Brad Dexter (born Boris Michel Soso; April 9, 1917 – December 12, 2002) was an American actor and film producer. He is known for tough-guy and western roles, including the 1960 film '' The Magnificent Seven'' (1960), and producing several films for Sidney J. Furie such as '' Lady Sings the Blues''. He is also known for a short marriage to

Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, and actress whose career spanned seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local r ...

, a friendship with

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...

and for saving

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

from drowning. Dexter's tough-guy roles contrasted with his easygoing and friendly real-life personality.

Early life

Dexter was born in Goldfield, Nevada, the second of three sons born to Marko and Ljubica Šošo (later known as Marko and Violet Soso), ethnic Serb immigrants from

Bosnia-Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to the north a ...

. Serbian was Dexter's first language."Myth #93: So Who Was Actor Brad Dexter Anyway? by Guy Rocha, Former Nevada State Archivist"
, nsla.nv.gov (PDF); accessed October 9, 2016. The family soon relocated to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, where he attended Belmont High School. Tall, burly and handsome with bright blue eyes, Dexter was usually given supporting roles as a rugged character. After a stint as an amateur boxer, Dexter attended the Pasadena Playhouse, where he studied acting. He had a small role in '' The Mortal Storm'' (1940). During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps, where he met and befriended

Karl Malden Karl Malden (born Mladen George Sekulovich; March 22, 1912 – July 1, 2009) was an American stage, movie and television actor who first achieved acclaim in the original Broadway productions of Arthur Miller's '' All My Sons'' and Tennessee Will ...

, a fellow Serbian-American, and appeared uncredited in the Corps play and

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

Winged Victory The ''Winged Victory of Samothrace'', or the ''Niké of Samothrace'', is a Votive offering, votive monument originally discovered on the island of Samothrace in the northeastern Aegean Sea. It is a masterpiece of Greek sculpture from the Helleni ...

'' (1944).

Acting career

After the war, Dexter had a role in '' Heldorado'' (1946), a

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998), nicknamed the King of the Cowboys, was an American singer, actor, television host, and Rodeo, rodeo performer. Following early work under his given name, first as a c ...

western, as "Barry Mitchell". He was also credited under this name in ''

Sinbad the Sailor Sinbad the Sailor (; or Sindbad) is a fictional mariner and the hero of a Literary cycle, story-cycle. He is described as hailing from Baghdad during the early Abbasid Caliphate (8th and 9th centuries A.D.). In the course of seven voyages thr ...

'' (1947). He appeared on Broadway in ''Magnolia Alley'' (1949). He changed his name to Brad Dexter, playing a villainous detective in '' The Asphalt Jungle'' (1950) and landing a role in '' Fourteen Hours'' (1951). Dexter's breakthrough role was as a villain in RKO's '' The Las Vegas Story'' (1951), starring Victor Mature and Jane Russell. RKO cast him in a similar part in ''

Macao Macau or Macao is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most densely populated region in the world. Formerly a Portuguese colony, the ter ...

'' (1952), also with Russell. RKO signed him to a contract. Dexter played a villain in '' 99 River Street'' (1953). He then signed a contract with

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

, appearing in '' Untamed'' (1955), '' Violent Saturday'' (1955) for director

Richard Fleischer Richard Owen Fleischer (; December 8, 1916 – March 25, 2006) was an American film director. His career spanned more than four decades, beginning at the height of the Golden Age of Hollywood and lasting through the American New Wave. He was the ...

, '' House of Bamboo'' (1955) for director Samuel Fuller, '' The Bottom of the Bottle'' (1956), and '' Between Heaven and Hell'' (1956) again with Fleischer. Dexter played a villain in ''

The Oklahoman ''The Oklahoman'' is the largest daily newspaper in Oklahoma, United States, and is the only regional daily that covers the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, Greater Oklahoma City area. The Alliance for Audited Media (formerly Audit Bureau Circul ...

'' (1957), produced by Walter Mirisch, and also appeared in '' Run Silent Run Deep'' (1958), again as a villain.

