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Richard Dix

Richard Dix

Acting

Born: July 18, 1893Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA

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
Filmography
The Thirteenth Hour

The Thirteenth Hour

Steve Reynolds

1947
The Secret of the Whistler

The Secret of the Whistler

Ralph Harrison

1946
Mysterious Intruder

Mysterious Intruder

Don Gale

1946
Voice of the Whistler

Voice of the Whistler

John Sinclair / John Carter

1945
The Power of the Whistler

The Power of the Whistler

William Everest

1945
The Mark of the Whistler

The Mark of the Whistler

Lee Selfridge Nugent

1944
The Whistler

The Whistler

Earl C. Conrad

1944
The Ghost Ship

The Ghost Ship

Capt. Will Stone

1943
Top Man

Top Man

Tom Warren

1943
The Kansan

The Kansan

John Bonniwell

1943
Buckskin Frontier

Buckskin Frontier

Stephen Brent

1943
American Empire

American Empire

Dan Taylor

1942
Eyes of the Underworld

Eyes of the Underworld

Police Chief Richard Bryan

1942
Tombstone: The Town Too Tough to Die

Tombstone: The Town Too Tough to Die

Wyatt Earp

1942
Badlands of Dakota

Badlands of Dakota

James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok

1941
The Roundup

The Roundup

Steve Payson

1941
Cherokee Strip

Cherokee Strip

Marshal Dave Lovell

1940
Men Against the Sky

Men Against the Sky

Phil Mercedes

1940
The Marines Fly High

The Marines Fly High

Lt. Danny Darrick

1940
Reno

Reno

William Shayne

1939
Here I Am a Stranger

Here I Am a Stranger

Duke Allen

1939
Man of Conquest

Man of Conquest

Sam Houston

1939
Twelve Crowded Hours

Twelve Crowded Hours

Nick Green

1939
Sky Giant

Sky Giant

Capt. W.R. 'Stag' Cahill

1938
Blind Alibi

Blind Alibi

Paul Dover

1938
It Happened in Hollywood

It Happened in Hollywood

Tim Bart

1937
The Devil Is Driving

The Devil Is Driving

Paul Driscoll

1937
Devil's Playground

Devil's Playground

Jack Dorgan

1937
Special Investigator

Special Investigator

Bill Fenwick

1936
Devil's Squadron

Devil's Squadron

Paul Redmond

1936
Yellow Dust

Yellow Dust

Bob Culpepper

1936
The Tunnel

The Tunnel

Richard 'Mack' McAllan

1935
The Arizonian

The Arizonian

Clay Tallant

1935
West of the Pecos

West of the Pecos

Pecos Smith

1934
His Greatest Gamble

His Greatest Gamble

Phillip

1934
Stingaree

Stingaree

Stingaree

1934
Day of Reckoning

Day of Reckoning

John Day

1933
Ace of Aces

Ace of Aces

Rex 'Rocky' Thorne

1933
No Marriage Ties

No Marriage Ties

Bruce Foster

1933
The Great Jasper

The Great Jasper

Jasper Horn

1933
The Conquerors

The Conquerors

Roger Standish / Roger Lennox

1932
Hell's Highway

Hell's Highway

Frank 'Duke' Ellis

1932
Roar of the Dragon

Roar of the Dragon

Carson

1932
The Lost Squadron

The Lost Squadron

Capt. 'Gibby' Gibson

1932
Secret Service

Secret Service

Lewis Dumont

1931
The Public Defender

The Public Defender

Pike Winslow

1931
Young Donovan's Kid

Young Donovan's Kid

Jim Donovan

1931
The Stolen Jools

The Stolen Jools

Richard Dix

1931
Cimarron

Cimarron

Yancey Cravat

1931
Shooting Straight

Shooting Straight

Larry Sheldon / Ted Walters

1930
Lovin' the Ladies

Lovin' the Ladies

Peter

1930
Seven Keys to Baldpate

Seven Keys to Baldpate

William Magee

1929
Redskin

Redskin

Wing Foot

1929
The Wheel of Life

The Wheel of Life

Capt. Leslie Yeullet

1929
A Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic

A Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic

Self

1929
Nothing but the Truth

Nothing but the Truth

Robert Bennett

1929
The Love Doctor

The Love Doctor

Dr. Gerald Summer

1929
Moran of the Marines

Moran of the Marines

Michael Moran

1928
Warming Up

Warming Up

Bert Tulliver

1928
Easy Come, Easy Go

Easy Come, Easy Go

Robert Parker

1928
Sporting Goods

Sporting Goods

Richard Shelby

1928
The Gay Defender

The Gay Defender

Joaquin Murrieta

1927
Shanghai Bound

Shanghai Bound

Jim Bucklin

1927
Man Power

Man Power

Tom Roberts

1927
Knockout Reilly

Knockout Reilly

Dundee 'Knockout' Reilly

1927
Paradise for Two

Paradise for Two

Steve Porter

1927
The Quarterback

The Quarterback

Jack Stone

1926
Say It Again

Say It Again

Bob Howard

1926
Fascinating Youth

Fascinating Youth

Richard Dix

1926
Let's Get Married

Let's Get Married

Billy Dexter

1926
Womanhandled

Womanhandled

Bill Dana

1925
The Vanishing American

The Vanishing American

Nophaie

1925
The Lucky Devil

The Lucky Devil

Randy Farnum

1925
Men and Women

Men and Women

Will Prescott

1925
The Shock Punch

The Shock Punch

Randall Lee Savage

1925
A Man Must Live

A Man Must Live

Geoffrey Farnell

1925
Too Many Kisses

Too Many Kisses

Richard Gaylord, Jr.

1925
Manhattan

Manhattan

Peter Minuit

1924
Sinners in Heaven

Sinners in Heaven

Alan Croft

1924
Unguarded Women

Unguarded Women

Douglas Albright

1924
Icebound

Icebound

Ben Jordan

1924
The Stranger

The Stranger

Larry Darrant

1924
The Call of the Canyon

The Call of the Canyon

Glenn Kilbourne

1923
The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments

John McTavish

1923
To the Last Man

To the Last Man

Jean Isbel

1923
Racing Hearts

Racing Hearts

Robby Smith

1923
The Woman with Four Faces

The Woman with Four Faces

Richard Templar

1923
Souls for Sale

Souls for Sale

Frank Claymore

1923
Quicksands

Quicksands

Lt. Bill

1923
The Christian

The Christian

John Storm

1923
The Sin Flood

The Sin Flood

Bill Bear

1922
The Bonded Woman

The Bonded Woman

Lee Marvin

1922
Fools First

Fools First

Tommy Frazer

1922
Yellow Men and Gold

Yellow Men and Gold

Parrish

1922
The Wall Flower

The Wall Flower

Walt Breen

1922
The Glorious Fool

The Glorious Fool

Billy Grant

1922
The Poverty of Riches

The Poverty of Riches

John Colby

1921
Dangerous Curve Ahead

Dangerous Curve Ahead

Harley Jones

1921
All's Fair in Love

All's Fair in Love

Bobby Cameron

1921
Not Guilty

Not Guilty

Paul / Arthur Ellison (twins)

1921
One of Many

One of Many

James Lowery - Butler

1917