# Ray Boyle

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{{Short description|American film and television actor (1923–2022)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name         = Ray Boyle
| image        = Ray Boyle in The Mickey Rooney Show.jpg
| caption      = Boyle in ''The Mickey Rooney Show'', 1954
| other_names  = Dirk London
| birth_name   = Raymond Cornelius Boyle
| birth_date   = {{birth date|1923|06|28}}
| birth_place  = [Lisbon, North Dakota](/source/Lisbon%2C_North_Dakota), U.S.
| death_date   = {{death date and age|2022|01|06|1923|06|28}}
| death_place  = [Burbank, California](/source/Burbank%2C_California), U.S.
| occupation   = Film and television actor
| years_active = 1952–2022
| spouse       = {{marriage|[Jan Shepard](/source/Jan_Shepard)|1954}}<ref name="a">{{Cite web|url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/latimes/name/raymond-boyle-obituary?id=36218797|title=Raymond Boyle Obituary (1923-2022)|work=[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)|date=August 14, 2022|access-date=September 26, 2022|via=[Legacy.com](/source/Legacy.com)}}</ref>
| children     = 1<ref name="a" />
}}

'''Raymond Cornelius Boyle''' (June 28, 1923 – January 6, 2022), also known as '''Dirk London''',<ref name="book">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CZGyDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA50|title=Shooting Stars of the Small Screen: Encyclopedia of TV Western Actors, 1946–Present|page=50|first=Douglas|last=Brode|publisher=University of Texas Press|date=October 15, 2009|isbn=9780292718494|via=[Google Books](/source/Google_Books)}}</ref> was an American film and television actor. He was best known for playing [Wyatt Earp](/source/Wyatt_Earp)'s brother [Morgan Earp](/source/Morgan_Earp) in the American [western](/source/Western_(genre)) television series ''[The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp](/source/The_Life_and_Legend_of_Wyatt_Earp)''.<ref name="a" /><ref name="book" /><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X95kAAAAMAAJ|title=Television Western Players of the Fifties: A Biographical Encyclopedia of All Regular Cast Members in Western Series, 1949-1959|page=328|first=Everett|last=Aaker|date=1997|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9780786402847|via=[Google Books](/source/Google_Books)}}</ref>

== Life and career ==
Boyle was born in [Lisbon, North Dakota](/source/Lisbon%2C_North_Dakota), the son of Cornelius Hugh Boyle and Elma Mae Harrison. He served in the [United States Marine Corps](/source/United_States_Marine_Corps) during [World War II](/source/World_War_II), training at [Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton](/source/Marine_Corps_Base_Camp_Pendleton). After his discharge, he worked as a [model](/source/Model_(person)). He began his screen career in 1952, appearing in the film ''[Zombies of the Stratosphere](/source/Zombies_of_the_Stratosphere)''.<ref name="a" /> In the same year, he appeared in the television programs ''[The Web](/source/The_Web_(1950_TV_series))'', ''[Celanese Theatre](/source/Celanese_Theatre)'', ''[Gang Busters](/source/Gang_Busters)'', ''[Rocky King Detective](/source/Rocky_King_Detective)'' and ''[Captain Video and His Video Rangers](/source/Captain_Video_and_His_Video_Rangers)''. In 1954, he played as Bruce Matthews in an episode of the [western](/source/Western_(genre)) television series ''[Death Valley Days](/source/Death_Valley_Days)''.<ref name="c">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eWVZAAAAMAAJ|title=Western and Frontier Film and Television Credits 1903-1995: Section I. Actors and actresses. Section II. Directors, producers, and writers|page=93|first=Harris|last=Lentz|publisher=McFarland|date=1996|isbn=9780786401581 |via=[Google Books](/source/Google_Books)}}</ref>

