Ray Danton (1931-1992)

biography

Born Raymond Kaplan in New York on September 19, 1931, actor Ray Danton got his start in acting on radio and on stage, occasionally taking bit parts in films. Handsome and talented, Danton received good notices and was signed to Universal-International in 1954. On the set of The Looters (1955; with Rory Calhoun), he met beautiful actress Julie Adams, and the couple married soon after in 1954. Danton and Julie Adams later co-starred in Tarawa Beachhead (1958).

the films of ray danton

The Looters (1955)

The Spoilers (1955)

Outside the Law (1956)

The Night Runner (1957)

Tarawa Beachhead (1958)

Too Much, Too Soon (1958)

The Beat Generation (1959)

The George Raft Story (1961)

The Chapman Report (1962)

Secret Agent Super Dragon (1966)

Psychic Killer (1975)

later years

In the early 1970s, Danton turned to directing; his first effort was the vampire flick Deathmaster (1972; with Robert Quarry). As his career as a director took off, Danton quit acting. He moved on to direct many episodes of popular TV series, including Quincy, The Incredible Hulk (with Lou Ferrigno), and Cagney & Lacey. In addition, Danton wrote scripts and occasionally served as producer. Danton and Julie Adams were married for more than 25 years and had two sons before calling it quits in 1981. Sadly, a decade later he passed away on February 11, 1992, from a kidney ailment.

ray danton films available from movies unlimited

Leading Ladies Collection, Vol. 2 [DVD] DVD
Five-disc set includes "I'll Cry Tomorrow," "A Big Hand for the Little Lady," "Up the Down Staircase," "Rich and Famous" (1981), and "Shoot the Moon."
I'll Cry Tomorrow [DVD](1955) DVD
One of the finest Hollywood biopics ever made, an unflinching look at the life of singer/actress Lillian Roth and her struggle with alcoholism. Susan Hayward earned an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Roth and also did her own singing. With Jo Van Fleet, Richard Conte, Don Taylor. 119 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English (SDH), French; "The MGM Parade" excerpts; newsreel footage; bonus short "Story Conference" (1934); theatrical trailer.
The George Raft Story [DVD](1961) DVD
He was born in Hell's Kitchen, turned down the Sam Spade role in "The Maltese Falcon," and knew real-life gangsters Bugsy Siegel and Meyer Lansky--but, who was the "real" George Raft? This biopic gives the actor's life story a gripping whirl, tracing Raft's (played by Ray Danton) career from his fame-making turn in 1932's "Scarface" to his romance with a beautiful actress (Jayne Mansfield), to his comeback in "Some Like It Hot." With Julie London, Frank Gorshin. 106 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono.
The Longest Day (Special Edition) [DVD](1962) DVD
Acclaimed as one of Hollywood's greatest epics, producer Darryl F. Zanuck's re-creation of the Allied landing at Normandy on June 6, 1944 follows the grand-scale drama and personal stories of D-Day. International all-star cast includes John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, Rod Steiger, Richard Burton, Red Buttons, Sean Connery, Mel Ferrer, Robert Ryan. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 4.0, Dolby Digital Surround, French mono, Spanish mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish; audio commentary; featurettes; interview; photo gallery; theatrical trailer. Two-disc set.
The Longest Day [Blu-ray](1962)
Acclaimed as one of Hollywood's greatest epics, producer Darryl F. Zanuck's re-creation of the Allied landing at Normandy on June 6, 1944 follows the grand-scale drama and personal stories of D-Day. International all-star cast includes John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, Rod Steiger, Richard Burton, Red Buttons, Sean Connery, Mel Ferrer, Robert Ryan. 178 min. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English DTS HD 5.1, Dolby Digital 4.0, French Dolby Digital mono, Spanish Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish; audio commentary; featurettes; interview; photo gallery; theatrical trailer. Two-disc set.
Sandokan Fights Back [DVD](1964) DVD
Ray Danton plays the dashing Sandokan, a feared pirate who attempts to claim his rightful throne from an evil European who killed his family and now sits as ruler. Sandokan saves his enemy's niece from a tiger, but when Sandokan's identity is revealed, trouble ensues. With Franco Bettoia. Standard; Soundtrack: English (dubbed).
Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 12 [DVD] DVD
Poke fun (along with the MST3K gang) at some of cinema's most cringeworthy classics, starting with "The Starfighters" (1964), the rip-roaring adventure of a young pilot determined to outmaneuver his father, a former Air Force legend. Former U.S. congressman Robert "B-1 Bob" Dornan stars. Next, a CIA agent uncovers a diabolical plot by a South American gangster to add lethal drugs to candy and gum and sell it to American college kids. "Secret Agent Super Dragon" (1966) stars Ray Danton and Marisa Mell. Four-disc set also includes "The Rebel Set," "Parts: The Clonus Horror." 6 2/3 hrs. total. Soundtrack: English; featurette; interviews; theatrical trailers.
Young Hannah, Queen Of The Vampires [DVD](1973) DVD
An isolated island is the setting for ageless terror when a 17th-century female vampire is revived and starts prowling for fresh victims. Andrew Prine, Mark Damon, and Teresa Gimpera as the bloodsucking beauty star. AKA: "Crypt of the Living Dead," "Vampire Woman." 85 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; theatrical trailers; biographies.
The Centerfold Girls [DVD](1974) DVD
This softcore favorite from the waning days of drive-ins features a top-notch cast that includes Tiffany Bolling, Jennifer Ashley, Andrew Prine, and Aldo Ray. The story involves a group of gorgeous magazine models who become the targets of a demented serial killer. These pin-ups are soon to be dead centerfolds! 93 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; TV spots; radio spots; featurette; theatrical trailers.
Apache Blood [DVD](1975) DVD
Two young men, one a Cavalry scout, the other an Indian brave who's the lone survivor of his tribe's massacre by the Army, face each other in the desert. Both fueled by the burning anger from the violence done to their comrades, the men try to withstand the fury of the desert while evading the mortal threat posed by their adversary. A gripping fight for survival in the Old West! Ray Danton, Dewitt Lee star. AKA: "Pursuit." Soundtrack: English.

