Richard Travis (actor)

Richard Travis (born William Benton Justice, April 17, 1913 – July 11, 1989)[1] was an American actor in films and television.

Richard Travis
Born
William Benton Justice

(1913-04-17)April 17, 1913
Carlsbad, New Mexico, U.S.
DiedJuly 11, 1989(1989-07-11) (aged 76)
Pacific Palisades, California, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationActor, real estate agent
Years active1940–1966
Home townParagould, Arkansas, U.S.

Early years

The son of William Justice and Ella Justice, née Spain, he was born in Carlsbad, New Mexico and grew up in Paragould, Arkansas.[2] His father owned and operated a marble yard in Paragould. He was a radio announcer and a sportscaster before he became an actor.[3]

Film

Travis began his Hollywood career in 1930s action films. The high point of his career was a lead role in the 1942 film comedy The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942), playing opposite Bette Davis. He had some other fairly important roles in the early 1940s, but his career soon declined. He spent World War II with the Army Air Forces's Broadway show Winged Victory.[3]

In 1947, he starred in the B movie Backlash, which has become something of a cult classic among film noir fans, as well as Jewels of Brandenburg, a crime drama.

Television

Travis was busy in television roles in the early 1950s. He had the lead role of assistant Sheriff Rodger Barnett in the syndicated crime drama Code 3, which aired for 39 episodes in 1957.[4]

Real estate

Travis retired from acting to pursue a career in California real estate under his birth name. He founded the William Justice Company and became an officer on the Beverly Hills Realty Board.[5]

Military service

Travis served in the United States Army Air Forces.[5]

Partial filmography

References
  1. Room, Adrian (July 26, 2010). Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins. McFarland. p. 480. ISBN 978-0-7864-4373-4. Retrieved February 26, 2011.
  2. 1920 United States Census http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=6061&h=84054592&usePUB=true
  3. "Richard Travis". Films of the Golden Age (98): 80–81. Fall 2019.
  4. Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7. P. 198.
  5. Thomas, Bob (June 16, 1958). "Some Days Richard Travis Is Actor, Rest Of Time He's Real Estate Man". Texas, Lubbock. Lubbock Evening Journal. p. 22. Retrieved January 22, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.


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