Richard Dix
Dix in 1923
Born
Ernst Carlton Brimmer

(1893-07-18)July 18, 1893
DiedSeptember 20, 1949(1949-09-20) (aged 56)
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)
OccupationActor
Years active1914–1947
Spouses
Winifred Coe
(m. 1931; div. 1933)
    Virginia Webster
    (m. 1934)
    Children4

    Richard Dix (born Ernst Carlton Brimmer;[1] July 18, 1893 – September 20, 1949) was an American motion picture actor who achieved popularity in both silent and sound film.[2] His standard on-screen image was that of the rugged and stalwart hero. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his lead role in the Best Picture-winning epic Cimarron (1931).[3]

    Dix appeared in 101 film roles, credited from his first appearance. Plagued by alcoholism, he died at 56, just two years after his film career had ended.

    Early life

    Dix was born Ernst Carlton Brimmer on July 18, 1893, in Saint Paul, Minnesota.[4] He received his schooling there, intending to become a surgeon to please his father. Standing 6 feet and weighing 180 pounds, Dix excelled in sports, especially football and baseball. His obvious acting talent in his school dramatic club also led him to leading roles in most of the school plays. After a year at the University of Minnesota, he took a position at a bank, and trained for the stage in the evening. His professional start was with a local stock company, and this led to similar work in New York City. He then went to Los Angeles and became leading man for the Morosco Stock Company.[5] His success there earned him a contract with Paramount Pictures.

    Career

    Upon arrival at Paramount studios Brimmer changed his name to Richard Dix. He began his Hollywood film career in dramas and romantic comedies. His first Western was in 1923, To the Last Man, his seventeenth picture, immediately followed by his best-remembered early role in Cecil B. Demille's silent version of The Ten Commandments.

    Able to successfully bridge the transition from silent films to talkies and remain a leading man, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1931 for his performance as Yancey Cravat in RKO's Cimarron. Based on the popular novel by Edna Ferber, it took the Best Picture award. Another memorable starring role for Dix was in a followup RKO blockbuster, the adventure The Lost Squadron.

    Redskin in 1929 was Dix's last silent film
    Dix was deep into B films by 1943; the budget for The Ghost Ship was a mere $150,000.

    Plagued by alcoholism, Dix was unable to maintain his A-list leading man status, and spiraled into B pictures. He starred in the 1935 British futuristic film The Tunnel, as well as The Great Jasper and Blind Alibi in the late 1930s. Dix also starred as the homicidal Captain Stone in the Val Lewton production of The Ghost Ship.

    The Kansan in 1943 was another B picture, and Dix's last Western

    In 1941, Dix played Wild Bill Hickok in Badlands of Dakota and portrayed Wyatt Earp the following year in Tombstone, the Town Too Tough to Die.

    In 1944, he starred in The Whistler, a feature film produced by Columbia Pictures based on the popular radio program. The film adaptation was popular enough to become a series. In these offbeat, crime-related stories, Dix did not play "The Whistler" (who was an unseen narrator representing the central character's conscience). He appeared in a variety of characterizations, some sympathetic, others hard-boiled, but always victims of fate and circumstances conspiring against him. Dix retired from acting after the seventh of these films, The Thirteenth Hour. He suffered a heart attack in October 1948[6] and continued to have heart trouble until his death within the year.

    Personal life

    According to the July 1934 Movies magazine, Dix raised thousands of chickens and turkeys each year on his ranch near Hollywood, the location of which he kept a close secret. He also had a collection of thousands of smoking pipes, and at one time had 36 Scotties and English setters. He also read at least five books a week.

    Richard Dix married Winifred Coe on October 20, 1931. A daughter, Martha Mary Ellen, followed. They divorced in 1933. He married Virginia Webster, on June 29, 1934. They had twin boys, Richard Jr. and Robert Dix (1935–2018), and adopted a daughter, Sara Sue.

    Dix supported Thomas Dewey in the 1944 United States presidential election.[7]

    After years of fighting alcoholism, Dix suffered a serious heart attack at 56 on September 12, 1949, either on a train from New York to Los Angeles[8][4]) or while on board a ship returning from France.[9] He died eight days later at the Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital,[9] and was interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.[10]

    Legacy

    Dix has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Motion Pictures section at 1610 Vine Street. It was dedicated February 8, 1960.[11]

