A knight without armor in a savage land — Saluting erudite tough guy Richard Boone

Taken during the twilight of his career near his home in St. Augustine, Florida, a studio portrait of a distinguished Richard Boone circa 1978. The cowboy star was greatly upset when he took the head shot to Hollywood regarding prospective work and the young producers had no idea who he was. Image courtesy of David Rothel / The Claire Boone Collection

Western writer David Rothel penned the authorized Richard Boone: A Knight Without Armor in a Savage Land at the dawn of the 21st century and seldom discussed the intensely realistic actor in detail until a comprehensive interview debuting now.

Boone earned his credentials over a distinguished 30-year career in film, television, and theater. His name might not ring a bell instantaneously for millennials, but consider a sampling of his best work: the genre-bending television western Have Gun — Will Travel [consistently ranked No. 3 or 4 in the Nielsen ratings during its first four seasons], Budd Boetticher’s oft-analyzed The Tall T, The War Lord with Charlton Heston, The Night of the Following Day with Marlon Brando, and key supporting roles in three notable John Wayne vehicles — The Alamo, Big Jake, and The Shootist.

Westerns unequivocally remain synonymous with the World War II veteran’s legacy. Boone was adept at portraying erudite, crafty, blustery, multi-dimensional villains. He regularly stole scenes from the more widely known protagonist by injecting humanity into normally thankless roles.

Take my high school driving instructor Coach Henderson’s favorite film, Hombre, a character-driven 1967 box office champion starring Paul Newman as the laconic…