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.

Known For	Acting
Most Rating	1.648
Birthday	1893-07-18
Place of Birth	Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
Also Known As	Ernest Carlton Brimmer,

American Empire

The Ten Commandments

The Thirteenth Hour

The Ghost Ship

The Whistler

The Tunnel

Mysterious Intruder

The Secret of the Whistler

The Mark of the Whistler

Voice of the Whistler

The Power of the Whistler

Cimarron

Yellow Men and Gold

The Poverty of Riches

Fools First

The Sin Flood

Quicksands

The Glorious Fool

Racing Hearts

The Woman with Four Faces

Say It Again

Paradise for Two

Man Power

Shanghai Bound

The Gay Defender

Sporting Goods

The Love Doctor

The Kansan

Badlands Of Dakota

Hell's Highway

The Lost Squadron

Special Investigator

Blind Alibi

Twelve Crowded Hours

Eyes of the Underworld

Men Against the Sky

Sky Giant

Ace of Aces

Seven Keys to Baldpate

Buckskin Frontier

The Vanishing American

Redskin

Nothing But the Truth

It Happened in Hollywood

The Public Defender

Day of Reckoning

Man of Conquest

Womanhandled

Stingaree

The Arizonian

Secret Service

A Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic

His Greatest Gamble

Lovin' the Ladies

The Conquerors

Reno

Top Man

Here I Am a Stranger

Roar of the Dragon

Shooting Straight

The Marines Fly High

Men and Women

Icebound

The Christian

Easy Come, Easy Go

The Devil Is Driving

Yellow Dust

Souls for Sale

The Great Jasper

Devil's Playground

Devil's Squadron

West of the Pecos

Cherokee Strip

No Marriage Ties

The Roundup

Tombstone: The Town Too Tough to Die

The Stolen Jools

The Quarterback

Too Many Kisses

The Lucky Devil