    Filmography

    Silent Films

    Year Title Role Notes
    1917 One of Many James Lowery Lost film
    1921 Not Guilty Paul Ellison / Arthur Ellison Lost film
    All's Fair in Love Bobby Cameron Lost film
    Dangerous Curve Ahead Harley Jones Lost film
    The Poverty of Riches John Colby Lost film
    1922 Yellow Men and Gold Parrish Lost film
    Fools First Tommy Frazer Lost film
    The Wall Flower Walt Breen Lost film
    The Bonded Woman Lee Marvin A copy is held at Gosfilmofond
    The Sin Flood Bill Bear Lost film
    The Glorious Fool Billy Grant Lost film
    1923 The Christian John Storm A copy is held at the George Eastman House
    Quicksands Lieutenant Bill Lost film
    Souls for Sale Frank Claymore
    The Woman with Four Faces Richard Templar Lost film
    Racing Hearts Robby Smith Lost film
    To the Last Man Jean Isbel A copy is held at Gosfilmofond
    The Ten Commandments John McTavish Copies are held at George Eastman and the Library of Congress
    The Call of the Canyon Glenn Kilbourne Copies are held at Gosfilmofond and the Library of Congress
    1924 The Stranger Larry Darrant Lost film
    Icebound Ben Jordan Lost film
    Unguarded Women Douglas Albright Lost film
    Sinners In Heaven Alan Croft Lost film
    Manhattan Peter Minuit
    1925 Too Many Kisses Richard Gaylord Jr A copy is held at the Library of Congress
    A Man Must Live Geoffrey Farnell Lost film
    The Shock Punch Randall Lee Savage A copy is held at the Library of Congress
    Men and Women Will Prescott Lost film
    The Lucky Devil Randy Farnum A copy is held at the Library of Congress
    The Vanishing American Nophaie A copy is held at the Library of Congress
    Womanhandled Bill Dana A copy is held at the Library of Congress
    1926 Let's Get Married Billy Dexter A copy is held at the Library of Congress
    Fascinating Youth Himself (cameo) Lost film
    Say It Again Bob Howard Lost film
    The Quarterback Jack Stone A copy is held at the Library of Congress
    1927 Paradise for Two Steve Porter Lost film
    Knockout Reilly Dundee "Knockout" Reilly Lost film
    Man Power Tom Roberts Lost film
    Shanghai Bound Jim Bucklin Lost film
    The Gay Defender Joaquin Murrieta Lost film
    1928 Sporting Goods Richard Shelby Lost film
    Easy Come, Easy Go Robert Parker Lost film
    Warming Up Bert Tulliver Lost film
    filmed in silent and Movietone sound version with music and sound effects only
    Moran of the Marines Michael Moran Lost film
    1929 Redskin Wingfoot A copy is held at the Library of Congress; partly filmed in Technicolor

    Sound films

    Year Title Role Notes
    1929 Nothing But the Truth Robert Bennett
    The Wheel of Life Captain Leslie Yeullet
    The Love Doctor Dr. Gerald Summer
    Seven Keys to Baldpate William Halliwell Magee
    1930 Lovin' the Ladies Peter Darby
    Shooting Straight Larry Sheldon
    1931 Cimarron Yancey Cravat Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actor
    Young Donovan's Kid Jim Donovan
    The Public Defender Pike Winslow
    Secret Service Captain Lewis Dumont
    1932 The Lost Squadron 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
    His Greatest Gamble Phillip Eden
    West of the Pecos Pecos Smith
    1935 The Arizonian Clay Tallant
    The Tunnel 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 Twelve Crowded Hours Nick Green
    Man of Conquest Sam Houston
    Here I Am a Stranger Duke Allen
    Reno William Shayne aka Bill Shear
    1940 The Marines Fly High Lt. Danny Darrick
    Men Against the Sky Phil Mercedes
    Cherokee Strip Marshal Dave Lovell
    1941 The Round Up Steve Payson
    Badlands of Dakota Wild Bill Hickok
    1942 Tombstone, the Town Too Tough to Die Wyatt Earp
    Eyes of the Underworld Police Chief Richard Bryan
    American Empire Dan Taylor
    1943 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

    References

    1. Stephens, E. J.; Wanamaker, Marc (2014). Early Poverty Row Studios. Arcadia Publishing. p. 88. ISBN 9781439648292. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
    2. Obituary Variety, September 21, 1949.
    3. "("Richard Dix" search results)". Academy Awards Database. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
    4. 1 2 Slide, Anthony (2010). Silent Players: A Biographical and Autobiographical Study of 100 Silent Film Actors and Actresses. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0813127088. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
    5. Marsh, Molly (December 16, 1934). "Richard Dix---A Gentleman of the Soil". Oakland Tribune. California, Oakland. p. 62. Retrieved May 26, 2017 via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
    6. Motion Picture Daily, "Richard Dix Is Ill," October 27, 1948, p. 2.
    7. Critchlow, Donald T. (October 21, 2013). When Hollywood Was Right: How Movie Stars, Studio Moguls, and Big Business Remade American Politics. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107650282.
    8. The Advertiser (Adelaide), "Richard Dix Ill", 14 September 1949, p. 1.
    9. 1 2 Katchmer, George A. (2009). A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses. McFarland. p. 96. ISBN 9781476609058. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
    10. Wilson, Scott (August 19, 2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. ISBN 9781476625997 via Google Books.
    11. "Richard Dix". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Archived from the original on May 28, 2017. Retrieved May 28, 2017.

    Bibliography

    • Dix, Robert. Out of Hollywood: Two Generations of Actors. Ernest Publishing, 2009. ISBN 978-0-9822436-0-2
    • Van Neste, Dan. "The Whistler: Stepping Into the Shadows". Albany, GA: BearManor Media, 2011. ISBN 978-1-59393-402-6
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