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filmography

FILMS
Our Man Flint: Dead on Target (1976) with Sharon Acker
Six-Pack Annie (1975) with Bruce Boxleitner, Lindsay Bloom, Sid Melton, and Doodles Weaver
Apache Blood (1975)
Psychic Killer (1975) with Julie Adams, Jim Hutton, Paul Burke, Neville Brand, Rod Cameron. Whit Bissell, Della Reese, and Greydon Clark; directed by Ray Danton
The Centerfold Girls (1974) with Tiffany Bolling, Aldo Ray, Andrew Prine, Francine York, Jeremy Slate, and Jaime Lyn Bauer
Crypt of the Living Dead (1973) with Mark Damon and Andrew Prine; Danton directed some scenes of this horror flick
Runaway! (1973) with Ben Murphy, Vera Miles, Martin Milner, and Kip Niven
The Ballad of Billie Blue (1972) with Erik Estrada and Marty Allen
A Very Missing Person (1972) with Eve Arden, Julie Newmar, James Gregory, Skye Aubrey, Robert Easton, and Pat Morita
Deathmaster (1972) with Robert Quarry; Danton served as director
Banyon (1971) with Darren McGavin and Leslie Parrish
Triangle (1970) with Dana Wynter and Tiffany Bolling
The Last Mercenary (1968) with Mel Welles
Flatfoot (1968) with Mel Welles
Lucky, the Inscrutable (1967) with Rosalba Neri
Si muore solo una volta (1967) with Silvia Solar
Ballata da un miliardo (1966)
Secret Agent Super Dragon (1966) with Margaret Lee, Marisa Mell, and Jess Hahn; once aired on Mystery Science Theater 3000
Code Name: Jaguar (1965) with Horst Frank
Sandokan Fights Back (1964) with Guy Madison and Raf Baldassarre
Sandokan Against the Leopard of Sarawak (1964) with Guy Madison
FBI Code 98 (1963) with Merry Anders, Jack Kelly, and Philip Carey
The Chapman Report (1962) with Ty Hardin, Shelley Winters, Jane Fonda, and Glynis Johns
The Longest Day (1962) with Eddie Albert, John Wayne, and Paul Anka
A Majority of One (1961) with Rosalind Russell and Alec Guinness
Portrait of a Mobster (1961) with Vic Morrow, Leslie Parrish, and Anthony Eisley
The George Raft Story (1961) with Jayne Mansfield, Barbara Nichols, Julie London, and Frank Gorshin
A Fever in the Blood (1961) with Jack Kelly, Angie Dickinson, and Efrem Zimbalist Jr.
The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond (1960) with Elaine Stewart, Karen Steele, and Warren Oates
Ice Palace (1960) with Martha Hyer, Richard Burton, Robert Ryan, and Carolyn Jones
The Big Operator (1959) with Steve Cochran, Mamie Van Doren, Mickey Rooney, Mel Torme, Ziva Rodann, and Vampira
Yellowstone Kelly (1959) with Clint Walker, John Russell, Edd Byrnes, and Rhodes Reason
The Beat Generation (1959) with Steve Cochran, Mamie Van Doren, Fay Spain, and Dick Contino
Tarawa Beachhead (1958) with Julie Adams, William Boyett, and Karen Sharpe
Onionhead (1958) with Walter Matthau, Andy Griffith, Felicia Farr, and Erin O'Brien
Too Much, Too Soon (1958) with Errol Flynn, Dorothy Malone, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., and Martin Milner
The Night Runner (1957) with Colleen Miller and Merry Anders
Outside the Law (1956) with Grant Williams and Leigh Snowden
I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955) with Susan Hayward
The Spoilers (1955) with Jeff Chandler, Rory Calhoun, Anne Baxter, and Barbara Britton
The Looters (1955) with Rory Calhoun and Julie Adams
Chief Crazy Horse (1955) with Victor Mature and Suzan Ball

