Richard Dix (actor)

Richard Dix
Dix as featured on the poster for Redskin (1929).
Born	Ernst Carlton Brimmer (1893-07-18)July 18, 1893 St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
Died	September 20, 1949(1949-09-20) (aged 56) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Cause of death	Heart attack
Occupation	actor
Years active	Stage 1914 — 1921 Film 1921 — 1947
Spouse(s)	Winifred Coe (1931–1933) (divorced) (1 child) Virginia Webster (1934–1949) (his death) (3 children)
Children	Martha Mary Ellen Richard Jr., Robert Dix (twins) (b. 1935), Sara Sue (adopted)

Richard Dix (July 18, 1893 – September 20, 1949) was an American motion picture actor who achieved popularity in both silent and sound film. His standard on-screen image was that of the rugged and stalwart hero. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his lead role in the Best Picture-winning epic, Cimarron (1931).

Dix was born Ernst Carlton Brimmer on July 18, 1893, in St. Paul, Minnesota. There he was educated, and, at the desire 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' 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 City. The death of his father left him with a mother and sister to support. He went to Los Angeles and became leading man for the Morosco Stock Company. His success there got him a contract with Paramount Pictures.

He then changed his name to Dix. After his move to Hollywood, he began a career in Western movies. One of the few actors to successfully bridge the transition from silent films to talkies, Dix's best-remembered early role was in Cecil B. Demille's silent version of The Ten Commandments (1923). He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1931 for his performance as Yancey Cravat in Cimarron, in which he was billed over Irene Dunne. Cimarron, based on the popular novel by Edna Ferber, took the Best Picture award. Dix starred in another RKO adventure, The Lost Squadron.