Image of Richard Dix

Richard Dix

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.


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Born:
Jul 18, 1893 In St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
Movie/TV Credits:
86
First Appeared:
In the movie One of Many 1917-02-12
Latest Project:
Movie The Archer: Fugitive from the Empire 1981-04-12
Known For
Poster of The Power of the Whistler
Poster of The Ghost Ship
Poster of Tombstone: The Town Too Tough to Die
Poster of Sky Giant
Filmography
Movie The Archer: Fugitive from the Empire Rak 1981-04-12
Movie The Black Marble Alex Valnikov 1980-03-07
Movie The ABC's of Sex Education for Trainable Persons Narrator 1975-12-31
Series The Oscars Unknown 1953-03-19
Movie The Thirteenth Hour Steve Reynolds 1947-02-06
Movie The Secret of the Whistler Ralph Harrison 1946-11-07
Movie Mysterious Intruder Don Gale 1946-04-11
Movie The Power of the Whistler William Everest 1945-04-19
Movie Voice of the Whistler John Sinclair / John Carter 1945-10-30
Movie The Whistler Earl C. Conrad 1944-03-30
Movie The Mark of the Whistler Lee Selfridge Nugent 1944-10-09
Movie Buckskin Frontier Stephen Brent 1943-05-14
Movie The Kansan John Bonniwell 1943-09-10
Movie Top Man Tom Warren 1943-09-17
Movie The Ghost Ship Capt. Will Stone 1943-12-16
Movie Tombstone: The Town Too Tough to Die Wyatt Earp 1942-06-13
Movie American Empire Dan Taylor 1942-12-11
Movie Eyes of the Underworld Police Chief Richard Bryan 1942-10-02
Movie The Roundup Steve Payson 1941-04-03
Movie Badlands Of Dakota James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok 1941-09-15
Movie The Marines Fly High Lt. Danny Darrick 1940-03-04
Movie Cherokee Strip Marshal Dave Lovell 1940-10-10
Movie Men Against the Sky Phil Mercedes 1940-09-06
Movie Twelve Crowded Hours Nick Green 1939-02-23
Movie Man of Conquest Sam Houston 1939-05-15
Movie Reno William Shayne 1939-12-01
Movie Here I Am a Stranger Duke Allen 1939-09-29
Movie Blind Alibi Paul Dover 1938-05-20
Movie Sky Giant Capt. W.R. 'Stag' Cahill 1938-07-22
Movie The Devil Is Driving Paul Driscoll 1937-06-25
Movie Devil's Playground Jack Dorgan 1937-01-24
Movie It Happened in Hollywood Tim Bart 1937-09-07
Movie Yellow Dust Bob Culpepper 1936-03-12
Movie Devil's Squadron Paul Redmond 1936-04-30
Movie Special Investigator Bill Fenwick 1936-05-08
Movie The Arizonian Clay Tallant 1935-06-27
Movie The Tunnel Richard 'Mack' McAllan 1935-10-27
Movie Stingaree Stingaree 1934-05-24
Movie His Greatest Gamble Phillip 1934-08-10
Movie West of the Pecos Pecos Smith 1934-12-27
Movie The Great Jasper Jasper Horn 1933-03-03
Movie No Marriage Ties Bruce Foster 1933-08-11
Movie Ace of Aces Rex 'Rocky' Thorne 1933-10-20
Movie Day of Reckoning John Day 1933-10-26
Movie The Lost Squadron Capt. 'Gibby' Gibson 1932-03-12
Movie Roar of the Dragon Carson 1932-07-08
Movie Hell's Highway Frank 'Duke' Ellis 1932-09-23
Movie The Conquerors Roger Standish / Roger Lennox 1932-11-18
Movie The Stolen Jools Richard Dix 1931-04-04
Movie Young Donovan's Kid Jim Donovan 1931-06-06
Movie Cimarron Yancey Cravat 1931-01-26
Movie The Public Defender Pike Winslow 1931-08-01
Movie Secret Service Lewis Dumont 1931-11-14
Movie Lovin' the Ladies Peter 1930-04-06
Movie Shooting Straight Larry Sheldon / Ted Walters 1930-07-20
Movie A Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic Self 1929-05-04
Movie Nothing But the Truth Robert Bennett 1929-04-20
Movie The Wheel of Life Capt. Leslie Yeullet 1929-06-15
Movie Redskin Wing Foot 1929-09-22
Movie Seven Keys to Baldpate William Magee 1929-12-25
Movie Easy Come, Easy Go Robert Parker 1928-04-20
Movie Moran of the Marines Michael Moran 1928-10-13
Movie The Gay Defender Joaquin Murrieta 1927-12-10
Movie Let's Get Married Billy Dexter 1926-03-01
Movie Fascinating Youth Richard Dix 1926-03-17
Movie Womanhandled Bill Dana 1925-12-27
Movie Too Many Kisses Richard Gaylord, Jr. 1925-01-11
Movie Men and Women Will Prescott 1925-03-23
Movie The Vanishing American Nophaie 1925-10-15
Movie The Lucky Devil Randy Farnum 1925-07-13
Movie The Stranger Larry Darrant 1924-02-04
Movie Icebound Ben Jordan 1924-03-02
Movie Sinners in Heaven Alan Croft 1924-09-09
Movie Unguarded Women Douglas Albright 1924-06-22
Movie Manhattan Peter Minuit 1924-10-28
Movie Quicksands Lt. Bill 1923-02-28
Movie The Christian John Storm 1923-01-14
Movie Souls for Sale Frank Claymore 1923-04-22
Movie The Call of the Canyon Glenn Kilbourne 1923-12-16
Movie The Woman with Four Faces Richard Templar 1923-06-24
Movie The Ten Commandments John McTavish 1923-11-23
Movie The Glorious Fool Billy Grant 1922-01-01
Movie Not Guilty Paul / Arthur Ellison (twins) 1921-01-01
Movie The Poverty of Riches John Colby 1921-11-01
Movie All's Fair in Love Bobby Cameron 1921-09-01
Movie One of Many James Lowery - Butler 1917-02-12