Born of
Serbian extraction in Goldfield, Nevada, in 1917, Boris Milanovich was
briefly an amateur boxer before beginning theatrical training in the late
1930s. During World War II he served in the Air Corps where he performed
under the stage name of Barry Mitchell in Winged Victory, a "Moss
Hart" revue.
After the war, he worked steadily in radio dramas and in the
theater. It was in the latter medium where director John Huston spotted him,
casting him as a villain in The Asphalt Jungle (1950). Billed from
that point on as Brad Dexter, he continued to receive steady employment in
various screen tough guy roles (including the lead thug opposite Roy Rogers
and Dale Evans in 1946's Heldorado) until his career received a
significant boost when he was cast as the smooth-talking gunfighter Harry
Luck in The Magnificent Seven. Dexter's aptly-named character
provides comic relief in the movie, particularly in the scenes where he
quizzes various Mexican villagers regarding the whereabouts of what he
believes to be is a hidden cache of riches.
Interestingly, Dexter was Brynner's best man at the egg-bald
cowboy's wedding, and remained friends with co-stars James Coburn and Eli
Wallach until his death.
During the 1960s, Dexter developed a close friendship with
Frank Sinatra with whom he co-starred in None but the Brave (1964)
and Von Ryan's Express (1965). During location filming in Hawaii for
the former movie, Dexter saved Sinatra and producer Howard Koch's wife from
drowning when the two were swept out with the tide while swimming. The
powerfully built Dexter dove into the rough surf, reaching the pair when
they were nearly unconscious. The actor kept their heads above water until
lifeguards brought them to shore on surfboards. For more details of the
harrowing experience and rescue, see Brad Dexter's interview in the premiere
issue of Wildest Westerns.
Besides Seven, the actor's Westerns include The
Oklahoman with Joel McCrea and Henry Hathaway's Bottom of the Bottle
[a.k.a. Beyond the River (both 1956)]; The Last Train from Gun
Hill - also directed by John Sturges (1959); 13 Fighting Men
(1960); Invitation to a Gunfighter - again with You Brynner (1964)
and Jory (1972). He also had many guest appearances in episodic
television Western including Wagon Train, Death Valley Days, Have Gun -
Will Travel and Wanted: Dead or Alive.
Dexter, who said that he preferred playing heavies because the hero
is "always bland," is survived by his wife, stepson and three grandchildren.
He was 85. |
