Ray Stricklyn

Lewis Raymond Stricklyn was born on October 8, 1928, in Houston, Texas, where his father worked as a sign painter. At sixteen, he auditioned for a production of Ah, Wilderness and was cast in the lead role, going on to perform in multiple productions at the Houston Little Theater. In 1950 he won a scholarship to a drama school in New York, and he gained further stage experience in summer stock at the Litchfield Summer Theatre in Connecticut.

Stricklyn made his Broadway debut in A Climate of Eden, written by Moss Hart, in 1952. The role earned him a Theatre World Award in 1953, an early recognition of his work on the New York stage.

His film career began when director George Seaton cast him in a one-scene role in The Proud and Profane (1956) while Seaton was in New York for casting. Stricklyn subsequently relocated to Los Angeles to pursue film work. He appeared as Tim Hansen in The Return of Dracula (1958) and, following his performance in Ten North Frederick (1958), signed a contract with 20th Century-Fox. That contract was not renewed after The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker (1959). His first lead role came in Young Jesse James (1960), in which he played Jesse James. Additional film credits include The Big Fisherman (1959), The Lost World (1960), The Plunderers (1960), Arizona Raiders (1965), Track of Thunder (1967), and Dogpound Shuffle (1975). He received two Golden Globe nominations: one in 1958 for New Star of the Year for Ten North Frederick, and one in 1960 for Best Supporting Actor for The Plunderers.

On television, Stricklyn played an adolescent named Jesse opposite Ida Lupino in an episode of Singer's Four Star Playhouse in 1956. He made two appearances on Perry Mason: in 1960 as defendant Gerald Norton in "The Case of the Bashful Burro," and in 1963 as Reed Brent in "The Case of the Festive Felon." In 1961 he portrayed Stanley in an episode of The Tom Ewell Show, and in 1966 he appeared as Private Earl Konieg in the Combat! episode "Headcount." From 1991 to 1992 he held the recurring role of Howard Alston Hawkins on Days of Our Lives. His television work also included guest appearances on Cheers, Seinfeld, The Nanny, and Wiseguy, among other series.

In 1973, as film roles became less frequent, Stricklyn joined the Los Angeles public relations firm John Springer Associates, eventually rising to head its West Coast office. His clients included Henry Fonda, Shelley Winters, Janet Leigh, Elizabeth Taylor, and Bette Davis. He also managed the United States debut of the Rubik's Cube.

In 1983, Stricklyn and Charlotte Chandler created a one-man show titled Confessions of a Nightingale, in which Stricklyn portrayed Tennessee Williams. The piece was drawn from Chandler's interviews with Williams. Originally scheduled for four weekend performances at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, the production ran for over a year following its enthusiastic reception. Actors Eva Marie Saint and her husband Jeffrey Hayden took out a full-page advertisement in Daily Variety encouraging audiences to attend. Stricklyn was named Best Actor of the Year twice each by the LA Drama Critics Circle and LA Weekly for the role. The show subsequently moved to Broadway, toured the United States for an additional year, and was later performed at the Edinburgh Festival.

In 1965 Stricklyn met furniture refurbisher David Galligan, who later became a noted stage director; the two remained lifetime companions. Stricklyn published his autobiography, Angels & Demons: One Actor's Hollywood Journey, in 1999 through Belle Publishing in Los Angeles. After being diagnosed with emphysema in 1997, he had begun writing the memoir as a coming-out account of his life and career. Ray Stricklyn died of emphysema in Los Angeles on May 14, 2002. He was survived by his sister, Mary Ann, and by David Galligan.