Ray Stricklyn

Ray Stricklyn
Stricklyn (green shirt) in The Last Wagon (1956)
Born
Lewis Raymond Stricklyn

(1928-10-08)October 8, 1928
DiedMay 14, 2002(2002-05-14) (aged 73)
Occupation(s)Film, stage, television actor
Years active1952–1998
PartnerDavid Galligan

Lewis Raymond Stricklyn (October 8, 1928 – May 14, 2002) was an American film actor, stage actor, television actor, soap opera star and publicist.[1][2] His acting career took off with B-movie Westerns that placed his boyish good looks playing opposite top talent of the time.

Early years

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Stricklyn was born in Houston, Texas;[3] his father was a sign painter. At the age of 16 Ray Stricklyn auditioned for a part in the play Ah, Wilderness and was given the lead role. He went on to perform several roles for the Houston Little Theater.

In 1950 he won a scholarship to a New York drama school.

Career

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Stage

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Stricklyn gained early acting experience in summer stock at the Litchfield (Connecticut) Summer Theatre.[4] He made his Broadway début in A Climate of Eden by Moss Hart.[5]

Film

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George Seaton was in New York casting his 1956 film The Proud and Profane and gave Stricklyn a one-scene role. He then moved to Los Angeles to further his film career. Stricklyn also appeared in the role of Tim Hansen in the 1958 film The Return of Dracula. After his performance in Ten North Frederick (1958), he was given a contract with 20th Century-Fox, but it wasn't renewed following The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker (1959). His first lead role was as Jesse James in Young Jesse James (1960), and he also had roles in The Big Fisherman (1959), The Lost World (1960), The Plunderers (1960), Arizona Raiders (1965), Track of Thunder (1967) and Dogpound Shuffle (1975). However, in later years he received fewer film roles and he returned to theatre work.

Television

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Stricklyn had the role of Howard Alston Hawkins in Days of Our Lives (1991–1992).[3] He made two guest appearances on the CBS courtroom drama series Perry Mason. In 1960 he played defendant Gerald Norton in "The Case of the Bashful Burro," and in 1963 he played Reed Brent in "The Case of the Festive Felon." He portrayed Stanley in a 1961 episode of The Tom Ewell Show. In 1966 he appeared on the World War II drama Combat!, as Private Earl Konieg in the episode "Headcount". He also appeared in episodes of popular shows like Cheers, Seinfeld, The Nanny, Wiseguy, and many more.

Other work

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Stricklyn took work in a fudge factory and then worked as a typist for a mailing company. In 1973 he joined the public relations firm John Springer Associates in Los Angeles and became one of the most influential publicists in Hollywood, working with some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Henry Fonda, Shelley Winters, Janet Leigh, Elizabeth Taylor, and Bette Davis. He also handled the US debut of the Rubik's Cube. He eventually became the head of the company's West Coast office.

In 1983 Stricklyn and Charlotte Chandler wrote a one-hour one-man show, Confessions of a Nightingale, about Tennessee Williams. Stricklyn portrayed Williams in the production, which was adapted from Chandler's interviews with Williams. Critic John Simon wrote in New York magazine: "Ray Stricklyn ... does a fine job as Williams. The accent may waver a bit, but all those small mannerisms, tics, idiosyncratic intonations, hesitancies, shifts of mood are fraught with authenticity."[6]

Four weekend performances at the Beverly Hills Playhouse were planned but it was received so enthusiastically that it ran for over a year. Eva Marie Saint and her husband Jeffrey Hayden took out a full-page advertisement in Daily Variety urging everyone to see the show. He was twice named Best Actor of the Year by the LA Drama Critics Circle and LA Weekly. The show was then taken to Broadway and toured the US for another year. It was then performed at the Edinburgh Festival.

Personal life

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In 1965 Stricklyn was introduced to a furniture refurbisher named David Galligan and they became lifetime companions. Galligan later became a noted stage director.

Later years and death

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After falling ill with emphysema in 1997, he began writing his coming out autobiography. Published in 1999, Angels & Demons: One Actor's Hollywood Journey, published in Los Angeles by Belle Publishing, 297 pages, ISBN 0-9649635-4-X (hardback), is a candid and witty account of a man who, Stricklyn wrote, "might qualify as one who has had his 15 minutes in the limelight; perhaps even 20."

On May 14, 2002, Stricklyn died of emphysema in Los Angeles.[3] He is survived by his sister, Mary Ann, and his longtime companion, Los Angeles stage director David Galligan.

Partial filmography

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Film

Year Title Role Notes
1952 The Marrying Kind Minor Role Uncredited
1952 The Thief Minor Role Uncredited
1956 Crime in the Streets Benny Uncredited
1956 The Catered Affair Eddie Hurley
1956 The Proud and Profane Casualty Uncredited
1956 Somebody Up There Likes Me Bryson Uncredited
1956 The Last Wagon Clint
1956 The Rack Ryson Uncredited
1958 The Return of Dracula Tim Hansen
1958 Ten North Frederick Joby Chapin
1959 The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker Horace Pennypacker III
1959 The Big Fisherman Deran
1960 The Lost World David Holmes
1960 Young Jesse James Jesse James
1960 The Plunderers Jeb Lucas Tyler
1965 Arizona Raiders Danny Bonner
1967 Track of Thunder Gary Regal
1975 Dogpound Shuffle Mr. Lester Jr.
1979 La ilegal Ins officer

Television

Square One TV - D. John Mutard (Mathnet segment, “The Map with the Gap") - 1988

Seinfeld - Clarence (season 8, Episode 10: "The Andrea Doria") - 1996

Cheers - Ed (season 9, Episode 16: "Wedding Bell Blues") - 1991

Awards

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Stricklyn received a Theatre World Award in 1952–1953 for his work in The Climate of Eden.[4] He was nominated for two Golden Globe awards:

  • 1958 – New Star Of The Year – Actor – 10 North Frederick
  • 1960 – Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture – The Plunderers.[7]

Press cuttings

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Ray Stricklyn: Actor whose boyish looks became a hindrance Obituary by Tom Vallance in The Independent, 29th. May 2002, page 18. "Stricklyn stated that two factors had contributed to his lack of progress. First, his homosexuality (though he had well-publicised relationships with Joan Collins and Bette Davis) and secondly, his persistently youthful appearance."

Notable Quotes

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  • I was 27 and still looked 16, but there was a whole new crop of boys coming up who really were that age. I'd thought my career was going straight up. So like a lot of foolish young actors, I started living beyond my means. I bought expensive cars, got into debt. Once you think you're going to be a star, then you're not—it's a rude awakening.

References

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  1. ^ "Ray Stricklyn, 73, Film Actor and Publicist". The New York Times. Associated Press. May 18, 2002. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  2. ^ Warfield, Polly. "Remembering Ray Stricklyn". Backstage.
  3. ^ a b c Lentz, Harris M. III (2003). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2002: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture. McFarland. pp. 290–291. ISBN 9780786414642. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  4. ^ a b "First Big Role For New Actor". Rocky Mount Telegram. North Carolina, Rocky Mount. October 23, 1960. p. 12. Retrieved June 26, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. ^ "Ray Stricklyn". Playbill Vault. Playbill. Archived from the original on April 12, 2017. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  6. ^ Simon, John (October 6, 1986). "Larking Nightingale". New York. p. 86. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  7. ^ "Ray Stricklyn". Golden Globe Awards. Archived from the original on April 12, 2017. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
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Further reading

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  • Young, Jordan R. (1989). Acting Solo: The Art of One-Person Shows. Beverly Hills: Past Times Publishing Co.