Later in his career, in 1956, Boyle starred as [Wyatt Earp](/source/Wyatt_Earp)'s brother [Morgan Earp](/source/Morgan_Earp) in the [ABC](/source/American_Broadcasting_Company) [western](/source/Western_(genre)) television series ''[The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp](/source/The_Life_and_Legend_of_Wyatt_Earp)'', starring along with [Hugh O'Brian](/source/Hugh_O'Brian), [Morgan Woodward](/source/Morgan_Woodward), [Douglas Fowley](/source/Douglas_Fowley) and [John Anderson](/source/John_Anderson_(actor)). After the series ended in 1961, he guest-starred in numerous television programs including ''[Gunsmoke](/source/Gunsmoke)'', ''[Perry Mason](/source/Perry_Mason_(1957_TV_series))'', ''[Lawman](/source/Lawman_(TV_series))'', ''[The Millionaire](/source/The_Millionaire_(TV_series))'', ''[ER](/source/ER_(TV_series))'', ''[Tales of the Texas Rangers](/source/Tales_of_the_Texas_Rangers)'', ''[Harbor Command](/source/Harbor_Command)'', ''[Navy Log](/source/Navy_Log)'', ''[The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin](/source/The_Adventures_of_Rin_Tin_Tin)'' and ''[Highway Patrol](/source/Highway_Patrol_(American_TV_series))''.<ref name="a" /> He also appeared in films such as ''[Ride Clear of Diablo](/source/Ride_Clear_of_Diablo)'', ''[Prisoner of War](/source/Prisoner_of_War_(1954_film))'',  ''[Return from the Sea](/source/Return_from_the_Sea)'' and ''[The Bridges at Toko-Ri](/source/The_Bridges_at_Toko-Ri)''. During his screen career, he ran an actors' workshop,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/04/09/archives/george-is-ready-for-his-seven-year-itch-george-grizzard-is-ready.html|title=George Is Ready for His 'Seven Year Itch'|first=Chris|last=Chase|work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)|date=April 9, 1972|access-date=September 26, 2022}}</ref> and was a [production designer](/source/production_designer) for two films.<ref name="a" />

[[File:Ray Boyle as Morgan Earp.webp|thumb|upright=0.8|Boyle as [Morgan Earp](/source/Morgan_Earp) in ''The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp'', 1961]]

Boyle retired from acting in 1995, last appearing in the [Fox](/source/Fox_Broadcasting_Company) [teen drama](/source/teen_drama) television series ''[Beverly Hills, 90210](/source/Beverly_Hills%2C_90210)''. After retiring from acting, in 1996, he appeared in the [syndicated](/source/Broadcast_syndication) comedy television talk show ''[Night Stand with Dick Dietrick](/source/Night_Stand_with_Dick_Dietrick)''.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0IeBCwAAQBAJ|title=The Ear of the Heart: An Actress' Journey from Hollywood to Holy Vows|first=Hart|last=Mother Dolores O.S.B.|page=|date=April 16, 2013|publisher=Ignatius Press|isbn=9781681491479|via=[Google Books](/source/Google_Books)}}</ref>

== Personal life and death ==
In 1951, Boyle met actress [Jan Shepard](/source/Jan_Shepard). They married on February 6, 1954. Their marriage lasted until Boyle's death in 2022.<ref name="a" /> His wife Shepard died in 2025.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/jan-shepard-king-creole-tv-westerns-1236118906/|title=Jan Shepard, Actress in 'King Creole' and a Wagonful of TV Westerns, Dies at 96|first=Mike|last=Barnes|date=January 27, 2025|access-date=July 21, 2025}}</ref>

Boyle died on January 6, 2022, in [Burbank, California](/source/Burbank%2C_California), at the age of 98.<ref name="a" /> He was buried at San Fernando Mission Cemetery.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/north-hollywood-ca/raymond-boyle-10531699|title=Raymond C. Boyle|work=Dignity Memorial|date=January 26, 2022|access-date=September 26, 2022}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{IMDb name|0102318}}
*{{TCMDb name|759731%7C0}}
*[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ray_boyle/ Rotten Tomatoes profile]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boyle, Ray}}
Category:1923 births
Category:2022 deaths
Category:People from Lisbon, North Dakota
Category:Male actors from Los Angeles
Category:Male actors from North Dakota
Category:American male film actors
Category:American male television actors
Category:20th-century American male actors
Category:Western (genre) television actors
Category:American production designers
Category:Male models from Los Angeles
Category:Burials at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery
Category:Male models from North Dakota
Category:United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ray Boyle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Boyle) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Boyle?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.