Ivan Dixon
Encyclopedia
Ivan Dixon was an American actor
, director
, and producer
best known for his series role in the 1960s sitcom Hogan's Heroes
, for his role in the 1967 telefilm The Final War of Olly Winter, and for directing hundreds of episodes of television series. Active in the Civil Rights Movement
, he served as a president
of Negro Actors for Action.
, the son of a grocery store
owner. When he was young, Dixon lived in the brownstone at 518 W. 150th St. in Harlem. Living on the same block were Josh White
, Ralph Ellison
and the Hines brothers (Gregory
and Maurice
). He graduated from the Lincoln Academy in Gaston County, North Carolina
, and went on to earn a drama degree from North Carolina Central University
in 1954, where the theater troupe is known as the Ivan Dixon Players. He also became a member of Omega Psi Phi, while in attendance. In 1957, he appeared on Broadway
in the William Saroyan
play Cave Dwellers
. In 1958, he was a stunt double for Sidney Poitier
in The Defiant Ones
. In 1959, he co-starred in Lorraine Hansberry
's groundbreaking drama Raisin in the Sun, the first produced Broadway play by a black woman.
Dixon went on to television roles on The Twilight Zone
(in the episodes "The Big Tall Wish
" and "I Am the Night—Color Me Black
") and other series. In 1964, he starred in the independent film Nothing But a Man
, written and directed by Michael Roemer
.
Staff Sergeant Ivan Kinchloe in the ensemble of the hit television program
Hogan's Heroes
. "Kinch" was the communications specialist and default second in command to Colonel Hogan (portrayed by Bob Crane
). Dixon played Kinchloe from 1965 to 1970, making him the only original actor on Hogan's Heroes not to remain for the entire series. Hogan's Heroes ended in 1971, by which time Kenneth Washington
had succeeded Dixon.
, The Waltons
, The Rockford Files
, The Bionic Woman
, Magnum, P.I.
, and The A-Team
. He also directed the controversial 1973 feature film The Spook Who Sat by the Door based on a novel by Sam Greenlee
, about the first black CIA agent
, who takes his espionage knowledge and uses it to lead a black guerrilla operation in Chicago, Illinois. The New York Times wrote in 2008:
Occasionally returning to acting, he played a doctor and leader of a guerrilla movement in the controversial 1987 ABC
miniseries
Amerika
, set in post-Soviet invasion Nebraska.
in Maui
. In 2001, he left Hawaii for health reasons and sold the radio station in 2002.
Ivan Dixon died on March 16, 2008, aged 76, at Presbyterian Hospital
in Charlotte
, North Carolina
due to complications from kidney failure
.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
, and producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
best known for his series role in the 1960s sitcom Hogan's Heroes
Hogan's Heroes
Hogan's Heroes is an American television sitcom that ran for 168 episodes from September 17, 1965, to March 28, 1971, on the CBS network. The show was set in a German prisoner of war camp during the Second World War. Bob Crane had the starring role as Colonel Robert E...
, for his role in the 1967 telefilm The Final War of Olly Winter, and for directing hundreds of episodes of television series. Active in the Civil Rights Movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
, he served as a president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of Negro Actors for Action.
Early life and career
Ivan Nathaniel Dixon III was born in HarlemHarlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
, the son of a grocery store
Grocery store
A grocery store is a store that retails food. A grocer, the owner of a grocery store, stocks different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, and sells these "groceries" to customers. Large grocery stores that stock products other than food, such as clothing or household items, are...
owner. When he was young, Dixon lived in the brownstone at 518 W. 150th St. in Harlem. Living on the same block were Josh White
Josh White
Joshua Daniel White , better known as Josh White, was an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor, and civil rights activist. He also recorded under the names "Pinewood Tom" and "Tippy Barton" in the 1930s....
, Ralph Ellison
Ralph Ellison
Ralph Waldo Ellison was an American novelist, literary critic, scholar and writer. He was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Ellison is best known for his novel Invisible Man, which won the National Book Award in 1953...
and the Hines brothers (Gregory
Gregory Hines
Gregory Oliver Hines was an American actor, singer, dancer and choreographer.-Early years:Born in New York City, Hines and his older brother Maurice started dancing at an early age, studying with choreographer Henry LeTang...
and Maurice
Maurice Hines
Maurice Hines is an American actor, director, jazz singer and choreographer.Born in New York City, Hines began his career at the age of five, studying tap dance at the Henry LeTang Dance Studio in Manhattan. LeTang recognized his talent and began choreographing numbers specifically for him and his...
