Richard Dix
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- July 18, 1893
- Died
- September 20, 1949 (aged 56)
- Birthplace
- Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
Biography
Richard Dix was a major leading man at RKO Radio Pictures from 1929 through 1943. He was born Ernest Carlton Brimmer 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 Minnesota 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. 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. His rugged good looks and dark features made him a popular player in westerns. His athletic ability led to his starring role in Paramount's Warming Up (1928), a baseball story and also the studio's first feature with synchronized score and sound effects. His deep voice and commanding presence were perfectly suited for the talkies, and he was signed by RKO Radio Pictures in 1929, scoring an early triumph in the all-talking mystery drama, Seven Keys to Baldpate (1929). In 1931 he was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his masterful performance in Cimarron (1931), winner of the Best Picture Oscar that year. Throughout the 1930s Dix would be a big box-office draw at RKO, appearing in mystery thrillers, potboilers, westerns and programmers. He appeared in the "Whistler" series of mystery films at Columbia in the mid-40s. He 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. Richard Dix the actor, died at age 56 on September 20, 1949.
Known For
Photos
Filmography
The Thirteenth Hour
Movie · as Steve Reynolds
Mysterious Intruder
Movie · as Don Gale
The Secret of the Whistler
Movie · as Ralph Harrison
The Power of the Whistler
Movie · as William Everest
Voice of the Whistler
Movie · as John Sinclair / John Carter
The Whistler
Movie · as Earl C. Conrad
The Mark of the Whistler
Movie · as Lee Selfridge Nugent
The Ghost Ship
Movie · as Capt. Will Stone
The Kansan
Movie · as John Bonniwell
Buckskin Frontier
Movie · as Stephen Brent
Top Man
Movie · as Tom Warren
American Empire
Movie · as Dan Taylor
Eyes of the Underworld
Movie · as Police Chief Richard Bryan
Tombstone: The Town Too Tough to Die
Movie · as Wyatt Earp
Badlands of Dakota
Movie · as James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok
The Roundup
Movie · as Steve Payson
Men Against the Sky
Movie · as Phil Mercedes
The Marines Fly High
Movie · as Lt. Danny Darrick
Cherokee Strip
Movie · as Marshal Dave Lovell
Twelve Crowded Hours
Movie · as Nick Green
Man of Conquest
Movie · as Sam Houston
Reno
Movie · as William Shayne
Here I Am a Stranger
Movie · as Duke Allen
Blind Alibi
Movie · as Paul Dover
Sky Giant
Movie · as Capt. W.R. 'Stag' Cahill
It Happened in Hollywood
Movie · as Tim Bart
The Devil Is Driving
Movie · as Paul Driscoll
Devil's Playground
Movie · as Jack Dorgan
Special Investigator
Movie · as Bill Fenwick
Yellow Dust
Movie · as Bob Culpepper
Devil's Squadron
Movie · as Paul Redmond
The Tunnel
Movie · as Richard 'Mack' McAllan
The Arizonian
Movie · as Clay Tallant
Stingaree
Movie · as Stingaree
His Greatest Gamble
Movie · as Phillip
West of the Pecos
Movie · as Pecos Smith
Ace of Aces
Movie · as Rex 'Rocky' Thorne
Day of Reckoning
Movie · as John Day
The Great Jasper
Movie · as Jasper Horn
No Marriage Ties
Movie · as Bruce Foster
Hell's Highway
Movie · as Frank 'Duke' Ellis
The Lost Squadron
Movie · as Capt. 'Gibby' Gibson
The Conquerors
Movie · as Roger Standish / Roger Lennox
Roar of the Dragon
Movie · as Carson
Cimarron
Movie · as Yancey Cravat
The Public Defender
Movie · as Pike Winslow
Secret Service
Movie · as Lewis Dumont
The Stolen Jools
Movie · as Richard Dix
Young Donovan's Kid
Movie · as Jim Donovan
Lovin' the Ladies
Movie · as Peter
Shooting Straight
Movie · as Larry Sheldon / Ted Walters
The Love Doctor
Movie · as Dr. Gerald Summer
Seven Keys to Baldpate
Movie · as William Magee
Redskin
Movie · as Wing Foot
Nothing but the Truth
Movie · as Robert Bennett
A Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic
Movie · as Self
The Wheel of Life
Movie · as Capt. Leslie Yeullet
Sporting Goods
Movie · as Richard Shelby
Easy Come, Easy Go
Movie · as Robert Parker
Warming Up
Movie · as Bert Tulliver
Moran of the Marines
Movie · as Michael Moran
Paradise for Two
Movie · as Steve Porter
Man Power
Movie · as Tom Roberts
Shanghai Bound
Movie · as Jim Bucklin
The Gay Defender
Movie · as Joaquin Murrieta
Knockout Reilly
Movie · as Dundee 'Knockout' Reilly
Say It Again
Movie · as Bob Howard
The Quarterback
Movie · as Jack Stone
Fascinating Youth
Movie · as Richard Dix
Let's Get Married
Movie · as Billy Dexter
The Vanishing American
Movie · as Nophaie
Womanhandled
Movie · as Bill Dana
Men and Women
Movie · as Will Prescott
Too Many Kisses
Movie · as Richard Gaylord, Jr.
The Lucky Devil
Movie · as Randy Farnum
The Shock Punch
Movie · as Randall Lee Savage
A Man Must Live
Movie · as Geoffrey Farnell
Icebound
Movie · as Ben Jordan
The Stranger
Movie · as Larry Darrant
Unguarded Women
Movie · as Douglas Albright
Sinners in Heaven
Movie · as Alan Croft
Manhattan
Movie · as Peter Minuit
The Ten Commandments
Movie · as John McTavish
Quicksands
Movie · as Lt. Bill
Racing Hearts
Movie · as Robby Smith
The Woman with Four Faces
Movie · as Richard Templar
The Christian
Movie · as John Storm
Souls for Sale
Movie · as Frank Claymore
The Call of the Canyon
Movie · as Glenn Kilbourne
To the Last Man
Movie · as Jean Isbel
Yellow Men and Gold
Movie · as Parrish
Fools First
Movie · as Tommy Frazer
The Sin Flood
Movie · as Bill Bear
The Glorious Fool
Movie · as Billy Grant
The Bonded Woman
Movie · as Lee Marvin
The Wall Flower
Movie · as Walt Breen
The Poverty of Riches
Movie · as John Colby
Not Guilty
Movie · as Paul / Arthur Ellison (twins)
All's Fair in Love
Movie · as Bobby Cameron
Dangerous Curve Ahead
Movie · as Harley Jones
One of Many
Movie · as James Lowery - Butler