Brad Dexter
Encyclopedia
Brad Dexter (April 9, 1917 – December 11, 2002) was an American actor.
, of Serbian
parentage. He spoke Serbian
as his first language. Burly, dark and handsome, Brad Dexter was usually given supporting roles of a rugged character. Early in his acting career, he went by the name of Barry Mitchell.
After a stint as an amateur boxer, Dexter attended the Pasadena Playhouse
where he studied theatre. During World War II
he enlisted for military service with the U.S. Army Air Corps and appeared in the Corps play and film Winged Victory
. His career in Hollywood spanned over four decades. Other films Dexter appeared in include The Asphalt Jungle
, Last Train from Gun Hill
, Kings of the Sun
, Johnny Cool
and as one of the title characters in The Magnificent Seven
.
From January to November 1953 he had a brief and stormy marriage with singer Peggy Lee
which ended in divorce.
Dexter's relationship with singer and actor Frank Sinatra
began when Dexter saved the singer from drowning on May 10, 1964, during production of the World War II film, None But the Brave
, on the island of Kauai
in Hawaii
. Sinatra and Ruth Koch, the wife of producer Howard Koch
, were swimming at a beach when they were swept out to sea by the outgoing tide and nearly drowned. Sinatra's co-star Dexter and two surfers swam out and rescued them. Dexter was later awarded a Red Cross medal for his bravery.
Sinatra and Dexter co-starred in a second film together Von Ryan's Express
and Dexter subsequently produced The Naked Runner
which starred Sinatra and was filmed in London. The two men clashed over Sinatra's unwillingness to finish the film and after it was completed, Dexter resigned. "I was the only guy who dropped Sinatra ... I couldn't put up with his nonsense", Dexter said at the time. Dexter also co-produced Skag with fellow Serbian American
actor Karl Malden
.
He was married to Star-Kist tuna heiress Mary Bogdonovich from January 27, 1971 until her death on June 12, 1994. Later in 1994 he married June Deyer and remained with her until his death.
He died in Rancho Mirage, California
, from emphysema
, on December 11, 2002, at age 85. He is buried in Desert Memorial Park
Life and career
Dexter was born Boris Malanovich (Serbian Cyrillic: Борис Малановић), in Goldfield, NevadaGoldfield, Nevada
Goldfield is an unincorporated community and the county seat of Esmeralda County, Nevada, United States, with a resident population of 440 at the 2000 census. It is located about southeast of Carson City, along U.S...
, of Serbian
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
parentage. He spoke Serbian
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
as his first language. Burly, dark and handsome, Brad Dexter was usually given supporting roles of a rugged character. Early in his acting career, he went by the name of Barry Mitchell.
After a stint as an amateur boxer, Dexter attended the Pasadena Playhouse
Pasadena Playhouse
The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engagements each year.-History:...
where he studied theatre. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he enlisted for military service with the U.S. Army Air Corps and appeared in the Corps play and film Winged Victory
Winged Victory (play)
Winged Victory is a play and, later, a film by Moss Hart, originally created and produced by the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II as a morale booster and as a fundraiser for the Army Emergency Relief Fund. Upon recommendation of Lt. Col. Dudley S. Dean, who had been approached with the...
. His career in Hollywood spanned over four decades. Other films Dexter appeared in include The Asphalt Jungle
The Asphalt Jungle
The Asphalt Jungle is a 1950 film noir directed by John Huston. The caper film is based on the novel of the same name by W. R. Burnett and stars an ensemble cast including Sterling Hayden, Jean Hagen, Sam Jaffe, Louis Calhern, James Whitmore, and, in a minor but key role, Marilyn Monroe, an unknown...
, Last Train from Gun Hill
Last Train from Gun Hill
Last Train from Gun Hill is a 1959 Western by action director John Sturges. It stars Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, Carolyn Jones and Earl Holliman. Douglas and Holliman had previously appeared together in Sturges' Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, which used much of the same crew.The script is by James...