). He graduated from the Lincoln Academy in Gaston County, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, and went on to earn a drama degree from North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University is a public historically black university in the University of North Carolina system, located in Durham, North Carolina, offering programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, professional and doctoral levels....
in 1954, where the theater troupe is known as the Ivan Dixon Players. He also became a member of Omega Psi Phi, while in attendance. In 1957, he appeared on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in the William Saroyan
William Saroyan
William Saroyan was an Armenian American dramatist and author. The setting of many of his stories and plays is the center of Armenian-American life in California in his native Fresno.-Early years:...
play Cave Dwellers
Cave Dwellers
Ator l'invincibile 2 is an Italian film that was made in 1984. The movie was written and directed by Joe d'Amato...
. In 1958, he was a stunt double for Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier
Sir Sidney Poitier, KBE is a Bahamian American actor, film director, author, and diplomat.In 1963, Poitier became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field...
in The Defiant Ones
The Defiant Ones
The Defiant Ones is a 1958 drama film which tells the story of two escaped prisoners, one white and one black, who are shackled together and who must co-operate in order to survive. It stars Tony Curtis, Sidney Poitier, Theodore Bikel, Cara Williams, Charles McGraw, and Lon Chaney, Jr...
. In 1959, he co-starred in Lorraine Hansberry
Lorraine Hansberry
Lorraine Hansberry was an African American playwright and author of political speeches, letters, and essays...
's groundbreaking drama Raisin in the Sun, the first produced Broadway play by a black woman.
Dixon went on to television roles on The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
(in the episodes "The Big Tall Wish
The Big Tall Wish
"The Big Tall Wish" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone, with an original score by Jerry Goldsmith.-Plot:...
" and "I Am the Night—Color Me Black
I Am the Night—Color Me Black
"I Am the Night—Color Me Black" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.-Synopsis:Jagger is a man who is to be hanged after being wrongfully convicted of killing a bigot in self defense. On the day of his execution, the sun does not rise in the morning. There is...
") and other series. In 1964, he starred in the independent film Nothing But a Man
Nothing But a Man
Nothing But a Man is a film made in 1964 and directed by Michael Roemer. The story is about a black railroad worker, who falls in love with a black school teacher, who is the town’s preacher’s daughter. The story depicts the struggle of their strife for “a meaningful place” in their society. It...
, written and directed by Michael Roemer
Michael Roemer
Michael Roemer is a film director, producer and writer. He has won several awards for his films. He is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship. A professor at Yale University, he is the author of Telling Stories.- Early years :...
.
Hogan's Heroes
In his best-known role, Dixon appeared as POWPrisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
Staff Sergeant Ivan Kinchloe in the ensemble of the hit television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
Hogan's Heroes
Hogan's Heroes
Hogan's Heroes is an American television sitcom that ran for 168 episodes from September 17, 1965, to March 28, 1971, on the CBS network. The show was set in a German prisoner of war camp during the Second World War. Bob Crane had the starring role as Colonel Robert E...
. "Kinch" was the communications specialist and default second in command to Colonel Hogan (portrayed by Bob Crane
Bob Crane
Robert Edward "Bob" Crane was an American actor and disc jockey, best known for his performance as Colonel Robert E...
). Dixon played Kinchloe from 1965 to 1970, making him the only original actor on Hogan's Heroes not to remain for the entire series. Hogan's Heroes ended in 1971, by which time Kenneth Washington
Kenneth Washington
Kenneth Washington is an African-American television and film actor who is best remembered for playing Sergeant Richard Baker on the final season of Hogan's Heroes and as Officer Miller on Adam-12.-Partial filmography:...
had succeeded Dixon.
Film work and directing
From 1970 to 1993, Dixon worked primarily as a television director on such series and TV-movies as Trouble ManTrouble Man
Trouble Man is a 1972 blaxploitation film produced and released by 20th Century Fox. The film stars Robert Hooks as "Mr. T.", a hard-edged private detective who tends to take justice into his own hands...
