Rex Bell
Encyclopedia
Rex Bell born George Francis Beldam, was an American
actor
and politician
. He was the Lieutenant Governor
of Nevada
and a western movie star
. Rex was born in Chicago
and married actress Clara Bow
in 1931. They had two sons, Tony Beldon (1934-2011, changed name to Rex Anthony Bell, Jr.) and George Beldon, Jr. (born 1938).
In 1931, Rex and Clara founded the Walking Box Ranch
.
In 1944 Bell ran for the United States House of Representatives
on the Republican ticket against Democrat Berkeley Bunker. The Nevada State Journal commented on November 1: "He has made friends where ever he appeared but consensus is that the time is too short to overcome a handicap of not being so well known as his opponent". The election was held November 7, and Bell got 19,096 votes against Bunker who received 36,648 .
Bell was the leader of the Nevada Republican Party
and in 1948 was an alternate to the Republican National Convention
. He was also active in the Nevada Chamber of Commerce and Boy Scouts.
The ties Bell forged during those years helped him win the lieutenant governor's office in 1954. That year Charles H. Russell
, the incumbent GOP governor, also won. In 1958 Democrat Grant Sawyer unseated Russell, but Bell won re-election as lieutenant governor. He died in office in 1962.
His final film appearance was a brief cameo as a cowboy in John Huston
's film The Misfits
(1961), which was shot on location in Nevada.
The Rex Bell Elementary School in Las Vegas was named in honor of Bell.
His grave is located in Glendale, California's
Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery
.
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...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He was the Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant governor (United States)
In the United States, 43 of the 50 states have a separate, full-time office of lieutenant governor. In most cases, the lieutenant governor is the highest officer of state after the governor, standing in for that officer when he or she is absent from the state or temporarily incapacitated...
of Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
and a western movie star
Movie star
A movie star is a celebrity who is well-known, or famous, for his or her starring, or leading, roles in motion pictures. The term may also apply to an actor or actress who is recognized as a marketable commodity and whose name is used to promote a movie in trailers and posters...
. Rex was born in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and married actress Clara Bow
Clara Bow
Clara Gordon Bow was an American actress who rose to stardom in the silent film era of the 1920s. It was her appearance as a spunky shopgirl in the film It that brought her global fame and the nickname "The It Girl." Bow came to personify the roaring twenties and is described as its leading sex...
in 1931. They had two sons, Tony Beldon (1934-2011, changed name to Rex Anthony Bell, Jr.) and George Beldon, Jr. (born 1938).
In 1931, Rex and Clara founded the Walking Box Ranch
Walking Box Ranch
Walking Box Ranch, west of Searchlight, Nevada in the Mojave Desert, was founded in 1931 by Rex Bell and Clara Bow as a working ranch. The ranch covered at the time it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 30, 2009...
.
In 1944 Bell ran for the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
on the Republican ticket against Democrat Berkeley Bunker. The Nevada State Journal commented on November 1: "He has made friends where ever he appeared but consensus is that the time is too short to overcome a handicap of not being so well known as his opponent". The election was held November 7, and Bell got 19,096 votes against Bunker who received 36,648 .
Bell was the leader of the Nevada Republican Party
Nevada Republican Party
The Nevada Republican Party is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in Nevada. The Republican Party promotes the beliefs that individuals, not the government, make the best decisions. -History:...
and in 1948 was an alternate to the Republican National Convention
1948 Republican National Convention
The 1948 Republican National Convention was held at the Municipal Auditorium, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from June 21 to 25, 1948.New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey had paved the way to win the Republican presidential nomination in the primary elections, where he had beaten Minnesota Governor...
. He was also active in the Nevada Chamber of Commerce and Boy Scouts.
The ties Bell forged during those years helped him win the lieutenant governor's office in 1954. That year Charles H. Russell
Charles H. Russell
Charles Hinton Russell was an American politician. He was the 20th Governor of Nevada. He was a member of the Republican Party.-Biography:...
