Ivan Dixon
Ivan Dixon was an influential African American actor and director, born on April 6, 1931, in Harlem, New York. He spent part of his youth in the South, where he developed an interest in acting while attending a boarding school for African Americans. Dixon graduated with a drama degree from North Carolina Central University in 1954 and made his stage debut in the Broadway play *The Cave Dwellers* in 1957. He is perhaps best known for his role as Sgt. James "Kinch" Kinchloe in the television comedy *Hogan's Heroes*, which showcased him as one of the few African Americans with a regular role on primetime television at the time.
Dixon appeared in several notable films, including *Nothing but a Man*, where he portrayed a character grappling with societal challenges. His work extended beyond acting into directing, where he helmed numerous television episodes in the 1970s and 1980s. Throughout his career, Dixon was dedicated to projects with socially relevant themes and was actively involved in the Civil Rights movement. He received several accolades, including Image Awards from the NAACP and was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame. Dixon's legacy endures as a respected figure in the entertainment industry, recognized for his commitment to uplifting African American artists and addressing important societal issues.
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Ivan Dixon
Activist and actor
- Born: April 6, 1931
- Birthplace: Harlem, New York
- Died: March 16, 2008
- Place of death: Charlotte, North Carolina
Dixon was one of the few African American actors who had ongoing roles in 1960’s television series. He later became a director at a time when black directors also were rare. Dixon brought a quiet dignity to the roles he played on stage and in films.
Early Life
Ivan Nathaniel Dixon III was born on April 6, 1931, in the Harlem section of Manhattan to Ivan and Doris Nomathande Dixon. His parents owned a grocery store. Many of Dixon’s formative years were spent in the South, where he first became interested in acting while attending a boarding school for African Americans in North Carolina. His parents reportedly sent him out of New York to steer him away from bad influences.
Dixon graduated from North Carolina Central University, an African American college, in 1954 with a drama degree. He also undertook but did not complete graduate studies. By this time, he had become a handsome and well-built young man. The neatly trimmed mustache he later grew enhanced his suitability for romantic leading-man roles.
Life’s Work
Dixon made his stage debut in the 1957 Broadway play The Cave Dwellers by William Saroyan. He next appeared in the award-winning A Raisin in the Sun in the role of a Nigerian-born student. It was in this play that he met Sidney Poitier, who became a longtime friend, and he was said to have been Poitier’s stunt double in the 1958 film The Defiant Ones. The famous actor later complimented Dixon’s ability to dominate scenes with his quietly powerful performances.
Among Dixon’s relatively few films were Something of Value (1957), Porgy and Bess (1959), A Patch of Blue (1965), A Raisin in the Sun (1961), Car Wash (1976), and Nothing but a Man (1964), his best-remembered film appearance. However it was his 1960’s television role as Sgt. James “Kinch” Kinchloe in the long-running World War II-era comedy Hogan’s Heroes that became his signature performance. Although he was a supporting character, Dixon was one of the few African Americans to have a regular role on a primetime television series. Eventually, he became dissatisfied with the role and left the cast before the series came to an end. He went on to guest-starring roles on series such as Perry Mason, I Spy, The Fugitive, The Twilight Zone, and The Outer Limits. In 1967, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for his role in The Final War of Olly Winter.
In the late 1960’s, Dixon was seen much less frequently in front of the camera. He turned to directing episodic television, mainly in the 1970’s and 1980’s, and is credited with helming scores of shows. The productions on which he worked included The Waltons, The A-Team, The Rockford Files, Starsky and Hutch, and Magnum, P.I. He also directed two early-1970’s motion pictures, Trouble Man (1972) and the controversial The Spook Who Sat by the Door (1973).
Dixon was married to Berlie Ray Dixon for more than fifty years at the time of his death in 2008. They had four children.
Significance
Although he was best known for a comedic role, Dixon was a serious actor and director interested in projects with socially relevant themes. The film Nothing but a Man, costarring singer Abbey Lincoln, was a prime example: Dixon played the role of a flawed but determined man who strives to overcome his own shortcomings as well as the antipathy of southern society. For his own work and his encouragement of other African American artists, Dixon received four Image Awards from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), a National Black Theatre Award, and a Paul Robeson Pioneer Award from the Black American Cinema Society. He was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame. Dixon also was active in the Civil Rights movement and served as president of the group Negro Actors for Action. Although he is less well known than some of his contemporaries, Dixon is considered one of the leading African American actors of his generation.
Bibliography
Bogle, Donald. Blacks in American Films and Television: An Encyclopedia. New York: Garland, 1988. This comprehensive reference book includes an entry on Dixon.
Donaldson, Melvin. Black Directors in Hollywood. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2003. An overview of African American film and television directors that provides information about Dixon.
Royce, Brenda Scott. Hogan’s Heroes: Behind the Scenes at Stalag 13! Milwaukee, Wis.: Renaissance Books, 1998. This history of the sitcom Hogan’s Heroes contains some information on Dixon.