Ivan Dixon

Ivan Dixon
in Nothing But a Man (1964)
Born	Ivan Nathaniel Dixon III April 6, 1931 New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	March 16, 2008 (aged 76) Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
Cause of death	Renal failure
Occupation	Actor, director, producer
Years active	1957–1991

Ivan Nathaniel Dixon III (April 6, 1931 – March 16, 2008) 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 television film The Final War of Olly Winter, and for directing many episodes of television series. Active in the civil rights movement since 1961, he served as a president of Negro Actors for Action.^[1][2]

Early life and career

Ivan Nathaniel Dixon III was born in Harlem, the son of a grocery store owner. When he was young, Dixon lived in the brownstone at 518 West 150th Street in Harlem, on the same block with Josh White, Ralph Ellison, and the Hines brothers, (Gregory and Maurice).^[2] He graduated from the Lincoln Academy in Gaston County, North Carolina,^[3] and went on to earn a drama degree from North Carolina Central University in 1954,^[2] where the theater troupe is now known as the Ivan Dixon Players.^[3] While at NCCU, he joined the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.

In 1957, Dixon appeared on Broadway in William Saroyan's The Cave Dwellers, following this in 1959 with an appearance in Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun.^[4] In 1958, he was a stunt double for Sidney Poitier in the film The Defiant Ones, and went on to television roles on The Twilight Zone (in the episodes "The Big Tall Wish" and "I Am the Night—Color Me Black"), Perry Mason, and other series. On February 20, 1962, Dixon co-starred with Dorothy Dandridge in the "Blues for a Junkman" episode of "Cain's Hundred", which was highest rated episode of the series.An expanded version was released as a feature film in Europe entitled The Murder Men, and became Dandridge's last screen appearance.

On September 25, 1962, he portrayed Jamie Davis, a livery stable groom, in the episode "Among the Missing" of NBC's Laramie western series.^[5] In 1963, he played the role of John Brooks, alias Caleb Stone IV, in the Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Nebulous Nephew."

In 1964, Dixon starred in the independent film Nothing But a Man, written and directed by Michael Roemer; it was Dixon's performance in this film he was most proud of.^[2] He also appeared in an episode of ABC's The Fugitive entitled "Escape into Black".

Hogan's Heroes

In his best-known role, Dixon appeared as POW Staff Sergeant James (Ivan) "Kinch" Kinchloe in the ensemble cast of the television sitcom Hogan's Heroes. "Kinch" was the communications specialist, a translator of French, and the default third in command. Dixon played Kinchloe from 1965 to 1970, the only one of the series' long-time cast not to remain for the entire series. Kenneth Washington succeeded Dixon for the last year of the show's run, albeit with a different character name.

Film work and directing

From 1970 to 1993, Dixon worked primarily as a television director on such series and TV-movies as The Waltons, The Rockford Files, The Bionic Woman, The Eddie Capra Mysteries, Magnum, P.I., and The A-Team. Dixon's first feature film as director was the blaxploitation thriller Trouble Man. He also directed the controversial 1973 feature film The Spook Who Sat by the Door, based on Sam Greenlee's novel of the same name, about the first black CIA agent, who takes his espionage knowledge and uses it to lead a black guerrilla operation in Chicago. The New York Times wrote in 2008:

Although The Spook caused controversy and with suppression facilitated by the F.B.I., was soon pulled from theaters, it later gained cult status as a bootleg video and in 2004 was released on DVD. 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.^[2]

Occasionally returning to acting, Dixon played a doctor and leader of a guerrilla movement in the controversial 1987 ABC miniseries Amerika, set in post-Soviet invasion Nebraska.

He also served as Chairman of the Expansion Arts Advisory Panel of the National Endowment for the Arts in 1978.

