "The Fortune Hunter" ofLaramie. He also guest-starred in the NBC WesternEmpire and its successor seriesRedigo, both starringRichard Egan. November 7, 1962 he took on the role of Lt. Steve Hamilton, one of Col. Teddy Roosevelt's "Rough Riders"(It's 1898 and The Spanish American War)in an episode entitled "Riff-Raff" on the first season of"The Virginian."
Danton was in the TV movieFBI Code 98 (1963).
In 1964, Danton was cast in the episode "The Wooing of Perilous Pauline" ofDeath Valley Days. He returned to the stage to perform in110 in the Shade.[12]
Danton went to Europe to star inSandokan to the Rescue (1964) which was popular enough for a sequelReturn of Sandokan (1964). He stayed in Europe to makeCode Name: Jaguar (1965).
He returned to the USA to guest star inHoney West andThe Man from UNCLE then went back to Europe to makeSecret Agent Super Dragon (1966),How to Win a Billion... and Get Away with It (1967),Si muore solo una volta (1967),Lucky, el intrépido (1967),Hello Glen Ward, House Dick (1968), andDie grosse Treibjagd (1969).
He would periodically return to the US to guest star on shows likeIronside, ‘’Hawaii Five-0’’,It Takes a Thief, andDan August.
He formed a production company in Europe producing films likeThe Last Mercenary and began directing withDeathmaster (1972) andPsychic Killer (1975). Danton continued directing as well as acting and started producing films such asTriangle in 1971.
He was inThe Ballad of Billie Blue (1972),A Very Missing Person (1972),Runaway! (1973),The Centerfold Girls (1974), andApache Blood (1975).
He guest-starred in an episode ofNakia and aHawaii Five-O episode, "Steal Now, Pay Later".
He began a busy directing career in television, helming episodes ofSwitch,Baretta,Cagney & Lacey,Fame,T.J. Hooker andMickey Spillane's Mike Hammer. "Acting has fallen to an all-time low in this country," he said in a 1985 interview.[13]
He directed a stage production ofCome Back, Little Sheba in 1987.[14]
Danton directed many episodes ofMagnum PI in Season 8, 1987–1988.
Danton was married to actressJulie Adams from 1954 or 1955[15] until their divorce in 1981. They had two sons: assistant director Steven Danton (b. 1956) and editor Mitchell Danton (b. 1962).[16][17]
Danton died ofkidney failure inLos Angeles,California.[18]
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