, The Waltons
The Waltons
The Waltons is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book Spencer's Mountain, and a 1963 film of the same name. The show centered on a family growing up in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II. The series pilot was a television...
, The Rockford Files
The Rockford Files
The Rockford Files is an American television drama series which aired on the NBC network between September 13, 1974 and January 10, 1980. It has remained in regular syndication to the present day. The show stars James Garner as Los Angeles-based private investigator Jim Rockford and features Noah...
, The Bionic Woman
The Bionic Woman
The Bionic Woman is an American television series starring Lindsay Wagner that aired for three seasons between 1976 and 1978 as a spin off from The Six Million Dollar Man. Wagner stars as tennis pro Jaime Sommers who is nearly killed in a skydiving accident. Sommers' life is saved by Oscar Goldman ...
, Magnum, P.I.
Magnum, P.I.
Magnum, P.I. is an American television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from 1980 to 1988 in first-run broadcast on the American CBS television network....
, and The A-Team
The A-Team
The A-Team is an American action adventure television series about a fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces personnel who work as soldiers of fortune, while on the run from the Army after being branded as war criminals for a "crime they didn't commit". The A-Team was created by...
. He also directed the controversial 1973 feature film The Spook Who Sat by the Door based on a novel by Sam Greenlee
Sam Greenlee
Sam Greenlee is an African American writer, best known for his novel The Spook Who Sat by the Door, first published in London by Allison & Busby in March 1969, which was made into the 1973 movie of the same name and won The Sunday Times Book of the Year award...
, about the first black CIA agent
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
, who takes his espionage knowledge and uses it to lead a black guerrilla operation in Chicago, Illinois. The New York Times wrote in 2008:
Although The Spook caused controversy and was soon pulled from theaters, it later gained cult status as a bootleg video and in 2004 was released on DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
. At that time Mr. Dixon told The Times that the movie had tried only to depict black anger, not to suggest armed revolt as a solution.
Occasionally returning to acting, he played a doctor and leader of a guerrilla movement in the controversial 1987 ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
Amerika
Amerika (TV miniseries)
Amerika – suggesting a Russified name for the United States – is an American television miniseries that was broadcast in 1987 on ABC. It starred Kris Kristofferson, Mariel Hemingway, Sam Neill, Robert Urich, and a 17-year-old Lara Flynn Boyle in her first major role. Amerika was about life in the...
, set in post-Soviet invasion Nebraska.
Later life and death
After his career as an actor and director, Dixon was the owner-operator of radio station KONI (FM)KONI (FM)
KONI is a radio station licensed to serve Lanai City, Hawaii. The station is owned by Hochman Hawaii Publishing, Inc. It airs an Oldies music format....
in Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
. In 2001, he left Hawaii for health reasons and sold the radio station in 2002.
Ivan Dixon died on March 16, 2008, aged 76, at Presbyterian Hospital
Presbyterian Hospital (Charlotte)
The Presbyterian Hospital is a 554-bed hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is a private, non-profit regional medical center and the flagship hospital of Presbyterian Healthcare...
in Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
due to complications from kidney failure
Renal failure
Renal failure or kidney failure describes a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to adequately filter toxins and waste products from the blood...
.
