Ray Boyle obit

Raymond Boyle Obituary

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June 28, 1923 - January 6, 2022 Actor Ray Boyle, who was billed as DIRK LONDON when appearing as Morgan Earp on television's "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" in the 1950's, passed away in Burbank California January 6, 2022 at 98 years of age. Boyle was born in Lisbon, North Dakota, on June 28, 1923. In 1943 he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, which brought him out to California for training at Camp Pendleton in San Diego. He served his country until World War II ended in 1945. Ray started out his professional life as a highly sought-after model. He did all the big runway shows in Los Angeles and Palm Springs. He also was a constant in newspaper advertisements and all the major department store catalogs in the late 1940's and early 1950's. He began his acting career in 1952 as Shane in the Republic serial "Zombies of the Stratosphere". Some of the films he appeared in were "Prisoner of War" (1954) with Ronald Reagan, "Ambush at Cimarron Pass" (1958) with Clint Eastwood and "The Purple Gang" (1959) with Robert Blake and Barry Sullivan. Boyle appeared frequently on television in the 1950's, often under the screen name DIRK LONDON. He was seen in episodes of "Gang Busters", "Death Valley Days", "The Mickey Rooney Show", "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin", "Sergeant Preston of the Yukon", "The Gray Ghost", "Highway Patrol", "The DuPont Show with June Allyson", "Gunsmoke" and "Perry Mason" amongst many others.

He was featured as Morgan Earp, the brother of Hugh O'Brian's title character, in the western series "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" from 1956 to 1961. He largely retired from the screen in the early 1960's. In the mid 1960's he co-founded "Rigby, Boyle and Cook", a design/construction company that along with their numerous projects, created and built ships for Seaworld water shows in California. They also designed and created the original "McDonaldland Playground", featured nationwide at McDonald's restaurants throughout the 1970's and 1980's. In his post acting years Boyle turned his talents behind the camera. He served as Production Designer on L.Q. Jones' cult horror and science fiction films "The Brotherhood of Satan" (1971) and "A Boy and His Dog" (1975). The latter winning a Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Film. The final years of his professional career were as a propmaker crafting for the then "Burbank Studios", known today as Warner Bros. Boyle was a true renaissance man. Besides his on-screen talents he was a gifted artist, draftsman, sculptor, wood carver, painter, welder, carpenter, mechanic, gardener, poet, and author. He had a brief first marriage that ended in divorce. He met the love of his life in 1951, actress Jan Shepard. They were married on February 6, 1954 and spent 71 years together until his passing. The couple had a son, Brandon, in April of 1959. Ray is preceded in death by his mother Elma Mae Harrison, His father Cornelius Hugh Boyle, sister Gwen Coyne and sister Eunice Brendel.

He is survived by his wife Jan, son Brandon, sister Kaye Leskela, daughter-in-law Jenn, grandchildren Riley and Hayley, as well as his beloved nieces Debbie, Pam, Linda, nephew Greg and cousin Gloria.

Ray Boyle is interred at the San Fernando Mission Catholic Cemetery in the San Fernando Valley.

 

Actor

Luke Perry, Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, Jennie Garth, Tori Spelling, Brian Austin Green, Ian Ziering, and Gabrielle Carteris in Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990)

Beverly Hills, 90210

6.5

TV Series

1995

1 episode

 

George Clooney, Anthony Edwards, Julianna Margulies, Ming-Na Wen, Noah Wyle, Laura Innes, Alex Kingston, Eriq La Salle, Kellie Martin, Paul McCrane, Michael Michele, Erik Palladino, Maura Tierney, and Goran Visnjic in ER (1994)

ER

7.9

TV Series

Mr. Flannigan

1994

1 episode

 

Profiles in Courage (1964)

Profiles in Courage

8.2

TV Series

Reporter

1965

1 episode

 

The Runaway (1961)

The Runaway

6.9

(uncredited)

1961

 

Raymond Burr in Perry Mason (1957)

Perry Mason

8.3

TV Series

Neil Gilbert (as Dirk London)

1961

1 episode

 

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955)

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp

7.6

TV Series

Morgan Earp (as Dirk London)

1956–1961

15 episodes

 

James Arness, Amanda Blake, Milburn Stone, and Dennis Weaver in Gunsmoke (1955)

Gunsmoke

8.1

TV Series

Touhey

Jeff Worth

1955–1960

2 episodes

 

The DuPont Show with June Allyson (1959)

The DuPont Show with June Allyson

7.3

TV Series

Johnny Merrill (as Dirk London)

1960

1 episode

 

Lock Up (1959)

Lock Up

7.7

TV Series

Jerry Hale (as Dirk London)

1960

1 episode

 

Highway Patrol (1955)

Highway Patrol

7.7

TV Series

Officer Lockwood

Hit and run victim

Hank Lloyd (as Dirk London)

1956–1959

3 episodes

 

The Purple Gang (1959)

The Purple Gang

6.0

Tom Olsen (as Dirk London)

1959

 

Goodyear Theatre (1957)

Goodyear Theatre

7.0

TV Series

1959

1 episode

 

Target (1958)

Target

7.2

TV Series

(as Dirk LOndon)

1958

1 episode

 

The Gift of the Magi

8.0

TV Movie

Skidder

1958

 

Lawman (1958)

Lawman

8.1

TV Series

Tremain's Partner (uncredited)

1958

1 episode

 

Wendell Corey in Harbor Command (1957)

Harbor Command

7.5

TV Series

Alan Hurley (as Dirk London)

1958

1 episode

 

Scott Brady and Margia Dean in Ambush at Cimarron Pass (1958)

