Richard Dix

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.

• Name — Richard Dix • Birth Name — Ernst Carlton Brimmer • Born — 18 July 1893 • Birthplace — Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. • Died — 20 September 1949 • Place of death — Los Angeles, California, U.S. • Resting Place — Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) • Awards — Hollywood Walk of Fame • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1914–1947 • Children — 4

Dix was born Ernst Carlton Brimmer on July 18, 1893, in Saint Paul, Minnesota. 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. His success there earned him a contract with Paramount Pictures.

• Illustration — Gertrude Astor, Colleen Moore and Dix filming The Wall Flower in 1922 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. • Illustration — Redskin in 1929 was Dix's last silent film • Illustration — 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. • Illustration — 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; Dix's final seven films were all films in the "Whistler" series. In these offbeat, crime-related stories, Dix did not play "The Whistler" (who was an unseen narrator who recounted strange, ironic tales as he walked by night). Instead Dix essayed a variety of characterizations, playing a completely different starring role in each film -- some sympathetic, others villainous and hard-boiled, but all of them victims of fate and circumstances conspiring against them. Dix retired from acting after the seventh of these films, The Thirteenth Hour. He suffered a heart attack in October 1948 and continued to have heart trouble until his death within the year.

Dix supported Thomas Dewey in the 1944 United States presidential election. 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 or while on board a ship returning from France). He died eight days later at the Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital, and is interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.

Richard Dix was recorded at birth as Ernst Carlton Brimmer. The authorities additionally record the heading Ernst Carlton Brimmer. His recorded language was English.

Richard Dix is recorded as film producer and actor.

• 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

• 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 — Lost film • 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 — Lost film • 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