Richard Dix
Encyclopedia
Richard Dix was an American
motion picture actor
who achieved popularity in both silent
and sound film. His standard on-screen image was that of the rugged and stalwart hero.
he took a position at a bank, spending his evenings training for the stage. His professional start was with a local stock company, and this led to similar work in New York City
. The death of his father left him with a mother and sister to support. He went to Los Angeles, became leading man for the Morosco Stock Company and his success there got him a contract with Paramount Pictures.
's silent version of The Ten Commandments
(1923). He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor
in 1931 for his performance as Yancey Cravat in Cimarron
, in which he shared top-billing with Irene Dunne
. Cimarron, based on the popular novel by Edna Ferber
, took the Best Picture award. Dix starred in another RKO adventure, The Lost Squadron.
A memorable role for Dix was in the 1935 British futuristic film The Tunnel
. An original poster for this film was catalogued with an estimated value of between $2000 – $3000 by Heritage Auction Galleries in Dallas in the Summer of 2006. Dix starred in The Great Jasper and Blind Alibi in the late 1930s. His popular RKO Radio Pictures co-star in Blind Alibi was Ace the Wonder Dog
. Dix's human co-stars were Whitney Bourne, Eduardo Ciannelli; the film was directed by Lew Landers
.
In the 1940s he starred in The Whistler
, the first of a series of eight "Whistler" films for Columbia Pictures
. Dix retired from acting after making the seventh in the series, The Thirteenth Hour
.
After suffering a serious heart attack
on 12 September 1949 while on a train from New York to Los Angeles Dix died of at age 56, on September 20, 1949. He was survived by four children from his two marriages, but sadly in 1953 his son, Richard Dix Jr., was killed in an accident at a logging camp near Ponderosa, California. Richard Dix Sr. was interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California
.
Richard Dix has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
at 1610 Vine Street.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
motion picture 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...
who achieved popularity in both silent
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
and sound film. His standard on-screen image was that of the rugged and stalwart hero.
Early life
Born Ernst Carlton Brimmer on July 18, 1893, in St. Paul, Minnesota. There he was educated, and at the desires of his father, studied to be a surgeon. His obvious acting talent in his school dramatic club led him to leading roles in most of the school plays. At 6' 0" and 180 pounds, Dix excelled in sports, especially football and baseball. These skills would serve him well in the vigorous film roles he would go on to play. After a year at the University of MinnesotaUniversity of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
he took a position at a bank, spending his evenings training for the stage. His professional start was with a local stock company, and this led to similar work in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The death of his father left him with a mother and sister to support. He went to Los Angeles, became leading man for the Morosco Stock Company and his success there got him a contract with Paramount Pictures.
Career
After his move to Hollywood, where he began a career in Western movies. One of the few actors to successfully bridge the transition from silent films to talkies, Dix's best-remembered early role was in Cecil B. DemilleCecil B. DeMille
Cecil Blount DeMille was an American film director and Academy Award-winning film producer in both silent and sound films. He was renowned for the flamboyance and showmanship of his movies...
's silent version of The Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments (1923 film)
The Ten Commandments is a 1923 American epic silent film directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring Theodore Roberts as Moses, Charles de Rochefort as Pharaoh Ramesses, Estelle Taylor as Miriam the sister of Moses, and James Neill as Aaron, the brother of Moses...
(1923). He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor
Academy Award for Best Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
in 1931 for his performance as Yancey Cravat in Cimarron
Cimarron (1931 film)
Cimarron is a 1931 Pre-Code film directed by Wesley Ruggles and based on the Edna Ferber novel Cimarron. It won three Academy Awards.-Background:...
, in which he shared top-billing with Irene Dunne
Irene Dunne
Irene Dunne was an American film actress and singer of the 1930s, 1940s and early 1950s. Dunne was nominated five times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, for her performances in Cimarron , Theodora Goes Wild , The Awful Truth , Love Affair and I Remember Mama...
. Cimarron, based on the popular novel by Edna Ferber
Edna Ferber
Edna Ferber was an American novelist, short story writer and playwright. Her novels were especially popular and included the Pulitzer Prize-winning So Big , Show Boat , and Giant .-Early years:Ferber was born August 15, 1885, in Kalamazoo, Michigan,...
, took the Best Picture award. Dix starred in another RKO adventure, The Lost Squadron.
A memorable role for Dix was in the 1935 British futuristic film The Tunnel
The Tunnel (1935 film)
The Tunnel, also known as Transatlantic Tunnel in the United States, is a 1935 British science fiction film based on the 1913 novel Der Tunnel by Bernhard Kellermann, about the building of a transatlantic tunnel. It was directed by Maurice Elvey and stars Richard Dix, Leslie Banks, Madge Evans,...
