Biography for
Brad Dexter (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

9 April 1917, Goldfield, Nevada, USA

Date of Death

12 December 2002, Rancho Mirage, California, USA (emphysema)

Birth Name

Boris Malanovich

Height

6' 2" (1.88 m)

Mini Biography

American supporting player specializing in tough guys. Of Serbian extraction, he was born in Nevada in 1917. As a young man, he boxed in amateur bouts and had early training in theatre at the Pasadena Playhouse. He joined the Air Corps during World War II and was assigned to the troupe performing the Moss Hart Broadway tribute to the Corps, Winged Victory, acting under his first chosen stage name, Barry Mitchell. He appeared in the film version of the show, and after the war became active in radio drama as well as theatre. John Huston spotted him in a play and cast him as a bad guy in The Asphalt Jungle (1950), under the new sobriquet of Brad Dexter. Throughout the Fifties, he continued to play hard cases of a usually villainous stripe, in both crime dramas and Westerns. His most famous role came as one of title characters in The Magnificent Seven (1960), albeit his fame was considerably eclipsed by most of the other members of that band: Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Horst Buchholz, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, and James Coburn. He continued acting into the 1970s, then made a shift into producing.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Jim Beaver <jumblejim@prodigy.net>

Spouse

June Dyer	(1994 - 12 December 2002) (his death)
Mary Bogdanovich	(27 January 1971 - 12 June 1994) (her death)
Peggy Lee	(4 January 1953 - November 1953) (divorced)

Trivia

On May 10, 1964, Dexter saved both Frank Sinatra's life and the life of Ruth Koch (wife of Producer Howard Koch), during production of the World War II film, None But the Brave, in Kaui, Hawaii. Sinatra and Koch were swimming at a beach when they were swept out to sea by the outgoing tide and nearly drowned in high billowing waves. Sinatra's co-star Dexter swam out and rescued them together and were not able to reach back to shore for nearly 45 minutes. In the waves, Sinatra reportedly became separated and murmured "Its all over...please take care of my kids...I'm going to die." Towards the end, both Sinatra and Koch had fallen unconscious for several minutes before two surfers arrived to help Dexter take them to shore. Dexter was later awarded a Red Cross medal for his bravery. When Dexter later advised him not to marry the then-20 year old Mia Farrow, who was about 25 years Sinatra's junior, Sinatra ended their friendship.

Originally changed his name to Barry Mitchell. Changed it to Brad Dexter at the request of John Huston.

Son of Yugoslavian immigrants.

Spoke Serbo-Croatian.

Met Karl Malden in the Army Air Force during World War II. Both performed in "Winged Victory," a Broadway film touring unit.

Is best known for his role as Harry Luck, one of the title characters of The Magnificent Seven (1960). However, he is the one of the seven whom no one can ever remember.

Was the second husband of Miss Peggy Lee.

Played Bugsy Siegel in The George Raft Story (1961).

Middle name was in honor of the physician who delivered him, Dr. Marie Michel.

Personal Quotes

I'm the one from The Magnificent Seven (1960) nobody remembers.

Salary

The Naked Runner (1967)

$50,000