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Richard Stapley
Stapley appearing in a 1965 episode of The Saint
Born	(1923-06-20)20 June 1923 Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England, UK
Died	5 March 2010(2010-03-05) (aged 86) Palm Springs, California, U.S.
Other names	Richard Wyler
Occupation(s)	Actor, author
Years active	1948–1978
Spouse	Elizabeth Wyler

Richard Stapley (20 June 1923 – 5 March 2010), also known by the stage name Richard Wyler, was a British actor and writer.

Early life

Stapley was born in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England in 1923. A writer, Stapley published his first novel when he was just 17 years old. He served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

Career

Following the end of the Second World War, Stapley began appearing in theatre roles in London. He soon signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), making his film debut in a supporting role in the 1948 film, The Three Musketeers. He next appeared in the 1949 remake, Little Women, in which he played John Brooke, the love interest of Janet Leigh's character, Meg.

He continued to appear in a string of Hollywood films at different studios during the 1940s and 1950s, including the 1951 period drama The Strange Door, which co-starred Boris Karloff and Charles Laughton; 1953's King of the Khyber Rifles, which starred Tyrone Power; Charge of the Lancers with Paulette Goddard; and The Iron Glove with Robert Stack in 1954. In 1955 Stapley starred in Target Zero as a British tank commander serving in the Korean War.

Stapley returned to Britain and Europe in 1960, where he adopted the stage name, Richard Wyler. His British television credits from that era included the crime series, Man from Interpol and the film Identity Unknown (1960). He also appeared in the 1961–1962 American dramatic television series Window on Main Street.

He travelled to the Continent where he starred in a series of European-made adventure and western films using the name, Richard Wyler, including The Barbarians, The Exterminators, The Bounty Killer, Dick Smart 2.007, and The Girl from Rio.

During the early part of the decade, he wrote Thru the Gears, a monthly feature for American magazine Motorcyclist, a weekly column for Motor Cycling magazine, Richard Wyler's Coffee Bar Column, and owned a shop in Central Road, Worcester Park, London, specialising in performance motorcycle parts and accessories. The shop was later sold to Cyril Jones.

During the 1970s, Stapley returned to film roles under his birthname, Richard Stapley. He co-starred in the 1970 film, Connecting Rooms, in a supporting role to stars Michael Redgrave and Bette Davis. He was also cast in Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy.

When his acting roles became fewer he became a radio announcer in Britain, raced motorbikes, and in the 1970s worked part-time as a motor cycle courier.

Stapley became a naturalised US citizen during his later life. He focused on writing following his acting career. He published a novel entitled, Naked Legacy, in 2004. Stapley also completed a second novel and corresponding adapted screenplay, both called Tomorrow Will Be Cancelled. He was working on an autobiography at the time of his death in 2010.

Richard Stapley died of kidney failure at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, California, on 5 March 2010, at the age of 86. His death was announced by his publicist, Alan Eichler.

Filmography

References

1. "Richard Stapley: Film and television actor who starred alongside". Independent.co.uk. June 2010.
2. ^ "Richard Stapley, 86, was actor, writer". Variety. 7 March 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
3. ^ "Actor Richard Stapley dies at 86". Globe Gazette. Mason City, IA. Associated Press. 7 March 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
4. "THRU the GEARS. Dick Wyler's Column." Motorcyclist (Western Journal Co., Business Publishers/West), February 1962, p.26. Accessed 13 May 2022
5. "Dick Wyler's Coffee-Bar Column". Motor Cycling. 104–105. London: Temple Press Limited.
6. Motorcycle Mechanics, July 1964, p.48 Technical Topics by Bruce Cox. Retrieved 5 March 2016
7. Motorcycle Mechanics, September 1965, p. 11 Full Chat by Ian Speller. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
8. "Cinefantastique – Horror, Fantasy & Science Fiction Films". Cinefantastiqueonline.com. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
9. Wilkins, Julian (2 June 2010). "Richard Stapley: Film and television actor who starred alongside Elizabeth Taylor in 'Little Women'". The Independent. London.

External links

• Richard Stapley (Richard Wyler) at IMDb
• Richard Wyler racing in a 1961 film by Pathé News

• 1923 births
• 2010 deaths
• 20th-century English novelists
• 21st-century English novelists
• 20th-century English male actors
• English male film actors
• English screenwriters
• English male screenwriters
• English male television actors
• English expatriate male actors in the United States
• Royal Air Force personnel of World War II
• People from Westcliff-on-Sea
• Male actors from Essex
• Deaths from kidney failure in California
• Writers from Essex
• Royal Air Force airmen
• Military personnel from Southend-on-Sea
• Actors from Southend-on-Sea (district)