, the incumbent GOP governor, also won. In 1958 Democrat Grant Sawyer unseated Russell, but Bell won re-election as lieutenant governor. He died in office in 1962.
His final film appearance was a brief cameo as a cowboy in John Huston
John Huston
John Marcellus Huston was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics: The Maltese Falcon , The Treasure of the Sierra Madre , Key Largo , The Asphalt Jungle , The African Queen , Moulin Rouge...
's film The Misfits
The Misfits (film)
The Misfits is a 1961 American drama film written by Arthur Miller, directed by John Huston, and starring Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift, Thelma Ritter, and Eli Wallach. It was the final film appearance for both Gable and Monroe...
(1961), which was shot on location in Nevada.
The Rex Bell Elementary School in Las Vegas was named in honor of Bell.
His grave is located in Glendale, California's
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery
Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Forest Lawn Memorial Park is a privately owned cemetery in Glendale, California. It is the original location of Forest Lawn, a chain of cemeteries in Southern California. The land was formerly part of Providencia Ranch.-History:...
.
Filmography
- Salute
- Hollywood on Parade No. A-8Hollywood on Parade No. A-8Hollywood on Parade No. A-8 is an Paramount Pictures short starring Bela Lugosi and Betty Boop.- Plot summary :The waxwork figure of Eddie Borden comes to life and introduces various stars from the Hollywood Hall of Fame. and tells the audience about the various stars such as Clara Bow. Clara...
- They Had to See ParisThey Had to See ParisThey Had to See Paris is a 1929 American comedy film directed by Frank Borzage and starring Will Rogers, Irene Rich and Marguerite Churchill. A wealthy American oil tycoon travels to Paris with his family at his wife's request, despite the fact he hates the French.Rogers starred in a similar film...
(1929) - Happy DaysHappy Days (1929 film)Happy Days is an 80 minute musical film, notable for being the first feature film shown entirely in widescreen anywhere in the world. Happy Days (1929) is an 80 minute musical film, notable for being the first feature film shown entirely in widescreen anywhere in the world. Happy Days (1929) is an...
- True to the NavyTrue to the NavyTrue to the Navy is a 1930 Romantic Comedy film directed by Frank Tuttle for Paramount Pictures. The film stars Clara Bow as a counter girl at a San Diego drugstore with a predilection for sailors. Eventually she sets her sights on Bull's Eye McCoy , a stiff-necked gunners mate.-Cast:*Clara...
- Lone StarLone Star (1952 film)Lone Star is a 1952 Western film starring Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, Broderick Crawford, Ed Begley, and Lionel Barrymore as President Andrew Jackson...
- Dawn on the Great DivideDawn on the Great Divide- Cast :*Buck Jones as Buck Roberts*Mona Barrie as Sadie Rand*Raymond Hatton as Sandy Hopkins*Robert Lowery as Terry Wallace*Rex Bell as Jack Carson*Maude Eburne as Sarah Harkins*Christine McIntyre as Mary Harkins, Sarah's Daughter*Betty Blythe as Mrs...
- Law of the Sea
- The Idaho Kid
- Law and LeadLaw and Lead- Cast :*Rex Bell as Jimmy Sawyer*Hal Taliaferro as Steve Bradley, posing as The Juarez Kid*Harley Wood as Hope Hawley*Earl Dwire as Dad Hawley*Soledad Jiménez as Señora Gonzales*Donald Reed as Pancho Gonzales, aka The Juarez Kid*Roger Williams as Card cheat...
- Cowboys and Injuns
- Tombstone, the Town Too Tough to DieTombstone, the Town Too Tough to DieTombstone: The Town Too Tough to Die is a Western film released in 1942, starring Richard Dix and Kent Taylor, and directed by William McGann.-Plot:...
- The MisfitsThe Misfits (film)The Misfits is a 1961 American drama film written by Arthur Miller, directed by John Huston, and starring Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift, Thelma Ritter, and Eli Wallach. It was the final film appearance for both Gable and Monroe...