1176Boone was a college student, boxer, painter and oil-field laborer before ending up in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war, he used the G.I. Bill to study acting with the Actor's Studio in New York. Serious and methodical, he would debut on Broadway in the stage play "Medea". Other plays would follow as would occasional Television work. In 1950, 20th Century Fox would sign him to a contract and he would make his screen debut in 'Halls of Montezuma (1950)', playing a marine. Tall and craggy, he would go on being cast in a number of war and western movies. He would also tackle roles such as Pontius Pilate in 'The Robe (1953)' and the cop in 'Vicki (1953)'. In 1954, he would be cast as Dr. Styner in the Television Series "Medic", which was a critical success, but not a ratings success. This role would last for two years, but in the meantime, he continued to appear in westerns and war movies. In 1957, he would play Dr. Wright who treats Elizebeth for her memory lapses in 'Lizzie'. It was also 1957 that Boone would be cast as Paladin in the Television Series "Have Gun Will Travel" (1957). Paladin was a cultured gun for hire, but usually a moral one, would did the job and lived at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. Immensely popular, he became a star. The series would last 6 years and he would also try his hand at directing some of the episodes. During that time, he would appear in westerns as a General in 'The Alamo (1960)' and as a Captain in Thunder of Drums, A (1961). After "Have Gun Will Travel" (1957) ended in 1963, he hosted a dramatic anthology with the Television Series "The Richard Boone Show (1963)". This show was not successful and he would move to Hawaii for the next seven years. During this time, he made a few Westerns including 'Rio Conchos (1964)', but was largely absent from the screen. In the 70's he would move to Florida and come back in big screen and small screen movies. In 1972, he would again appear on Series Television in the Jack Webb production of "Hec Ramsey" (1972). Hec was an old frontier sheriff and it would air for two years. He would continue working until the end of the 1970s until his eventual death in 1981.