. An original poster for this film was catalogued with an estimated value of between $2000 – $3000 by Heritage Auction Galleries in Dallas in the Summer of 2006. Dix starred in The Great Jasper and Blind Alibi in the late 1930s. His popular RKO Radio Pictures co-star in Blind Alibi was Ace the Wonder Dog
Ace the Wonder Dog
Ace the Wonder Dog was a German Shepherd that acted in several films and film serials from 1938 to 1946. His first appearance was in the 1938 Lew Landers film...
. Dix's human co-stars were Whitney Bourne, Eduardo Ciannelli; the film was directed by Lew Landers
Lew Landers
Lew Landers was a prolific American film and television director.-Biography:Born Louis Friedlander in New York City, he began his movie career as an actor. In 1914 he appeared in two features, D. W. Griffith's The Escape and the comedy short Admission -- Two Pins, opposite Glen White, under his...
.
In the 1940s he starred in The Whistler
The Whistler
The Whistler was an American radio mystery drama which ran from May 16, 1942 until September 22, 1955. It was sponsored by the Signal Oil Company: "That whistle is your signal for the Signal Oil program, The Whistler." The program was adapted into a film noir series by Columbia Pictures in...
, the first of a series of eight "Whistler" films for Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
. Dix retired from acting after making the seventh in the series, The Thirteenth Hour
The Whistler
The Whistler was an American radio mystery drama which ran from May 16, 1942 until September 22, 1955. It was sponsored by the Signal Oil Company: "That whistle is your signal for the Signal Oil program, The Whistler." The program was adapted into a film noir series by Columbia Pictures in...
.
Hobbies
According to the July 1934 Movies magazine, on his ranch near Hollywood whose location he kept a close secret, Dix raised thousands of chickens and turkeys each year. He also had a collection of thousands of pipes, and a "collection" of 36 dogs, "Scotties and English setters". He also read at least five books a week.Death
Richard Dix retired from films in 1947. He first married Winifred Coe on October 20, 1931, had a daughter, Martha Mary Ellen, then divorced in 1933. He then married Virginia Webster on June 29, 1934. They had twin boys, Richard Jr. and Robert Dix and an adopted daughter, Sara Sue.After suffering a serious heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
on 12 September 1949 while on a train from New York to Los Angeles Dix died of at age 56, on September 20, 1949. He was survived by four children from his two marriages, but sadly in 1953 his son, Richard Dix Jr., was killed in an accident at a logging camp near Ponderosa, California. Richard Dix Sr. was interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California
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...
.
Richard Dix has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
at 1610 Vine Street.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1917 | One of Many | James Lowery |
| 1921 | Not Guilty | Paul Ellison/Arthur Ellison |
| All's Fair in Love | Bobby Cameron | |
| Dangerous Curve Ahead | Harley Jones | |
| The Poverty of Riches | John Colby | |
| 1922 | The Glorious Fool | Billy Grant |
| Yellow Men and Gold | Parrish | |
| Fools First | Tommy Frazer | |
| The Wall Flower | Walt Breen | |
| The Bonded Woman | Lee Marvin | |
| The Sin Flood | Bill Bear | |
| 1923 | The Christian The Christian (1923 film) The Christian is a silent film drama, released by Goldwyn Pictures, directed by Maurice Tourneur, and starring Richard Dix and Mae Busch.-Production background:... |
John Storm |
| Quicksands | Lieutenant Bill | |
| Souls for Sale Souls for Sale Souls for Sale is a silent film written, directed, and produced by Rupert Hughes from his novel of the same name. The film featured Eleanor Boardman in her first leading role, having won a contract with Goldwyn Studios through their "New Faces of 1921" contest just two years prior.The film is most... |
Frank Claymore | |
| The Woman with Four Faces | Richard Templar | |
| Racing Hearts | Robby Smith | |
| To the Last Man | Jean Isbel | |
| The Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments (1923 film) The Ten Commandments is a 1923 American epic silent film directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring Theodore Roberts as Moses, Charles de Rochefort as Pharaoh Ramesses, Estelle Taylor as Miriam the sister of Moses, and James Neill as Aaron, the brother of Moses... |
John McTavish | |
| The Call of the Canyon The Call of the Canyon The Call of the Canyon is a silent Western directed by Victor Fleming. The film was based on the story of the same name by Zane Grey.-Preservation status:... |
Glenn Kilbourne | |
| 1924 | The Stranger | Larry Darrant |
