Sunday 3 January 2016

BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : AFRICAN AMERICAN " IVAN DIXON " WAS AN AMERICAN ACTOR, DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER : GOES INTO THE " HALL OF BLACK GENIUS "

                  BLACK    SOCIAL   HISTORY                                                                                                                                                








































































































Ivan Dixon

Ivan Dixon
Ivan Dixon.jpg
in Nothing But a Man (1964)
BornIvan Nathaniel Dixon III
April 6, 1931
New York City, New York, U.S.
DiedMarch 16, 2008 (aged 76)
Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
Cause of deathRenal failure
OccupationActor, director, producer
Years active1957–1991
Ivan Dixon (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 WhiteRalph Ellison, and the Hines brothers, (Gregory andMaurice).[2] He graduated from the Lincoln Academy in Gaston County, North Carolina,[3] and went on to earn a drama degree fromNorth 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.[citation needed]
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 WaltonsThe Rockford Files, The Bionic WomanThe Eddie Capra MysteriesMagnum, 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 filmThe 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 invasionNebraska.
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

YearTitleRoleNotes
1957Something of ValueLathela, Loyal Gun-BearerAlternative title: Africa Ablaze
1959Porgy and BessJim
1961A Raisin in the SunAsagai
1961Have Gun – Will Travel (TV Series)"Long Way Home" (air date April 2, 1961)Isham Spruce
1962Cain's Hundred (TV series)Joe Sherman"Blues for a Junkman" (February 20, 1962), co-starring Dorothy Dandridge
1962The New BreedWick2 episodes
1963Perry MasonCaleb Stone IVEpisode: "The Case of the Nebulous Nephew"
Going My WayRobin Green"Run, Robin, Run"
Stoney BurkeDr. ManningEpisode: "The Test"
1964Nothing But a ManDuff Anderson
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.Jean Francis SoumarinEpisode: "The Vulcan Affair"
1965I SpyElroy BrownEpisode: "So Long, Patrick Henry"
A Patch of BlueMark Ralfe
1965 to 1970Hogan's HeroesStaff Sergeant Ivan Kinchloe145 episodes
1968It Takes A ThiefGeneral KristoffEpisode: "Get Me to the Revolution on Time"
1969Where's Jack?Naval Officer
1970Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody CameSgt. JonesAlternative title: War Games
1971Clay PigeonSimon
1971 to 1972NicholsDirector, 4 episodes
1972Trouble ManDirector
1973The Spook Who Sat by the DoorDirector
1974 to 1975The WaltonsDirector, 7 episodes
1975Starsky & HutchDirector, 1 episode
1975 to 1979The Rockford FilesDirector, 9 episodes
1976Car WashLonnie
1977McCloudDirector, 1 episode
1977Quincy, M.E.Director, 1 episode
1978The Bionic WomanDirector, 1 episode
1979Wonder WomanDirector, 1 episode
1981 to 1982Bret MaverickDirector, 3 episodes
1981 to 1983The Greatest American HeroDirector, 6 episodes
1984Trapper John, M.D.Director, 1 episode
1982 to 1986Magnum, P.I.Director, 13 episodes
1987AmerikaDr. Alan DrummondMiniseries
1989Quantum LeapDirector, 1 episode
In the Heat of the NightDirector, 1 episode
1991Father Dowling MysteriesRev. JohnsonEpisode: "The Joyful Noise Mystery"

Awards and honors


YearAwardCategoryTitle of work
1967Emmy AwardNomination:Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a DramaCBS PlayhouseThe Final War of Olly Winter

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