TELEVISION SERIES
The Alaskans, 1959-1960 ABC TV series. Danton portrayed Nifty Cronin. Also in the regular cast were Roger Moore and Dorothy Provine

TELEVISION GUEST APPEARANCES
Barnaby Jones, episode Duet for Danger, originally aired May 5, 1977
The Feather and Father Gang, episode The Apology, originally aired March 7, 1977
Switch, episode Big Deal in Paradise, originally aired February 24, 1976
Joe Forrester, episode Target: Mexican Syndicate, originally aired November 25, 1975
The Rockford Files, episode Chicken Little Is a Little Chicken , originally aired November 14, 1975
Matt Helm, episode The Game of the Century, originally aired October 18, 1975
Caribe, episode The Plastic Connection, originally aired February 17, 1975
Nakia, episode No Place to Hide, originally aired October 19, 1974
Hawaii Five-O, episode Steal Now -- Pay Later, originally aired October 1, 1974
Cannon, episode The Hit Man, originally aired September 18, 1974
The Manhunter, episode The Man Who Thought He Was Dillinger, originally aired September 18, 1974
Toma, episode Pound of Flesh, originally aired April 19, 1974
McCloud, episode This Must Be the Alamo, originally aired March 24, 1974
Police Story, episode Countdown: Parts 1 and 2, originally aired January 15 and 23, 1974
Cannon, episode Trial by Terror, originally aired November 21, 1973
The Streets of San Francisco, episode Before I Die, originally aired October 4, 1973
McCloud, episode The New Mexican Connection, originally aired October 1, 1972
Hawaii Five-O, episode Cloth of Gold, originally aired February 15, 1972
Night Gallery, episode The Miracle at Camafeo/The Ghost of Sorworth Place, originally aired January 19, 1972
Nichols, episode Deer Crossing, originally aired October 21, 1971
The Young Lawyers, episode And the Walls Came Tumbling Down, originally aired February 24, 1971
The F.B.I., episode The Inheritors, originally aired December 27, 1970
Hawaii Five-O, episode The Last Eden, originally aired November 18, 1970
Dan August, episode The Color of Fury, originally aired October 28, 1970
Love, American Style, episode Love and the Boss' Ex/Love and the Gangster/Love and Mr. Nice Guy, originally aired January 12, 1970
It Takes a Thief, episode The Baranoff Timetable, originally aired March 18, 1969
Ironside, episode A Drug on the Market, originally aired March 6, 1969
The Name of the Game, episode The Inquiry, originally aired January 17, 1969
The Big Valley, episode Devil's Masquerade, originally aired March 4, 1968
The Man from U.N.C.L.E., episode The Discotheque Affair, originally aired October 15, 1965
Honey West, episode The Swingin' Mrs. Jones, originally aired September 17, 1965
Wagon Train, episode The Stark Bluff Story, originally aired April 6, 1964
Arrest and Trial, episode The Black Flower, originally aired March 1, 1964
Temple Houston, episode The Case for William Gotch, originally aired February 6, 1964
Death Valley Days, episode The Wooing of Perilous Pauline, originally aired January 7, 1964
Redigo, episode The Thin Line, originally aired December 3, 1963
Wagon Train, episode The Molly Kincaid Story, originally aired September 16, 1963
Kraft Mystery Theater, episode Talk to My Partner, originally aired August 28, 1963