First TV work

Dexter then shifted largely into television, appearing in episodes of ''

Climax! ''Climax!'' (later known as ''Climax Mystery Theater'') is an American television anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS pro ...

'', '' The Gale Storm Show'', ''

How to Marry a Millionaire ''How to Marry a Millionaire'' is a 1953 American romantic comedy film directed by Jean Negulesco and written and produced by Nunnally Johnson. The screenplay was based on the plays ''The Greeks Had a Word for It'' (1930) by Zoe Akins and '' ...

'', '' Pursuit'', '' Studio One in Hollywood'', ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western television series that aired for eight seasons, first on the NBC television network (1957–1962) and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and reached the top of the ...

'', ''

Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the late 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was bo ...

'', ''

Have Gun – Will Travel ''Have Gun – Will Travel'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series that was produced and originally broadcast by CBS on both television and radio from 1957 through 1963. The television version of the series starring Ri ...

'', '' Zane Grey Theatre'', '' Behind Closed Doors'', '' Cimarron City'', '' Yancy Derringer'', '' This Man Dawson'', '' 77 Sunset Strip'', '' Colt 45'', '' The Man from Blackhawk'', ''

Tightrope Tightrope walking, also called funambulism, is the skill of walking along a thin wire or rope. It has a long tradition in various countries and is commonly associated with the circus. Other skills similar to tightrope walking include slack rope ...

'', '' Mr. Lucky'', '' Bat Masterton'', and '' Wanted: Dead or Alive'', starring

Steve McQueen Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of counterculture of the 1960s, 1960s counterculture, made him a top box office draw for his films of the late ...

Further film work

Even after embarking into television, Dexter still made the occasional feature film, such as '' Last Train from Gun Hill'' (1959), directed by John Sturges, and '' Vice Raid'' (1959), and was second billed in '' 13 Fighting Men'' (1960). He was then cast as a gunslinger in '' The Magnificent Seven'' (1960), directed by John Sturges for Walter Mirisch's production firm The Mirisch Company. Both Sturges and Mirisch had worked with Dexter before. He was praised for his work, and it became his best-known role and most famous film.

Return to television

The success of ''The Magnificent Seven'' did not immediately benefit Dexter's career: he returned to television, guest starring in ''

The Aquanauts ''The Aquanauts'' (later known as ''Malibu Run'') is an American adventure/ drama series that aired on CBS September 14, 1960 - February 22, 1961 (or September 14, 1960 - September 27, 1961). The series stars Keith Larsen, Jeremy Slate and Ro ...

'', ''

Hawaiian Eye ''Hawaiian Eye'' is an American detective television series that ran from October 1959 to April 1963 on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network. Premise Private investigator Tracy Steele (Anthony Eisley) and his half-Hawaiian ...

'', '' General Electric Theatre'', ''

Tales of Wells Fargo ''Tales of Wells Fargo'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series starring Dale Robertson in 201 episodes that aired from 1957 to 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until i ...

'', '' Surfside 6'', '' The Investigators'', and '' Alcoa Premiere''. He could be seen in '' It Started in Tokyo'' (1961), ''

The George Raft Story ''The George Raft Story'' is a 1961 American biographical film directed by Joseph M. Newman that stars Ray Danton as Hollywood film star George Raft. The picture was retitled ''Spin of a Coin'' for release in the United Kingdom, a reference to R ...

'' (1961) (playing

Bugsy Siegel Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel (; February 28, 1906 – June 20, 1947) was an American gangster, mobster who was a driving force behind the development of the Las Vegas Strip. Siegel was influential within the Jewish-American organized crime, Jewish Mo ...

), ''

X-15 The North American X-15 is a Hypersonic speed, hypersonic rocket-powered aircraft which was operated by the United States Air Force and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the List of X-planes, X-plane series of ...

