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Richard Dix

Richard Dix

Actor · Died September 20, 1949, aged 56 · Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA

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.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 18, 1893
Died
September 20, 1949 (aged 56)
From
Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
13 on MovieCove · 100 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 27% in 30 days

What are Richard Dix's films like?

Across their 12 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Power.

Genres

Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 45th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 48th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
28%
Power
24%
Self
22%
Bonds
11%
Society
8%
Survival
6%
Greed4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGuilt3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 12 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 5 · Serious 3 · Dark 4

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 7 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 3 · Charged 9 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 7 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 8 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 9 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 10 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

13 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 10 of 13 analyzed roles.

Hero
10 of 13
Shadow
2 of 13
Mentor
1 of 13
Show the 13 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Melancholic
4
Thrilling
3
Hopeful
4
Joyful
3
Other
8

How their films linger

Bittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Richard Dix's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 13 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Richard Dix's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

100 credits, 13 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • The Thirteenth Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Steve Reynolds

  • The Secret of the Whistler(1946)

    as Ralph Harrison

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Mysterious Intruder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Don Gale

  • Voice of the Whistler(1945)

    as John Sinclair / John Carter

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Power of the Whistler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as William Everest

  • The Mark of the Whistler(1944)

    as Lee Selfridge Nugent

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Whistler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Earl C. Conrad

  • The Ghost Ship (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Capt. Will Stone

  • Top Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Tom Warren

  • The Kansan(1943)

    as John Bonniwell

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Buckskin Frontier(1943)

    as Stephen Brent

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • American Empire(1942)

    as Dan Taylor

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Eyes of the Underworld (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Police Chief Richard Bryan

  • Tombstone: The Town Too Tough to Die(1942)

    as Wyatt Earp

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Badlands of Dakota (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok

  • The Roundup (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Steve Payson

  • Cherokee Strip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Marshal Dave Lovell

  • Men Against the Sky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Phil Mercedes

  • The Marines Fly High (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Lt. Danny Darrick

  • Reno (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as William Shayne

  • Here I Am a Stranger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Duke Allen

  • Man of Conquest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Sam Houston

  • Twelve Crowded Hours (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Nick Green

  • Sky Giant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Capt. W.R. 'Stag' Cahill

  • Blind Alibi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Paul Dover

  • It Happened in Hollywood(1937)

    as Tim Bart

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Devil Is Driving (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Paul Driscoll

  • Devil's Playground (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Jack Dorgan

  • Special Investigator (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Bill Fenwick

  • Devil's Squadron (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Paul Redmond

  • Yellow Dust (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Bob Culpepper

  • The Tunnel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Richard 'Mack' McAllan

  • The Arizonian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Clay Tallant

  • West of the Pecos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Pecos Smith

  • His Greatest Gamble (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Phillip

  • Stingaree (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Stingaree

  • Day of Reckoning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as John Day

  • Ace of Aces(1933)

    as Rex 'Rocky' Thorne

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • No Marriage Ties (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Bruce Foster

  • The Great Jasper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Jasper Horn

  • The Conquerors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Roger Standish / Roger Lennox

  • Hell's Highway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Frank 'Duke' Ellis

  • Roar of the Dragon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Carson

  • The Lost Squadron (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Capt. 'Gibby' Gibson

  • Secret Service (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Lewis Dumont

  • The Public Defender (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Pike Winslow

  • Young Donovan's Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Jim Donovan

  • The Stolen Jools (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Richard Dix

  • Cimarron(1931)

    as Yancey Cravat

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Shooting Straight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Larry Sheldon / Ted Walters

  • Lovin' the Ladies(1930)

    as Peter

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Seven Keys to Baldpate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as William Magee

  • Redskin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Wing Foot

  • The Wheel of Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Capt. Leslie Yeullet

  • Nothing but the Truth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Robert Bennett

  • The Love Doctor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Dr. Gerald Summer

  • Moran of the Marines (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Michael Moran

  • Warming Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Bert Tulliver

  • Easy Come, Easy Go (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Robert Parker

  • Sporting Goods (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Richard Shelby

  • The Gay Defender (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Joaquin Murrieta

  • Shanghai Bound (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Jim Bucklin

  • Man Power (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Tom Roberts

  • Knockout Reilly (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Dundee 'Knockout' Reilly

  • Paradise for Two (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Steve Porter

  • The Quarterback (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Jack Stone

  • Say It Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Bob Howard

  • Fascinating Youth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Richard Dix

  • Let's Get Married (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Billy Dexter

  • Womanhandled (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Bill Dana

  • The Vanishing American (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Nophaie

  • The Lucky Devil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Randy Farnum

  • Men and Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Will Prescott

  • The Shock Punch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Randall Lee Savage

  • A Man Must Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Geoffrey Farnell

  • Too Many Kisses (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Richard Gaylord, Jr.

  • Manhattan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as Peter Minuit

  • Sinners in Heaven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as Alan Croft

  • Unguarded Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as Douglas Albright

  • Icebound (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as Ben Jordan

  • The Stranger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as Larry Darrant

  • The Call of the Canyon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as Glenn Kilbourne

  • The Ten Commandments(1923)

    as John McTavish

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • To the Last Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as Jean Isbel

  • Racing Hearts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as Robby Smith

  • The Woman with Four Faces (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as Richard Templar

  • Souls for Sale(1923)

    as Frank Claymore

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Quicksands (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as Lt. Bill

  • The Christian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as John Storm

  • The Sin Flood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as Bill Bear

  • The Bonded Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as Lee Marvin

  • Fools First (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as Tommy Frazer

  • Yellow Men and Gold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as Parrish

  • The Wall Flower (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as Walt Breen

  • The Glorious Fool (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as Billy Grant

  • The Poverty of Riches (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    as John Colby

  • Dangerous Curve Ahead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    as Harley Jones

  • All's Fair in Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    as Bobby Cameron

  • Not Guilty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Producer · as Paul / Arthur Ellison (twins)

  • One of Many (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    as James Lowery - Butler

Career shape

Star power in the 91st percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 100 titles from 1917 to 1947.

Highest rated

Souls for Sale (1923)

Midcredits 74th

Most popular right now

Voice of the Whistler (1945)

Film career

Top draw in 1 MovieCove title.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting100 of 100: 99 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score45thProducing1 of 100: 0 only producing, 1 with another role

By decade

1910s1 · acting1920s48 · 48 acting · 1 crew1930s32 · acting1940s19 · acting

Billing

usually 1st · top billed in 67% of 6 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Richard Dix's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 45th percentile, the median of all 13; across their 12 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 49th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Approval · how many liked their films

43rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Reach · how many have seen their films

33rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Midcredits score across 13 titles, by percentile

  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

None of their 13 titles divides audiences: 5 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed4

Most loved · actor

Souls for Sale (1923)

Midcredits 74th · 70% liked

Reviewers score the acting 66/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles; fans 75, detractors 47. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Richard Dix work with?

People who share at least 2 of Richard Dix's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Russell Harlan shares the most, 4.

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles