Clint Ritchie
Encyclopedia
Clinton Charles Augustus Ritchie (August 9, 1938 – January 31, 2009) was an American
actor
.
to J. C. and Charlotte Ritchie, and his family moved to Washington state when he was seven. Voted "Handsome Harry" by his schoolmates at Sunnyside High School, he moved to California at the age of 16 where he had a variety of jobs (truck driver, service station attendant, furniture factory worker, bartender (before his age of 19 was found out) and health club manager) before becoming an actor. But the most interesting times of his life were in the Yakima Valley, where he taught his best friend, Robert Clayton, to ride a horse.
, husband of Victoria "Viki" Lord
(played by Erika Slezak
) on the ABC
soap opera
, One Life to Live
; having originated the character in 1979, portrayed the role through 1998, with recurring stints in 1999, 2003, and 2004.
He was under contract at 20th Century Fox with Tom Selleck
and is credited with teaching Selleck how to ride a horse.
He co-starred and guest starred in numerous television Westerns during the 1950s and 1960s, including the 1965 pilot for the long-running Wild, Wild West. He also appeared on Batman
. He appeared in many films including Earthquake, The St. Valentine's Day Massacre, Bandolero,
A Force of One
, Joe Kidd
and Patton
. In the latter film, he had a notable scene as a wounded tank commander who briefs Patton on a fierce night battle. His television movie roles included Centennial and Three Desperate Women. Later, he would appear on Roseanne
as "Clint Buchanan" with costars Robert S. Woods
and John Loprieno
.
He was critically injured at California ranch on May 10, 1993, when his John Deere tractor upended, knocked him to the ground and rolled over him. Quoted as saying that he could hear his own ribs cracking, he survived and returned to the One Life to Live
set after recuperating. His co-star Erika Slezak fought not to have his role recast by another actor. His character, Clint Buchanan, was written off temporarily as having been in an airplane crash while Ritchie recuperated.
, which is situated near the site of the annual Tevis Cup
100 mile endurance horse race which starts in Squaw Valley
and ends in Auburn, California
. His character on One Life to Live had a ranch in Arizona with the same name and several of his horses were used on the show.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Early life
Ritchie was born on a farm in Grafton, North DakotaGrafton, North Dakota
-Education:The city of Grafton is served by the Grafton Public Schools system. The system includes Century Elementary School , Central Middle School , and Grafton High School .-Library:...
to J. C. and Charlotte Ritchie, and his family moved to Washington state when he was seven. Voted "Handsome Harry" by his schoolmates at Sunnyside High School, he moved to California at the age of 16 where he had a variety of jobs (truck driver, service station attendant, furniture factory worker, bartender (before his age of 19 was found out) and health club manager) before becoming an actor. But the most interesting times of his life were in the Yakima Valley, where he taught his best friend, Robert Clayton, to ride a horse.
Career
He is best known for his the acting role as Clinton "Clint" BuchananClint Buchanan
Clinton "Clint" Buchanan is a fictional character on the ABC daytime soap opera One Life to Live.-Casting:The role was originated in September 10, 1979 by actor Clint Ritchie, portraying the role nearly continuously through December 30, 1999. Ritchie reappeared in the 2003 and 2004. Actor Jerry...
, husband of Victoria "Viki" Lord
Victoria Lord
Victoria "Viki" Lord is the principal fictional character and matriarch of the Lord family on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live...
(played by Erika Slezak
Erika Slezak
Erika Alma Hermina Slezak is an American actress, best known for her role as Victoria Lord on the American daytime soap opera One Life to Live...
) on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
, One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
; having originated the character in 1979, portrayed the role through 1998, with recurring stints in 1999, 2003, and 2004.
He was under contract at 20th Century Fox with Tom Selleck
Tom Selleck
Thomas William "Tom" Selleck is an American actor, and film producer. He is best known for his starring role as Hawaii-based private investigator Thomas Magnum on the 1980s television show Magnum, P.I.. He also plays Police Chief Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on the Robert B....
and is credited with teaching Selleck how to ride a horse.
