Person Biography:
Ray Danton was a talented and charismatic actor, born in New York, who trained dramatically at Carnegie Tech. He made his screen debut as a moody Native American in the 1955 film "Chief Crazy Horse" and went on to guest-star in numerous 1950s TV shows, including "Playhouse 90", "Wagon Train", and "77 Sunset Strip".
Danton's early film career consisted of minor roles in movies such as "The Night Runner" (1957),"Tarawa Beachhead" (1958),and "The Beat Generation" (1959),where he played a serial rapist. However, his most notable role was as the vicious prohibition gangster Jack Diamond in the 1960 film "The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond", alongside Warren Oates and directed by Budd Boetticher.
Danton continued to play shady characters throughout his career, including a portrayal of troubled actor George Raft in "The George Raft Story" (1961). He then played an Allied officer in the invasion of Normandy in "The Longest Day" (1962). In the early 1960s, Danton moved to Europe and made several films in Italy and Spain, with varying degrees of success.
In the 1970s, Danton returned to the USA and appeared in low-budget features, while also turning his hand to direction. His first film as director was the AIP production "Deathmaster" (1972),starring Robert Quarry. He went on to direct several other minor horror films before becoming involved in television, directing episodes of popular shows such as "Quincy, M.E.", "The Incredible Hulk", "Magnum, P.I.", and "Cagney & Lacey".
Danton's final directorial work was on the TV series "Vietnam War Story" in 1987. He passed away in 1992 at the age of 60 due to kidney failure.