Ambush at Cimarron Pass

5.2

Johnny Willows (as Dirk London)

1958

 

The Gray Ghost (1957)

The Gray Ghost

8.4

TV Series

Prader (as Dirk London)

1957

1 episode

 

Robert Shayne in Navy Log (1955)

Navy Log

7.8

TV Series

Reed (as Dirk London)

1956–1957

2 episodes

 

Tales of the Texas Rangers (1955)

Tales of the Texas Rangers

7.6

TV Series

(as Dirk London)

1957

1 episode

 

Marsha Hunt and John Rodney in Studio One (1948)

Studio One

7.5

TV Series

First Actor

1957

1 episode

 

Anthony Perkins and Jack Palance in The Lonely Man (1957)

The Lonely Man

6.3

Matt (uncredited)

1957

 

The Big Story (1949)

The Big Story

6.7

TV Series

Malcolm Glover

1957

1 episode

 

The 20th Century-Fox Hour (1955)

The 20th Century-Fox Hour

7.1

TV Series

Joe Bryant (as Dirk London)

1957

1 episode

 

Robert Montgomery Presents (1950)

Robert Montgomery Presents

7.6

TV Series

Edward Martin

Floyd Collins

Cliff ...

1956–1957

6 episodes

 

Omnibus (1952)

Omnibus

8.2

TV Series

(segment "The Christmas Tie")

1956

1 episode

 

Dick Simmons and Yukon King in Sergeant Preston of the Yukon (1955)

Sergeant Preston of the Yukon

7.5

TV Series

Jerry Traynor

Ted Sheridan

Larry Cushing (as Dirk London)

1955–1956

3 episodes

 

Lee Aaker, James Brown, and Rin Tin Tin II in The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin (1954)

The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin

7.0

TV Series

Crane (as Dirk London)

1956

1 episode

 

Frank McHugh and Marvin Miller in The Millionaire (1955)

The Millionaire

7.8

TV Series

Leading Man (as Dirk London)

1956

1 episode

 

Crossroads (1955)

Crossroads

7.4

TV Series

(as Dirk London)

1956

1 episode

 

William Bendix, Richard Boone, Keefe Brasselle, William Leslie, and John Lund in Battle Stations (1956)

Battle Stations

6.1

Sailor (uncredited)

1956

 

The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954)

The Bridges at Toko-Ri

6.7

Marine Orderly (uncredited)

1954

 

The Mickey Rooney Show (1954)

The Mickey Rooney Show

7.4

TV Series

Texan Rusty Evans

1954

1 episode

 

Jan Sterling and Neville Brand in Return from the Sea (1954)

Return from the Sea

6.3

New Ensign (uncredited)

1954

 

Ronald Reagan, Steve Forrest, Darryl Hickman, Robert Horton, and Dewey Martin in Prisoner of War (1954)

Prisoner of War

5.0

Donald C. Jackwood (uncredited)

1954

 

Danger (1950)

Danger

7.4

TV Series

1954

1 episode

 

Captain Video and His Video Rangers (1949)

Captain Video and His Video Rangers

6.5

TV Series

Luny O'Brien

1952–1954

4 episodes

 

Audie Murphy, Dan Duryea, and Susan Cabot in Ride Clear of Diablo (1954)

Ride Clear of Diablo

6.8

Clung (uncredited)

1954

 

Death Valley Days (1952)

Death Valley Days

7.5

TV Series

Bruce Matthews

1954

1 episode

 

Charlton Heston and Lizabeth Scott in Bad for Each Other (1953)

Bad for Each Other

5.8

Minor Role (uncredited)

1953

 

Broadway Television Theatre (1952)

Broadway Television Theatre

6.5

TV Series

Roger

1953

1 episode

 

Dark of Night

TV Series

1953

1 episode

 

Gang Busters (1952)

Gang Busters

6.8

TV Series

Ray Hamilton

Harry Farris

1952

2 episodes

 

Roscoe Karns in Rocky King, Detective (1950)

Rocky King, Detective

7.6

TV Series

1952

1 episode

 

Leonard Nimoy, Lane Bradford, and Judd Holdren in Zombies of the Stratosphere (1952)

Zombies of the Stratosphere

5.1

Henchman (uncredited)

1952

 

Celanese Theatre (1951)

Celanese Theatre

6.9

TV Series

O'Hara

1952

1 episode

 

The Web (1950)

The Web

7.2

TV Series

1952

1 episode

 

Production Designer

Don Johnson, Tim McIntire, and Tiger in A Boy and His Dog (1975)

A Boy and His Dog

6.4

Production Designer

1975

 

The Brotherhood of Satan (1971)

The Brotherhood of Satan

5.5

Production Designer

1971

 

Self

William Wellman Jr. and Rob Word in A Word on Westerns (2014)

A Word on Westerns

8.7

TV Series

Self

2019

1 episode

 

Lee Marvin in The Lawbreakers (1963)

The Lawbreakers

6.8

TV Series

(as Dirk London)

1964

1 episode

 

A.N.T.A. Album of 1955

TV Movie

Self

1955

 

Archive Footage

Bruce Boxleitner and Hugh O'Brian in Wyatt Earp: Return to Tombstone (1994)

Wyatt Earp: Return to Tombstone

5.6

TV Movie

Morgan Earp (flashback sequence) (archive footage, as Dirk London)

1994

 

Lane Bradford and Aline Towne in Satan's Satellites (1958)

Satan's Satellites

4.8

Shane (archive footage)

1958

 

Guns Don't Argue (1957)

Guns Don't Argue

5.0

Raymond Hamilton (archive footage, uncredited)

1957