About

Known credits:
102
Birthday:
1893-07-18
Place of birth:
Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
Website:
N/A

Richard Dix

Overview

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

Acting
1947 The Thirteenth Hour Actor Steve Reynolds 59
Average
1946 The Secret of the Whistler Actor Ralph Harrison 58
Average
1946 Mysterious Intruder Actor Don Gale 59
Average
1945 Voice of the Whistler Actor John Sinclair / John Carter 59
Average
1945 The Power of the Whistler Actor William Everest 59
Average
1944 The Mark of the Whistler Actor Lee Selfridge Nugent 59
Average
1944 The Whistler Actor Earl C. Conrad 59
Average
1943 The Ghost Ship Actor Capt. Will Stone 59
Average
1943 Top Man Actor Tom Warren N/A
N/A
1943 The Kansan Actor John Bonniwell 58
Average
1943 Buckskin Frontier Actor Stephen Brent 59
Average
1942 American Empire Actor Dan Taylor 58
Average
1942 Eyes of the Underworld Actor Police Chief Richard Bryan 58
Average
1942 Tombstone: The Town Too Tough to Die Actor Wyatt Earp 58
Average
1941 Badlands Of Dakota Actor James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok 59
Average
1941 The Roundup Actor Steve Payson 59
Average
1940 Cherokee Strip Actor Marshal Dave Lovell 59
Average
1940 Men Against the Sky Actor Phil Mercedes 58
Average
1940 The Marines Fly High Actor Lt. Danny Darrick 59
Average
1939 Reno Actor William Shayne 59
Average
1939 Here I Am a Stranger Actor Duke Allen 59
Average
1939 Man of Conquest Actor Sam Houston 58
Average
1939 Twelve Crowded Hours Actor Nick Green 59
Average
1938 Sky Giant Actor Capt. W.R. 'Stag' Cahill 58
Average
1938 Blind Alibi Actor Paul Dover 59
Average
1937 It Happened in Hollywood Actor Tim Bart 59
Average
1937 The Devil Is Driving Actor Paul Driscoll N/A
N/A
1937 Devil's Playground Actor Jack Dorgan 59
Average
1936 Special Investigator Actor Bill Fenwick 59
Average
1936 Devil's Squadron Actor Paul Redmond 59
Average
1936 Yellow Dust Actor Bob Culpepper 58
Average
1935 The Tunnel Actor Richard 'Mack' McAllan 58
Average
1935 The Arizonian Actor Clay Tallant N/A
N/A
1934 West of the Pecos Actor Pecos Smith N/A
N/A
1934 His Greatest Gamble Actor Phillip 58
Average
1934 Stingaree Actor Stingaree 59
Average
1933 Day of Reckoning Actor John Day 58
Average
1933 Ace of Aces Actor Rex 'Rocky' Thorne 59
Average
1933 No Marriage Ties Actor Bruce Foster 58
Average
1933 The Great Jasper Actor Jasper Horn N/A
N/A
1932 The Conquerors Actor Roger Standish / Roger Lennox 59
Average
1932 Hell's Highway Actor Frank 'Duke' Ellis 59
Average
1932 Roar of the Dragon Actor Carson 59
Average
1932 The Lost Squadron Actor Capt. 'Gibby' Gibson 59
Average
1931 Secret Service Actor Lewis Dumont 59
Average
1931 The Public Defender Actor Pike Winslow 59
Average
1931 Young Donovan's Kid Actor Jim Donovan N/A
N/A
1931 The Stolen Jools Actor Richard Dix 58
Average
1931 Cimarron Actor Yancey Cravat 58
Average
1930 Shooting Straight Actor Larry Sheldon / Ted Walters 59
Average
1930 Lovin' the Ladies Actor Peter 58
Average
1929 Seven Keys to Baldpate Actor William Magee 59
Average
1929 Redskin Actor Wing Foot 58
Average
1929 The Wheel of Life Actor Capt. Leslie Yeullet N/A
N/A
1929 A Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic Actor Self 59
Average
1929 Nothing But the Truth Actor Robert Bennett 58
Average
1929 The Love Doctor Actor Dr. Gerald Summer N/A
N/A
1928 Moran of the Marines Actor Michael Moran N/A
N/A
1928 Warming Up Actor Bert Tulliver N/A
N/A
1928 Easy Come, Easy Go Actor Robert Parker N/A
N/A
1928 Sporting Goods Actor Richard Shelby N/A
N/A
1927 The Gay Defender Actor Joaquin Murrieta N/A
N/A
1927 Shanghai Bound Actor Jim Bucklin N/A
N/A
1927 Man Power Actor Tom Roberts N/A
N/A
1927 Knockout Reilly Actor Dundee 'Knockout' Reilly N/A
N/A
1927 Paradise for Two Actor Steve Porter N/A
N/A
1926 The Quarterback Actor Jack Stone 59
Average
1926 Say It Again Actor Bob Howard N/A
N/A
1926 Fascinating Youth Actor Richard Dix N/A
N/A
1926 Let's Get Married Actor Billy Dexter N/A
N/A
1925 Womanhandled Actor Bill Dana 59
Average
1925 The Vanishing American Actor Nophaie 59
Average
1925 The Lucky Devil Actor Randy Farnum 59
Average
1925 Men and Women Actor Will Prescott N/A
N/A
1925 The Shock Punch Actor Randall Lee Savage 58
Average
1925 A Man Must Live Actor Geoffrey Farnell N/A
N/A
1925 Too Many Kisses Actor Richard Gaylord, Jr. 58
Average
1924 Manhattan Actor Peter Minuit 59
Average
1924 Sinners in Heaven Actor Alan Croft N/A
N/A
1924 Unguarded Women Actor Douglas Albright N/A
N/A
1924 Icebound Actor Ben Jordan N/A
N/A
1924 The Stranger Actor Larry Darrant N/A
N/A
1923 The Call of the Canyon Actor Glenn Kilbourne N/A
N/A
1923 The Ten Commandments Actor John McTavish 59
Average
1923 To the Last Man Actor Jean Isbel N/A
N/A
1923 Racing Hearts Actor Robby Smith N/A
N/A
1923 The Woman with Four Faces Actor Richard Templar N/A
N/A
1923 Souls for Sale Actor Frank Claymore 59
Average
1923 Quicksands Actor Lt. Bill 58
Average
1923 The Christian Actor John Storm N/A
N/A
1922 The Sin Flood Actor Bill Bear N/A
N/A
1922 The Bonded Woman Actor Lee Marvin 58
Average
1922 Fools First Actor Tommy Frazer N/A
N/A
1922 Yellow Men and Gold Actor Parrish N/A
N/A
1922 The Wall Flower Actor Walt Breen N/A
N/A
1922 The Glorious Fool Actor Billy Grant N/A
N/A
1921 The Poverty of Riches Actor John Colby N/A
N/A
1921 Dangerous Curve Ahead Actor Harley Jones N/A
N/A
1921 All's Fair in Love Actor Bobby Cameron N/A
N/A
1921 Not Guilty Actor Paul / Arthur Ellison (twins) N/A
N/A
1917 One of Many Actor James Lowery - Butler N/A
N/A

Production
1921 Not Guilty Production Producer N/A
N/A