He co-starred and guest starred in numerous television Westerns during the 1950s and 1960s, including the 1965 pilot for the long-running Wild, Wild West. He also appeared on Batman
Batman (TV series)
Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
. He appeared in many films including Earthquake, The St. Valentine's Day Massacre, Bandolero,
A Force of One
A Force of One
A Force of One is a 1979 martial arts film starring Chuck Norris, Jennifer O'Neill, Ron O'Neal, Clu Gulager, and Bill Wallace. The film was directed by Paul Aaron and written by Pat E...
, Joe Kidd
Joe Kidd
Joe Kidd is a 1972 American western film starring Clint Eastwood and Robert Duvall, written by Elmore Leonard and directed by John Sturges....
and Patton
Patton (film)
Patton is a 1970 American biographical war film about U.S. General George S. Patton during World War II. It stars George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Michael Bates, and Karl Michael Vogler. It was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner from a script by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H...
. In the latter film, he had a notable scene as a wounded tank commander who briefs Patton on a fierce night battle. His television movie roles included Centennial and Three Desperate Women. Later, he would appear on Roseanne
Roseanne (TV series)
Roseanne is an American sitcom broadcast on ABC from October 18, 1988 to May 20, 1997. Starring Roseanne Barr, the show revolved around the Conners, an Illinois working class family...
as "Clint Buchanan" with costars Robert S. Woods
Robert S. Woods
Robert Sosebee Woods is an American actor best known for playing Bo Buchanan on the ABC soap One Life to Live, a role for which he won a 1983 Daytime Emmy Award for Lead Actor.-Early life:...
and John Loprieno
John Loprieno
John A. Loprieno is an American actor and writer.With appearances on the soap operas Search for Tomorrow and As the World Turns, he is best known for his role as Cord Roberts on the ABC soap opera, One Life to Live....
.
He was critically injured at California ranch on May 10, 1993, when his John Deere tractor upended, knocked him to the ground and rolled over him. Quoted as saying that he could hear his own ribs cracking, he survived and returned to the One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
set after recuperating. His co-star Erika Slezak fought not to have his role recast by another actor. His character, Clint Buchanan, was written off temporarily as having been in an airplane crash while Ritchie recuperated.
Later life
Ritchie retired in December 1998, citing One Life to Live destruction of his character during the 1992 Viki-Clint-Sloan Carpenter love triangle story as one of the major reasons. He frequently stated, "I never got hate mail in my life until they changed Clint Buchanan". The role was eventually recast when Ritchie made clear that he was delighted to reprise his role for short stints from time to time, but had no interest in returning to acting or New York City full-time. He spent the rest of his life alone at his 60 acres (242,811.6 m²) California ranch, with his numerous dogs, cats and horses. He purchased the ranch, named the Happy Horse Ranch, in 1980 largely due to its location near Grass ValleyGrass Valley, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Grass Valley had a population of 12,860. The population density was 2,711.3 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Grass Valley was 11,493 White, 46 African American, 208 Native American, 188 Asian, 9 Pacific Islander, 419 from other...
, which is situated near the site of the annual Tevis Cup
Tevis Cup
The Western States Trail Ride, popularly called The Tevis Cup, is a 100-mile endurance ride. The amateur event has been held annually since 1955....
100 mile endurance horse race which starts in Squaw Valley
Squaw Valley
Squaw Valley can refer to the following places in the United States:*Squaw Valley, Fresno County, California, a census-designated place located in Fresno County, California*Squaw Valley, Placer County, California, a community in Placer County, California...
and ends in Auburn, California
Auburn, California
Auburn is the county seat of Placer County, California. Its population at the 2010 census was 13,330. Auburn is known for its California Gold Rush history.Auburn is part of the Greater Sacramento area.- History :...
. His character on One Life to Live had a ranch in Arizona with the same name and several of his horses were used on the show.