Later life and death

After his career as an actor and director, Dixon was the owner-operator of radio station KONI (FM) in Maui. In 2001, he left Hawaii for health reasons and sold the radio station in 2002.^[6]

Ivan Dixon died on March 16, 2008, aged 76, at Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina, of complications from kidney failure.^[7]

Selected filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1957	Something of Value	Lathela, Loyal Gun-Bearer	Alternative title: Africa Ablaze
1959	Porgy and Bess	Jim
1960	The Twilight Zone	Bolie Jackson	Episode: "The Big Tall Wish"
1961	A Raisin in the Sun	Asagai
1961	Have Gun – Will Travel (TV Series)	Isham Spruce	"Long Way Home" (air date April 2, 1961)
1961 Too Late Blues (1961 film) Directed by John Cassavettes	1962	Cain's Hundred (TV series)	Joe Sherman	"Blues for a Junkman" (February 20, 1962), co-starring Dorothy Dandridge
1962	The New Breed	Wick	2 episodes
1963	Perry Mason	Caleb Stone IV	Episode: "The Case of the Nebulous Nephew"
	Going My Way	Robin Green	"Run, Robin, Run"
	Stoney Burke	Dr. Manning	Episode: "The Test"
1964	Nothing But a Man	Duff Anderson
	The Man from U.N.C.L.E.	Jean Francis Soumarin	Episode: "The Vulcan Affair"
	The Twilight Zone	Reverend Anderson	Episode: "I Am the Night—Color Me Black"
1965	I Spy	Elroy Brown	Episode: "So Long, Patrick Henry"
	A Patch of Blue	Mark Ralfe
1965 to 1970	Hogan's Heroes	Staff Sergeant Ivan Kinchloe	145 episodes
1968	It Takes A Thief	General Kristoff	Episode: "Get Me to the Revolution on Time"
1969	Where's Jack?	Naval Officer
1970	Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came	Sgt. Jones	Alternative title: War Games
1971	Clay Pigeon	Simon
1971 to 1972	Nichols		Director, 4 episodes
1972	Trouble Man		Director
1973	The Spook Who Sat by the Door		Director
1974 to 1975	The Waltons		Director, 7 episodes
1975	Starsky & Hutch		Director, 1 episode
1975 to 1979	The Rockford Files		Director, 9 episodes
1976	Car Wash	Lonnie
1977	McCloud		Director, 1 episode
1977	Quincy, M.E.		Director, 1 episode
1978	The Bionic Woman		Director, 1 episode
1979	Wonder Woman		Director, 1 episode
1981 to 1982	Bret Maverick		Director, 3 episodes
1981 to 1983	The Greatest American Hero		Director, 6 episodes
1984	Trapper John, M.D.		Director, 1 episode
1982 to 1986	Magnum, P.I.		Director, 13 episodes
1987	Amerika	Dr. Alan Drummond	Miniseries
1989	Quantum Leap		Director, 1 episode
	In the Heat of the Night		Director, 1 episode
1991	Father Dowling Mysteries	Rev. Johnson	Episode: "The Joyful Noise Mystery"

Awards and honors

Year	Award	Category	Title of work
1967	Emmy Award	Nomination:Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Drama	CBS Playhouse: The Final War of Olly Winter

References

Notes

1. Hayward, Anthony (May 16, 2008). "Ivan Dixon: Kinchloe in 'Hogan's Heroes'". The Independent (London, UK). Retrieved October 20, 2008.
2. Hevesi, Dennis. "Ivan Dixon, Actor in 'Hogan’s Heroes,' Dies at 76", The New York Times (March 20, 2008).
3. Saunders, Barry. "School's starring role in an actor's life", The News & Observer (April 5, 2008).
4. "Ivan Dixon" on the Internet Broadway Database
5. "Laramie: "Among the Missing", September 25, 1962". Internet Movie Data Base. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
6. Engle, Erika (May 13, 2002). "The Buzz". archives.starbulletin.com. Retrieved October 20, 2008.
7. Stewart, Jocelyn Y. (March 20, 2008). "Actor's roles reflected life for blacks in America". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 20, 2008.

External links

• Ivan Dixon at the Internet Movie Database
• Ivan Dixon at the Internet Broadway Database

Ivan Dixon at Find a Grave