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 Paramounts Warming Up 1928 a baseball story and also the studios 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 alltalking 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 boxoffice draw at RKO appearing in mystery thrillers potboilers westerns and programmers He appeared in the Whistler series of mystery films at Columbia in the mid40s 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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