'' (1962) with Charles Bronson and '' Johnny Cool'' (1963). Dexter supported

Yul Brynner Yuliy Borisovich Briner (; July 11, 1920 – October 10, 1985), known professionally as Yul Brynner (), was a Russian-born actor. He was known for his portrayal of King Mongkut in the Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musical ''The King and I'' (19 ...

again in '' Taras Bulba'' (1962), '' Kings of the Sun'' (1963) (from the producers of ''Magnificent Seven''), and ''

Invitation to a Gunfighter ''Invitation to a Gunfighter'' is a 1964 DeLuxe Color Western (genre), Western film directed by Richard Wilson (director), Richard Wilson, starring Yul Brynner and George Segal. It was based on a 1957 teleplay by Larry Klein that appeared on '' ...

'' (1964). In 1963, Dexter was cast as

California Supreme Court The Supreme Court of California is the highest and final court of appeals in the courts of the U.S. state of California. It is headquartered in San Francisco at the Earl Warren Building, but it regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sac ...

Justice David S. Terry in "A Gun Is Not a Gentleman" on the syndicated

anthology series An anthology series is a written series, radio, television, film, or video game series that presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a different ca ...

, ''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American Western (genre), Western anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was ...

'', hosted by Stanley Andrews. Carroll O'Connor portrayed U.S. Senator David C. Broderick of California, who was mortally wounded by Justice Terry in an 1859 duel. Though past allies in the Democratic Party, Terry, a

slavery Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

advocate, challenged the anti-slavery Broderick.

Work with Frank Sinatra

Dexter's friendship with

began when Dexter helped save Sinatra from drowning on May 10, 1964, during production of the World War II film '' None but the Brave'' (1965) on the island of

Kauai, Hawaii Kauai (), anglicized as Kauai ( or ), is one of the main Hawaiian Islands. It has an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), making it the fourth-largest of the islands and the List of islands of the United States by area, 21st-largest ...

. Sinatra and Ruth Koch, the wife of producer Howard Koch, were swimming 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 The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...

medal for his bravery. Grateful, Sinatra made him vice president of Sinatra Enterprises. After Dexter appeared in '' Bus Riley's Back in Town'' (1965), he made another film with Sinatra, '' Von Ryan's Express'' (1965). That year, Dexter complained that acting made him "frustrated as hell. As an actor you don't have control over the medium you're in... you have no control over your destiny." Dexter produced '' The Naked Runner'' (1967), which starred Sinatra and was filmed in London. Dexter and director Sidney J. Furie clashed with Sinatra over the latter'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. Publicly, Dexter denied any falling out with Sinatra. He claimed to have left Sinatra's company to make a film with Furie based on the Sam Sheppard case. The project eventually became ''

The Lawyer ''The Lawyer'' is a legal business information product for law firm leaders, commercial lawyers, barristers A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advoc ...

'' (1970) starring Barry Newman as Petrocelli. He produced two more films for Furie: '' Little Fauss and Big Halsy'' (1970) starring

Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received numerous accolades such as an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, as well as the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1994, the ...

, and '' Lady Sings the Blues'' (1972) starring

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday made significant contributions to jazz music and pop ...

Later work

Dexter returned to acting with roles in '' Jory'' (1973), ''

Shampoo Shampoo () is a hair care product, typically in the form of a viscous liquid, that is formulated to be used for cleaning (scalp) hair. Less commonly, it is available in solid bar format. (" Dry shampoo" is a separate product.) Shampoo is use ...

'' (1975), '' Vigilante Force'' (1976), '' The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover'' (1977), '' House Calls'' (1978) and '' Winter Kills'' (1979), and guest parts on '' McCloud'', ''

Kojak ''Kojak'' is an American Action film, action Crime film, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theophilus "Theo" Kojak. Tak ...

'', '' S.W.A.T.'', '' Project U.F.O.'', and '' The Incredible Hulk''. Dexter produced the TV series '' Skag'' (1980) starring

. His last role was in ''

Cognac Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the Communes of France, commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the Departments of France, departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime. Cogn ...

'' (1988).

