Richard Dix
Age: N/A | From: Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
Person Details
Birthday:
Aliases: Ernest Carlton Brimmer
Gender: Male
Place of birth: Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
Homepage:
Movie Involvements: 77
TV Involvements: 0
Most Famous Work
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.
Most Famous Work
Cimarron
(1931) Yancey Cravat
The Ten Commandments
(1923) John McTavish
The Ghost Ship
(1943) Capt. Will Stone
The Whistler
(1944) Earl C. Conrad
The Mark of the Whistler
(1944) Lee Selfridge Nugent
American Empire
(1942) Dan Taylor
The Kansan
(1943) John Bonniwell
Mysterious Intruder
(1946) Don GaleActing
| Year | Character | Movie/Tv |
|---|---|---|
| 1947 | Steve Reynolds | |
| 1946 | Ralph Harrison | |
| Don Gale | ||
| 1945 | John Sinclair / John Carter | |
| William Everest | ||
| 1944 | Lee Selfridge Nugent | |
| Earl C. Conrad | ||
| 1943 | Capt. Will Stone | |
| Tom Warren | ||
| John Bonniwell | ||
| Stephen Brent | ||
| 1942 | Dan Taylor | |
| Police Chief Richard Bryan | ||
| Wyatt Earp | ||
| 1941 | James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok | |
| Steve Payson | ||
| 1940 | Marshal Dave Lovell | |
| Phil Mercedes | ||
| Lt. Danny Darrick | ||
| 1939 | William Shayne | |
| Duke Allen | ||
| Sam Houston | ||
| Nick Green | ||
| 1938 | Capt. W.R. 'Stag' Cahill | |
| Paul Dover | ||
| 1937 | Tim Bart | |
| Paul Driscoll | ||
| Jack Dorgan | ||
| 1936 | Bill Fenwick | |
| Paul Redmond | ||
| Bob Culpepper | ||
| 1935 | Richard 'Mack' McAllan | |
| Clay Tallant | ||
| 1934 | Pecos Smith | |
| Phillip | ||
| Stingaree | ||
| 1933 | John Day | |
| Rex 'Rocky' Thorne | ||
| Bruce Foster | ||
| Jasper Horn | ||
| 1932 | Roger Standish / Roger Lennox | |
| Frank 'Duke' Ellis | ||
| Carson | ||
| Capt. 'Gibby' Gibson | ||
| 1931 | Lewis Dumont | |
| Pike Winslow | ||
| Jim Donovan | ||
| Richard Dix | ||
| Yancey Cravat | ||
| 1930 | Larry Sheldon / Ted Walters | |
| Peter | ||
| 1929 | William Magee | |
| Wing Foot | ||
| Capt. Leslie Yeullet | ||
| Self | ||
| Robert Bennett | ||
| Dr. Gerald Summer | ||
| 1928 | Michael Moran | |
| Bert Tulliver | ||
| Robert Parker | ||
| Richard Shelby | ||
| 1927 | Joaquin Murrieta | |
| Jim Bucklin | ||
| Tom Roberts | ||
| Dundee 'Knockout' Reilly | ||
| Steve Porter | ||
| 1926 | Jack Stone | |
| Bob Howard | ||
| Richard Dix | ||
| Billy Dexter | ||
| 1925 | Bill Dana | |
| Nophaie | ||
| Randy Farnum | ||
| Will Prescott | ||
| Randall Lee Savage | ||
| Geoffrey Farnell | ||
| Richard Gaylord, Jr. | ||
| 1924 | Peter Minuit | |
| Alan Croft | ||
| Douglas Albright | ||
| Ben Jordan | ||
| Larry Darrant | ||
| 1923 | Glenn Kilbourne | |
| John McTavish | ||
| Jean Isbel | ||
| Robby Smith | ||
| Richard Templar | ||
| Frank Claymore | ||
| Lt. Bill | ||
| John Storm | ||
| 1922 | Bill Bear | |
| Lee Marvin | ||
| Tommy Frazer | ||
| Parrish | ||
| Walt Breen | ||
| Billy Grant | ||
| 1921 | John Colby | |
| Harley Jones | ||
| Bobby Cameron | ||
| Paul / Arthur Ellison (twins) | ||
| 1917 | James Lowery - Butler | |
| Year | Character | Movie/Tv |
Production
| Year | Role | Movie/Tv |
|---|---|---|
| 1921 | Producer | |
| Year | Role | Movie/Tv |