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IMDbPro

Richard Alexander(1902-1989)

  • Actor
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Richard Alexander in Zorro Rides Again (1937)
Love and adventure in this trailer for the classic western
Play trailer2:08
Silver River (1948)
2 Videos
99+ Photos
An actor whose filmography comprises 307 films and TV series episodes can't have been in 307 memorable works. Which is the case of Richard (aka Dick) Alexander, one of those numerous character actors Hollywood used to over-consume without giving them the opportunity to really display their talents. Too bad because during the years 1926-1931, Alexander looked set to have an interesting career with supporting roles alongside Olga Baclanova (Lou's sweetheart in Josef von Sternberg's The Docks of New York (1928)), Bebe Daniels (Gonzales in Rio Rita (1929) and even the Divine Greta Garbo (The general's aide in The Mysterious Lady (1928). He also appeared in Lewis Milestone's antiwar masterpiece All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) as a German soldier. Unfortunately this was to be his swan song - with only a couple of exceptions such as Destination Unknown (1933) or The Scarlet Empress (1934)). As of 1931, Richard Alexander was to be hired either for minor (at times even very minor) parts in A Films (a warrior in The Crusades (1935), a farmer in The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936), a man with a pike in Marie Antoinette (1938)) or for supporting parts in hordes of mediocre westerns. Richard Alexander's tall figure, strong build and square-jawed face actually killed his career. The fault lies with the laziness of casting directors: Richard Alexander had given a good performance as a henchman in The Lone Star Ranger (1930), well, he would be a brutal henchman in every two run-of-the-mill westerns. Among the 300-odd roles he played, he was cast forty times as a henchman, no less! And if he was not the villain of the piece he was often credited as a strong, big, burly or tough guy. Sure he always made a good job of it but Richard Alexander had shown at the outset of his career how varied his acting could be and he would certainly rather not have repeated the same type of character over and over again. That is why playing Prince Barin, Buster Crabbe's loyal ally in the Flash Gordon (1936) serial must have been a breath of fresh air for him. Whatever the case may be, Richard Alexander continued bravely to be tough and burly on the screen, not retiring before the age of 72. Towards the end of his career, the aging performer also became an active member of the Screen Actors Guild, representing Hollywood extras. In 1989,Alexander passed away more or less forgotten in spite of his 307 screen appearances. He was 86.
BornNovember 19, 1902
DiedAugust 9, 1989(86)
BornNovember 19, 1902
DiedAugust 9, 1989(86)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank

Photos116

Charlton Heston, Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Charles Bickford, Carroll Baker, Richard Alexander, Rudy Bowman, and Burl Ives in The Big Country (1958)
Brian Aherne, Richard Alexander, Frank Hagney, Lumsden Hare, and George Zucco in Captain Fury (1939)
Richard Alexander, Edward Arnold, Eddie Cantor, Lane Chandler, Harry Cording, and Jack Rutherford in Roman Scandals (1933)
John Carradine, Lon Chaney Jr., Richard Alexander, Joe Sawyer, Tom Tyler, and Harry Woods in Frontier Marshal (1939)
Alan Hale, Richard Alexander, Stanley Fields, Charles Middleton, and George Regas in Destination Unknown (1933)
Fred Astaire, Richard Alexander, and Ray Mayer in Follow the Fleet (1936)
Richard Alexander and Russ Clark in The Public Pays (1936)
Richard Alexander and Karl Hackett in The Public Pays (1936)
Richard Alexander, Buster Crabbe, Donald Kerr, Jean Rogers, and C. Montague Shaw in Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars (1938)
Richard Alexander and Johnny Mack Brown in Man from Montana (1941)
Richard Alexander, Frank Ellis, and Karl Hackett in Man from Montana (1941)
Tim McCoy, Richard Alexander, Frank Ellis, Jack Kirk, Bud McClure, Niles Welch, and Edward LeSaint in Riding Wild (1935)

