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Richard Boone had beef with Jack Webb
It just wouldn't be Hollywood if stars didn't butt heads once in awhile.
No, we don't mean they were both served sirloin!
Back in the day, tons of celebrities had beef, even though the term wasn't really around yet. Beef, in this context, means "a feud." To use another culinary term, feuds are Hollywood's bread and butter. The town is fueled by rivalries and one-upmanship. It shouldn't come as a surprise, then, when disputes threaten to disrupt a show's production.
Before pettiness and politics could have a chance to interrupt filming for Boone's show Hec Ramsey, the 1973 writers' strike did the disrupting first! The 111-day Writers Guild of America strike didn't completely halt every show and movie in town, but according to Richard Boone, it provided studio heads and producers enough time to get in and ruin things.
Hec Ramsey was a bit of a comeback character for Boone, after starring in big hits like Medic, Have Gun—Will Travel, and The Richard Boone Show. Following those successes, Boone stepped away from TV, leaving for Hawaii before returning to Tinsel Town for a few movies. All seemed well as he joined up for Ramsey, a coproduction between Jack Webb's Mark IV Productions and Universal Studios.
That is, all seemed well until the writers' strike. The earlier days of the show were populated by creatives Boone knew and trusted. He was comfortable with the decision-makers around him. However, this honeymoon period didn't last forever, as the WGA walkout created just enough pause for the powers that be to bring it all crashing down.
"Jack Webb and his chums have taken over complete creative control of Hec Ramsey," Boone reported to the San Mateo, California Times in July of '73.
"They have fired Doug Benton. They have gotten rid of Ken Kolb, Ron Bishop, and John Meston, three very fine writers who were working on projects for the coming season. The firing of Benton was done over my loudest protests. I think he got a rotten deal."
Despite the show's ratings, Hec Ramsey was canceled after its five-episode second season following disagreements between Boone and the producers.
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