, Kings of the Sun
Kings of the Sun
Kings of the Sun is a 1963 movie directed by J. Lee Thompson set in Mesoamerica at the time of the conquest of Chichen Itza by Hunac Ceel. The story is about Mayan refugees who sail to the Mississippi River Valley and lay the foundation for the Mississippian culture complex...
, Johnny Cool
Johnny Cool
Johnny Cool is an offbeat 1963 crime film directed by William Asher. It stars Henry Silva and Elizabeth Montgomery.Johnny Colini, an exiled American gangster living in Sicily, rescues Salvatore Giordano, a young Sicilian outlaw, from the police...
and as one of the title characters in The Magnificent Seven
The Magnificent Seven
The Magnificent Seven is an American Western film directed by John Sturges, and released in 1960. It is a fictional tale of a group of seven American gunmen who are hired to protect a small agricultural village in Mexico from a group of marauding Mexican bandits...
.
From January to November 1953 he had a brief and stormy marriage with singer Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
which ended in divorce.
Dexter's relationship with singer and actor Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
began when Dexter saved the singer from drowning on May 10, 1964, during production of the World War II film, None But the Brave
None But the Brave
None But the Brave, also known as in Japan, is a 1965 war film starring Frank Sinatra, Clint Walker, Tatsuya Mihashi, Tommy Sands and Brad Dexter. This is the only film directed by Frank Sinatra, and the first Japanese-American co-production, produced by Sinatra for Warner Bros...
, on the island of Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. Sinatra and Ruth Koch, the wife of producer Howard Koch
Howard Koch
Howard Koch is the name of:* Howard Koch , American screenwriter* Howard W. Koch , American film and TV director, producer* Hawk Koch , American film producer...
, were swimming at a beach when they were swept out to sea by the outgoing tide and nearly drowned. Sinatra's co-star Dexter and two surfers swam out and rescued them. Dexter was later awarded a Red Cross medal for his bravery.
Sinatra and Dexter co-starred in a second film together Von Ryan's Express
Von Ryan's Express
Von Ryan's Express is a 1965 World War II adventure film starring Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard, based on a novel by David Westheimer, and directed by Mark Robson.-Plot:...
and Dexter subsequently produced The Naked Runner
The Naked Runner
The Naked Runner is a 1967 British espionage film directed by Sidney J. Furie and starring Frank Sinatra, Peter Vaughan, Edward Fox. It was the last film Sinatra made with Warner Bros...
which starred Sinatra and was filmed in London. The two men clashed over Sinatra's unwillingness to finish the film and after it was completed, Dexter resigned. "I was the only guy who dropped Sinatra ... I couldn't put up with his nonsense", Dexter said at the time. Dexter also co-produced Skag with fellow Serbian American
Serbian American
Serbian Americans are citizens of the United States who are of Serbian ancestry. For the 2000 US Census, 140,337 Americans indicated Serbian as their first ancestry, while 170,312 persons declared to have Serbian ancestry...
actor Karl Malden
Karl Malden
Karl Malden was an American actor. In a career that spanned more than seven decades, he performed in such classic films as A Streetcar Named Desire, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, On the Waterfront and One-Eyed Jacks...
.
He was married to Star-Kist tuna heiress Mary Bogdonovich from January 27, 1971 until her death on June 12, 1994. Later in 1994 he married June Deyer and remained with her until his death.
He died in Rancho Mirage, California
Rancho Mirage, California
Rancho Mirage is a resort city in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 17,218 at the 2010 census, up from 13,249 at the 2000 census, but the seasonal population can exceed 20,000. In between Cathedral City and Palm Desert, it is one of the eight cities of the Coachella...
, from emphysema
Emphysema
Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary...
, on December 11, 2002, at age 85. He is buried in Desert Memorial Park
Desert Memorial Park
Desert Memorial Park is a cemetery in Cathedral City, California, United States, near Palm Springs. It is maintained by the Palm Springs Cemetery District...