Known for

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
All Quiet on the Western Front
8.1
  • Westhus
  • 1930
Charles Chaplin in Modern Times (1936)
Modern Times
8.5
  • Prison Cellmate(as Dick Alexander)
  • 1936
Buster Crabbe and Carol Hughes in Flash Gordon (1936)
Flash Gordon
7.0
  • Prince Barin [Chs. 5-13]
  • 1936
Pauline Starke in The Viking (1928)
The Viking
6.6
  • Sigurd
  • 1928

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actor

  • Alejandro Valtierra and Lauren Elizabeth Harris in Defining Dodo (2020)
    Defining Dodo
    • Tonio
    • Short
    • 2020
  • Henry Fonda, James Stewart, Sharon DeBord, Elaine Devry, Shirley Jones, Jackie Joseph, Sue Ane Langdon, Jackie Russell, and Jean Willes in The Cheyenne Social Club (1970)
    The Cheyenne Social Club
    • Barfly (uncredited)
    • 1970
  • Heritage
    • Charias
    • TV Series
    • 1969
  • Douglas Fowley, Ruth McDevitt, Ann Sheridan, and Carole Wells in Pistols 'n' Petticoats (1966)
    Pistols 'n' Petticoats
    • Church Member (uncredited)
    • TV Series
    • 1966
  • Henry Fonda, Jason Robards, and Joanne Woodward in A Big Hand for the Little Lady (1966)
    A Big Hand for the Little Lady
    • Barfly (uncredited)
    • 1966
  • Dan Duryea, Rod Cameron, and Audrey Dalton in The Bounty Killer (1965)
    The Bounty Killer
    • Townsman (uncredited)
    • 1965
  • Natalie Wood, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon in The Great Race (1965)
    The Great Race
    • Barfly (uncredited)
    • 1965
  • Rod Cameron and Stephen McNally in Requiem for a Gunfighter (1965)
    Requiem for a Gunfighter
    • Trial Spectator (uncredited)
    • 1965
  • McHale's Navy (1962)
    McHale's Navy
    • Gambler (uncredited)
    • TV Series
    • 1965
  • James Garner, Eva Marie Saint, and Rod Taylor in 36 Hours (1964)
    36 Hours
    • Man Paying Respects (uncredited)
    • 1964
  • Rory Calhoun in The Gun Hawk (1963)
    The Gun Hawk
    • Barfly (uncredited)
    • 1963
  • Bonanza (1959)
    Bonanza
    • Trial Spectator (uncredited)
    • TV Series
    • 1963
  • Jack Elam, Chad Everett, Michael Greene, and Larry Ward in The Dakotas (1962)
    The Dakotas
    • Miner (uncredited)
    • TV Series
    • 1963
  • Audie Murphy in Whispering Smith (1961)
    Whispering Smith
    • Townsman
    • Barfly (uncredited)
    • TV Series
    • 1961
  • Susan Hayward and Dean Martin in Ada (1961)
    Ada
    • Member of the State Legislature (uncredited)
    • 1961

Videos2

Silver River
Trailer 2:08
Silver River
Reefer Madness - 75th Anniversary Expanded Edition
Trailer 1:45
Reefer Madness - 75th Anniversary Expanded Edition

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative name
    • Dick Alexander
  • Height
    • 6′ 4½″ (1.94 m)
  • Born
    • November 19, 1902
    • Dallas, Texas, USA
  • Died
    • August 9, 1989
    • Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA(pulmonary disease)
  • Spouse
    • Frances Smith1926 - July 1, 1984 (her death)
  • Publicity listings
    • 2 Articles

Did you know

Edit
  • Quotes
    [on Fred Kohler and Noah Beery] They were so rotten, mean, filthy, sneering characters that if they even looked at you when you passed them, you felt they had accepted you as a friend! This is what they wanted the public to believe; actually they were very nice, regular guys, just making a living doing what they did best, being an actor.
  • Nickname
    • Dick Alexander

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