| Icebound Icebound (1924 film) Icebound is a silent film drama produced and distributed by Paramount Pictures, directed by William C. deMille, and based on a 1923 Pulitzer Prize Broadway produced play of the same name by Owen Davis... |
Ben Jordan | |
| Unguarded Women | Douglas Albright | |
| Sinners In Heaven Sinners In Heaven (1924 film) Sinners in Heaven is a 1924 silent film island romance drama directed by Alan Crosland and released through Paramount Pictures. It stars Richard Dix and Bebe Daniels in the principal roles. It is now considered a lost film.-Cast:... |
Alan Croft | |
| Manhattan | Peter Minuit | |
| Too Many Kisses Too Many Kisses Too Many Kisses is a 1925 silent comedy directed by Paul Sloane and based on John Monk Saunders's story. "A Maker of Gestures." It is notable for being the earliest surviving film to feature Harpo Marx.-Plot:... |
Richard Gaylord, Jr | |
| A Man Must Live | Geoffrey Farnell | |
| 1925 | The Shock Punch | Randall Lee Savage |
| Men and Women | Will Prescott | |
| The Lucky Devil | Randy Farnum | |
| The Vanishing American The Vanishing American (1925 film) __notoc__The Vanishing American is a silent film western produced by Famous Players-Lasky in the United States, and distributed through Paramount Pictures. The film was directed by George B. Seitz and starred Richard Dix and Lois Wilson, recently paired in several screen dramas by Paramount... |
Nophaie | |
| Womanhandled Womanhandled Womanhandled is a 1925 silent film comedy, produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed through Paramount Pictures. It is based on a short story by Arthur Stringer and stars Richard Dix and Esther Ralston.-Cast:*Richard Dix - Bill Dana... |
Bill Dana | |
| 1926 | Let's Get Married Let's Get Married (1926 film) Let's Get Married is a 1926 silent film comedy produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It's directed by Gregory La Cava and stars Richard Dix and Lois Wilson. The film is based on an 1897 play The Man from Mexico by Henry A. Du Souchet performed by William Collier, Sr.... |
Billy Dexter |
| Fascinating Youth Fascinating Youth Fascinating Youth is a 1926 silent drama film directed by Sam Wood and featuring Thelma Todd and Josephine Dunn in supporting roles. It was produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures Many well known personalities make guest appearances in this film judging a beauty... |
Himself (cameo) | |
| Say It Again | Bob Howard | |
| The Quarterback | Jack Stone | |
| 1927 | Paradise for Two Paradise for Two Paradise for Two is a 1937 British comedy film directed by Thornton Freeland and starring Jack Hulbert, Patricia Ellis and Arthur Riscoe. It is also known by the alternative title Gaiety Girls... |
Steve Porter |
| Knockout Reilly | Dundee "Knockout" Reilly | |
| Man Power | Tom Roberts | |
| Shanghai Bound | Jim Bucklin | |
| The Gay Defender | Joaquin Murrieta Joaquin Murrieta Joaquin Carrillo Murrieta , also called the Mexican or Chilean Robin Hood or the Robin Hood of El Dorado, was a semi-legendary figure in California during the California Gold Rush of the 1850s... |
|
| 1928 | Sporting Goods | Richard Shelby |
| Easy Come, Easy Go | Robert Parker | |
| Warming Up Warming up A warm-up is usually performed before participating in technical sports or exercising. A warm-up generally consists of a gradual increase in intensity in physical activity , a joint mobility exercise, stretching and a sport related activity. For example, before running or playing an intense sport... |
Bert Tulliver | |
| Moran of the Marines | Michael Moran | |
| 1929 | The Love Doctor | Dr. Gerald Summer |
| Redskin Redskin (film) Redskin is a feature film with a synchronized score and sound effects, filmed partially in Technicolor. Color film was used for the scenes taking place on the Indians' land, while black and white was used only in the scenes set in the white man's world. Roughly two-thirds of the film is in... |
Wingfoot |
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1929 | Nothing But the Truth Nothing But the Truth (1929 film) Nothing But the Truth is a sound comedy film starring Richard Dix. The film was remade as Nothing But the Truth starring Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard.-Plot summary:... |
Robert Bennett |
| The Wheel of Life | Captain Leslie Yeullet | |
| Seven Keys to Baldpate | William Halliwell Magee | |
| 1930 | Lovin' the Ladies | Peter Darby |
| Shooting Straight | Larry Sheldon | |
| 1931 | Cimarron Cimarron (1931 film) Cimarron is a 1931 Pre-Code film directed by Wesley Ruggles and based on the Edna Ferber novel Cimarron. It won three Academy Awards.-Background:... |