The Gallant Men, episode Operation Secret, originally aired February 16, 1963
Empire, episode The Four Thumbs Story, originally aired January 8, 1963
The Wide Country, episode The Bravest Man in the World, originally aired December 6, 1962
The Virginian, episode Riff-Raff, originally aired November 7, 1962
Laramie, episode The Fortune Hunter, originally aired October 9, 1962
The Dick Powell Show, episode The Hook, originally aired March 6, 1962
The Roaring 20's, episode The Vamp, originally aired March 4, 1961
Bronco, episode The Buckbrier Trail, originally aired February 20, 1961
Maverick, episode A State of Siege, originally aired January 1, 1961
Cheyenne, episode Savage Breed, originally aired December 19, 1960
Surfside 6, episode The Frightened Canary, originally aired December 12, 1960
The Roaring 20's, episode White Carnation, originally aired December 3, 1960
Lawman, episode Yawkey, originally aired October 23, 1960
Surfside 6, episode Country Gentleman, originally aired October 3, 1960
Hawaiian Eye, episode I Wed Three Wives, originally aired September 14, 1960
Colt .45, episode Bounty List, originally aired May 31, 1960
Bourbon Street Beat, episode Last Exit, originally aired May 2, 1960
Hawaiian Eye, episode Murder, Anyone?, originally aired April 13, 1960
Lawman, episode Lily, originally aired October 4, 1959
Sugarfoot, episode The Wild Bunch, originally aired September 29, 1959
Bat Masterson, episode The Romany Knives, originally aired July 22, 1959
77 Sunset Strip, episode A Bargain in Tombs, originally aired April 24, 1959
Behind Closed Doors, episode The Meeting, originally aired March 5, 1959
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, episode Chez Rouge, originally aired February 16, 1959
The Millionaire, episode The Eric Lodek Story, originally aired December 17, 1958
Yancy Derringer, episode An Ace Called Spade, originally aired October 30, 1958
77 Sunset Strip, episode A Nice Social Evening, originally aired October 24, 1958
Bronco, episode Quest of the Thirty Dead, originally aired October 7, 1958
Wagon Train, episode The Monte Britton Story, originally aired June 18, 1958
Climax!, episode The Disappearance of Daphne, originally aired May 15, 1958
Studio One, episode Tide of Corruption, originally aired February 17, 1958
Climax!, episode Sound of the Moon, originally aired January 23, 1958
Trackdown, episode Sweetwater, Texas, originally aired November 8, 1957
Sugarfoot, episode Bunch Quitter, originally aired October 29, 1957
Playhouse 90, episode The Death of Manolete, originally aired September 12, 1957
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, episode Always Open and Shut, originally aired August 29, 1957
Matinee Theatre, episode Eye of the Storm, originally aired June 7, 1957
Lux Video Theatre, episode The Quick and the Dead, originally aired August 2, 1956
Lux Video Theatre, episode The Web, originally aired December 1, 1955
Hallmark Hall of Fame, episode The Pirate and the Lawyer, originally aired March 13, 1955
Kraft Television Theatre, episode To Live in Peace, originally aired December 16, 1953
Out There, episode Misfit, originally aired November 18, 1951

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Watch Ray Danton's 1975 western Apache Rising