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Something of Value Something of Value Something Of Value is a 1957 drama directed by Richard Brooks and starring Rock Hudson, Dana Wynter and Sidney Poitier.-Plot:The movie, based on the book of the same name by Robert Ruark, portrays the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya. It shows the colonial and native African conflict caused by colonialism... |
Lathela, Loyal Gun-Bearer | Alternative title: Africa Ablaze |
| 1959 | Porgy and Bess | Jim | |
| 1961 | A Raisin in the Sun | Asagai | |
| 1962 | The New Breed The New Breed (TV series) The New Breed is an American crime drama series that aired on ABC from October 3, 1961 to June 5, 1962, with thirty-six episodes.-Synopsis:... |
Wick | 2 episodes |
| 1963 | Stoney Burke Stoney Burke (TV series) Stoney Burke is a short-lived Western television series broadcast on the ABC television network from October 1, 1962 until May 20, 1963. The series starred Jack Lord, who would later go on to star in the popular television series, Hawaii Five-O.... |
Dr. Manning | Episode: "The Test" |
| 1964 | Nothing But a Man Nothing But a Man Nothing But a Man is a film made in 1964 and directed by Michael Roemer. The story is about a black railroad worker, who falls in love with a black school teacher, who is the town’s preacher’s daughter. The story depicts the struggle of their strife for “a meaningful place” in their society. It... |
Duff Anderson | |
| 1965 | I Spy | Elroy Brown | Episode: "So Long, Patrick Henry" |
| 1965 | A Patch of Blue A Patch of Blue A Patch of Blue is a 1965 American drama film directed by Guy Green about the relationship between a black man, Gordon , and a blind white female teenager, Selina , and the problems that plague their relationship when they fall in love in a racially divided America... |
Mark Ralfe | |
| 1965 to 1970 | Hogan's Heroes Hogan's Heroes Hogan's Heroes is an American television sitcom that ran for 168 episodes from September 17, 1965, to March 28, 1971, on the CBS network. The show was set in a German prisoner of war camp during the Second World War. Bob Crane had the starring role as Colonel Robert E... |
Staff Sergeant Ivan Kinchloe | 145 episodes |
| 1969 | Where's Jack? Where's Jack? Where's Jack? is a 1969 film based around the exploits of notorious 18th century criminal Jack Sheppard and London "thieftaker" Jonathan Wild.... |
Naval Officer | |
| 1970 | Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came? | Sgt. Jones | Alternative title: War Games |
| 1971 to 1972 | Nichols | |
Director, 4 episodes |
| 1973 | The Spook Who Sat by the Door | |
Director |
| 1974 to 1975 | The Waltons | |
Director, 7 episodes |
| 1975 | Starsky and Hutch Starsky and Hutch Starsky and Hutch is a 1970s American cop thriller television series that consisted of a 90-minute pilot movie and 92 episodes of 60 minutes each; created by William Blinn, produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, and broadcast between April 30, 1975 and May 15, 1979 on the ABC... |
|
Director, 1 episode |
| 1975 to 1979 | The Rockford Files | |
Director, 9 episodes |
| 1976 | Car Wash | Lonnie | |
| 1977 | McCloud | |
Director, 1 episode |
| 1978 | The Bionic Woman | |
Director, 1 episode |
| 1979 | Wonder Woman Wonder Woman (TV series) Wonder Woman is an American television series based on the DC Comics comic book superhero of the same name. Starring Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and Lyle Waggoner as Steve Trevor, the show originally aired from 1975 to 1979.... |
|
Director, 1 episode |
| 1981 to 1982 | Bret Maverick Bret Maverick Bret Maverick is an American Western series starring James Garner in the role that made him famous in the 1957 series Maverick: a professional poker player traveling alone year after year through the Old West from riverboat to saloon... |
|
Director, 3 episodes |
| 1981 to 1983 | The Greatest American Hero The Greatest American Hero The Greatest American Hero is an American comedy-drama television series that aired for three seasons from 1981 to 1983 on ABC. Created by producer Stephen J. Cannell, it premiered as a two-hour movie pilot on March 18, 1981... |
|
Director, 6 episodes |
| 1984 | Trapper John, M.D. Trapper John, M.D. Trapper John, M.D. is an American television medical drama and spin-off of the film MASH, concerning a lovable surgeon who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, California. The show ran on CBS from September 23, 1979, to September 4, 1986.... |
|
Director, 1 episode |
| 1982 to 1986 | Magnum, P.I. | |
Director, 13 episodes |
| 1987 | Amerika | Dr. Alan Drummond | Miniseries Miniseries A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term... |
| 1989 | Quantum Leap | |
Director, 1 episode |
| 1989 | In the Heat of the Night In the Heat of the Night (TV series) In the Heat of the Night is a television series based on the motion picture and novel of the same name. It was broadcast on NBC from 1988 until 1992, and then on CBS until 1995... |
|
Director, 1 episode |
| 1991 | Father Dowling Mysteries Father Dowling Mysteries Father Dowling Mysteries is an American television mystery series that appeared between November 30, 1987 and May 2, 1991. For its first season, the show was on NBC; it moved to ABC network for its last two seasons... |
Rev. Johnson | Episode: "The Joyful Noise Mystery" |
Award nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Title of work |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Emmy Award Emmy Award An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various... |
Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Drama | CBS Playhouse: The Final War of Olly Winter |