Yancey Cravat Temple Houston Temple Lea Houston was the last-born child of Texas Revolutionary Sam Houston.After traveling and working in the East, Houston returned to Texas in 1877, and graduated from Baylor University with honors in 1880.... |
| Young Donovan's Kid Young Donovan's Kid Young Donovan's Kid is a 1931 drama film directed by Fred Niblo, starring Richard Dix and featuring Boris Karloff.-Cast:* Richard Dix - Jim Donovan* Marion Shilling - Kitty Costello* Jackie Cooper - Midge Murray* Frank Sheridan - Father Dan... |
Jim Donovan | |
| The Public Defender The Public Defender The Public Defender is a 1931 crime film directed by J. Walter Ruben, starring Richard Dix and featuring Boris Karloff. Rich playboy Pike Winslow dons the mantle of 'The Reckoner', a mysterious avenger, when he learns that his lady friend Barbara Gerry's father has been framed in a bank... |
Pike Winslow | |
| Secret Service | Captain Lewis Dumont | |
| 1932 | The Lost Squadron The Lost Squadron The Lost Squadron is a action film starring Richard Dix, Mary Astor, and Robert Armstrong, with Erich von Stroheim and Joel McCrea, and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film is about three World War I pilots who find jobs after the war as Hollywood stunt fliers... |
Capt. "Gibby" Gibson |
| Roar of the Dragon | Captain Chauncey Carson | |
| Hell's Highway | Frank 'Duke' Ellis | |
| The Conquerors | Roger Standish/Roger Standish Lennox | |
| 1933 | The Great Jasper | Jasper Horn |
| No Marriage Ties | Bruce Foster | |
| Ace of Aces | 2nd Lt. Rex 'Rocky' Thorne | |
| Day of Reckoning | John Day | |
| 1934 | Stingaree Stingaree (1934 film) Stingaree is a musical western film directed by William A. Wellman released by RKO Radio Pictures in 1934. The film was based on a story by E. W. Hornung, which was published in 1905. Set in Australia, it starred Irene Dunne as Hilda Bouverie and Richard Dix as Stingaree.- Plot :Hilda Bouverie is... |
Stingaree |
| His Greatest Gamble | Phillip Eden | |
| West of the Pecos | Pecos Smith | |
| 1935 | The Arizonian | Clay Tallant |
| The Tunnel The Tunnel (1935 film) The Tunnel, also known as Transatlantic Tunnel in the United States, is a 1935 British science fiction film based on the 1913 novel Der Tunnel by Bernhard Kellermann, about the building of a transatlantic tunnel. It was directed by Maurice Elvey and stars Richard Dix, Leslie Banks, Madge Evans,... |
Richard 'Mack" McAllan | |
| 1936 | Yellow Dust | Bob Culpepper |
| Special Investigator | William "Bill" Fenwick | |
| Devil's Squadron | Paul Redmond | |
| 1937 | The Devil's Playground | Jack Dorgan |
| The Devil Is Driving | Paul Driscoll | |
| It Happened in Hollywood | Tim Bart | |
| 1938 | Blind Alibi | Paul Dover |
| Sky Giant | Capt. W.R. "Stag" Cahill | |
| 1939 | Man of Conquest Man of Conquest Man of Conquest is a 1939 Western film directed by George Nichols Jr.. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Score, Best Sound and Best Art Direction .-Cast:* Richard Dix - Sam Houston... |
Sam Houston Sam Houston Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of... |
| Here I Am a Stranger | Duke Allen | |
| Reno | Bill Shear | |
| 1940 | The Marines Fly High | Lt. Danny Darrick |
| Men Against the Sky Men Against the Sky Men Against the Sky is a 1940 drama starring Richard Dix and written by Nathanael West and based on a story by John Twist. Directed by Leslie Goodwins, this film deals with the dangers of flying and aircraft development in the period before World War II.... |
Phil Mercedes | |
| Cherokee Strip | Marshal Dave Morrell | |
| 1941 | The Roundup | Steve Payson |
| Badlands of Dakota | Wild Bill Hickok Wild Bill Hickok James Butler Hickok , better known as Wild Bill Hickok, was a folk hero of the American Old West. His skills as a gunfighter and scout, along with his reputation as a lawman, provided the basis for his fame, although some of his exploits are fictionalized.Hickok came to the West as a stagecoach... |
|
| 1942 | Tombstone | Wyatt Earp Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an American gambler, investor, and law enforcement officer who served in several Western frontier towns. He was also at different times a farmer, teamster, bouncer, saloon-keeper, miner and boxing referee. However, he was never a drover or cowboy. He is most well known... |
| American Empire | Dan Taylor | |
| 1943 | Eyes of the Underworld | The Chief, Richard Bryan |
| Buckskin Frontier | Stephen Bent | |
| The Kansan | John Bonniwell | |
| Top Man | Tom Warren | |
| The Ghost Ship | Captain Will Stone | |
| 1944 | The Whistler | Earl C. Conrad |
| The Mark of the Whistler | Lee Selfridge Nugent | |
| 1945 | The Power of the Whistler | William Everest |
| Voice of the Whistler | John Sinclair (John Carter) | |
| 1946 | Mysterious Intruder | Don Gale |
| The Secret of the Whistler | Ralph Harrison | |
| 1947 | The Thirteenth Hour | Steve Reynolds |