Personal life

Dexter married singer

January 1953; the couple divorced that November. He was married to

StarKist StarKist Tuna is a brand of tuna produced by StarKist Co., an American company formerly based in Pittsburgh's North Shore that is now wholly owned by Dongwon Industries of South Korea. It was purchased by Dongwon from the American food manufact ...

tuna heiress Mary Bogdanovich 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.

Death

Dexter died in

Rancho Mirage, California Rancho Mirage is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. The city is a low-density desert community with resorts, golf courses, and country clubs within the Colorado Desert section of the Sonoran Desert. Nestled along the foothil ...

, from

emphysema Emphysema is any air-filled enlargement in the body's tissues. Most commonly emphysema refers to the permanent enlargement of air spaces (alveoli) in the lungs, and is also known as pulmonary emphysema. Emphysema is a lower respiratory tract di ...

, on December 11, 2002, at age 85, and is interred at

Desert Memorial Park Desert Memorial Park is a cemetery in Cathedral City, California, United States, near Palm Springs, California, Palm Springs. Opening in 1956 and receiving its first interment in 1957,The Palm Springs Cemetery District itself was covers 504 square ...

.Wilson, Scott. ''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons'', 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 25047-25048). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Filmography

*''

'' (1944) as Jack Browning (uncredited) *'' Heldorado'' (1946) as Alec Baxter *''

'' (1947) as Muallin *'' The Asphalt Jungle'' (1950) as Bob Brannom *'' Fourteen Hours'' (1951) as Reporter (uncredited) *'' The Las Vegas Story'' (1952) as Tom Hubler *''

'' (1952) as Vincent Halloran *'' 99 River Street'' (1953) as Victor Rawlins *'' Untamed'' (1955) as Lt. Christian *'' Violent Saturday'' (1955) as Gil Clayton *'' House of Bamboo'' (1955) as Captain Hanson *'' The Bottom of the Bottle'' (1956) as Stanley Miller *'' Between Heaven and Hell'' (1956) as Lt. Joe 'Little Joe' Johnson *''

'' (1957) as Cass Dobie *'' Run Silent, Run Deep'' (1958) as Ens. Gerald Cartwright *'' Last Train from Gun Hill'' (1959) as Beero *'' Vice Raid'' (1960) as Vince Malone *'' 13 Fighting Men'' (1960) as Maj. Simon Boyd *'' The Magnificent Seven'' (1960) as Harry Luck *'' Twenty Plus Two'' (1961) as Leroy Dane *''

'' (1961) as Benny 'Bugsy' Siegal *''

'' (1961) as Maj. Anthony Rinaldi *'' Taras Bulba'' (1962) as Shilo *'' Johnny Cool'' (1963) as Lennart Crandall *'' Kings of the Sun'' (1963) as Ah Haleb *''

'' (1964) as Kenarsie *'' None but the Brave'' (1965) as Sgt. Bleeker *'' Bus Riley's Back in Town'' (1965) as Slocum *'' Von Ryan's Express'' (1965) as Sgt. Bostick *''

Blindfold A blindfold (from Middle English ') is a garment, usually of cloth, tied to one's head to cover the eyes to disable the wearer's sight. While a properly fitted blindfold prevents sight even if the eyes are open, a poorly tied or trick blindfo ...

'' (1966) as Detective Harrigan *'' Jory'' (1973) as Jack *''

'' (1975) as Senator East *'' Vigilante Force'' (1976) as Mayor Bradford *'' The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover'' (1977) as Alvin Karpis *'' House Calls'' (1978) as Quinn *'' Winter Kills'' (1979) as Captain Heller One *''Tajna manastirske rakije'' (1988) as Veljko Pantovich (final role)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dexter, Brad 1917 births 2002 deaths 20th-century American male actors Burials at Desert Memorial Park American male film actors American male television actors American people of Bosnia and Herzegovina descent Deaths from emphysema Male actors from Los Angeles Male Western (genre) film actors Military personnel from Nevada United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II