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Rex Bell

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Rex Bell
Bell in 1931
21st Lieutenant Governor of Nevada
In office
January 1, 1955 – July 4, 1962
GovernorCharles H. Russell
Grant Sawyer
Preceded byClifford A. Jones
Succeeded byMaude Frazier
Personal details
Born
George Francis Beldam

(1903-10-16)October 16, 1903
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedJuly 4, 1962(1962-07-04) (aged 58)
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
​
(m. 1931)​
Children2
ProfessionActor, politician
Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, Rex Bell, Eli Wallach, and Montgomery Clift in The Misfits (1961)

Rex Bell (born George Francis Beldam; October 16, 1903 – July 4, 1962) was an American actor and politician. Bell primarily appeared in Western films during his career. He also appeared in the 1930 movie True to the Navy, starring Clara Bow; Bell and Bow married the following year.

Bell later became involved in politics with the Nevada Republican Party and was the 21st lieutenant governor of Nevada from 1955 until his death in 1962. He was the second Lieutenant Governor to die in office after Henry C. Davis, and as of 2024 he is the most recent to have died in office.

Early years

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Bell was born George Francis Beldam in Chicago on October 16, 1903.[1]

Film career

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Bell made his film debut in Wild West Romance in 1928,[2] and went on to act in a number of films, mostly Westerns, in which he had the lead role. Fox Film executives were reported to be grooming Bell to be a successor to Tom Mix.[3] He left the movie industry in 1936, although he had generally small roles in a few later films.

In 1931,[4] Bell and his wife, actress Clara Bow, founded the Walking Box Ranch,[5] at Searchlight, Nevada.[6]

His final film appearance was an uncredited but very prominent role as a loquacious old cowboy in a bar and attending a rodeo in John Huston's The Misfits (1961) starring Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe.[1]

Political career

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In 1944, Bell ran for the United States House of Representatives on the Republican ticket against Democrat Berkeley Bunker. The Nevada State Journal commented on November 1: "He has made friends where ever he appeared, but consensus is that the time is too short to overcome a handicap of not being so well known as his opponent".[7] The election was held November 7, and Bell got 19,096 votes while Bunker received 36,648.[8]

Bell was the leader of the Nevada Republican Party and in 1948 was an alternate to the Republican National Convention. He was also active in the Nevada Chamber of Commerce and Boy Scouts.[9]

The ties Bell forged during those years helped him win the Lieutenant Governor's office in 1954. That election year, Charles H. Russell, the incumbent Republican governor, also won. In 1958, Democrat Grant Sawyer unseated Russell, but Bell won re-election as Lieutenant Governor (Bell and his Nevada state political position are mentioned in John D. MacDonald's 1960 novel The Only Girl in the Game). Bell died after giving a campaign speech on July 4, 1962, while running for governor, still in office, of a heart attack at the El Rancho Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Other activities

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Television

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Bell was host of the program Cowboys and Injuns in 1950. It began on a station in Los Angeles[2] and went on to be broadcast on ABC. The show focused on legends that were derived from folklore of cowboys and Native Americans in the United States.[10]

Business

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Bell operated Rexco Incorporated, which manufactured and distributed novelty gift items. He and his brother also had two clothing stores in Nevada.[2]

Personal life

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Bell married actress Clara Bow in 1931.[5] They had two sons, Tony Beldam, who changed his name to Rex Anthony Bell Jr., and George Beldam Jr.[11][12] Rex Bell Jr. appeared in two Western films—Stage to Thunder Rock (1964), in the role of "Shotgun Rex", and Young Fury (1965), and later served as district attorney of Clark County from 1987 to 1995.[13]

Bell died of a heart attack on July 4, 1962, a few hours after attending a political rally and picnic in Las Vegas.[14]

The Rex Bell Elementary School in Las Vegas was named in honor of Bell.[15]

Filmography

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Lobby card with Bell in The Fugitive (1933)
Lobby card with Bell in Too Much Beef, 1936
Lobby card with Bell in Men of the Plains (1936)
Year Title Role Notes
1928 Wild West Romance Phil O'Malley
1928 The Cowboy Kid Jim Barrett
1928 Girl-Shy Cowboy Joe Benson
1928 Taking a Chance Joe Courtney
1929 Joy Street Eddie
1929 Pleasure Crazed Peters (chauffeur)
1929 Salute Cadet Uncredited
1929 Happy Days Rex Bell
1929 They Had to See Paris Clark McCurdy
1930 Harmony at Home Dick Grant
1930 Courage Lynn Willard
1930 True to the Navy Eddie
1930 Lightnin' Larry - Betty's Husband
1931 Battling with Buffalo Bill Dave Archer Serial
1931 Forgotten Women Jimmy Burke
1931 Law of the Sea Cole Andrews
1932 The Arm of the Law Robin Dale
1932 Broadway to Cheyenne Breezy Kildare
1932 The Man from Arizona Kent Rogers
1932 Lucky Larrigan Craig Larrigan - posing as Tex aka Lucky
1932 Crashin' Broadway Tad Wallace
1933 Diamond Trail Speed Morgan - posing as Frisco Eddie
1933 Fighting Texans Randy Graves
1933 The Fugitive Joe Kean
1933 Rainbow Ranch Ed Randall
1933 Hollywood on Parade No. A-8 Himself Short
1934 The Tonto Kid Skeets Slawson aka The Tonto Kid
1934 Gunfire Jerry Dunbar
1935 Fighting Pioneers Lieutenant Bentley
1935 Border Vengeance Announced Rodeo Guest Star Uncredited
1935 Saddle Aces Steve Brandt
1936 Too Much Beef Johnny Argyle alias Tucson Smith
1936 West of Nevada Jim Carden, posing as Jim Lloyd
1936 Men of the Plains Jim Dean - aka Tom Porter
1936 Idaho Kid Todd Hollister aka Idaho
1936 Law and Lead Jimmy Sawyer
1936 Stormy Trails Tom Storm
1942 Tombstone, the Town Too Tough to Die Virgil Earp
1942 Dawn on the Great Divide Jack Carson
1952 Lone Star Minor Role Uncredited
1952 Sky Full of Moon Himself Uncredited
1961 The Misfits Old Cowboy Uncredited, (final film role)

References

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  1. ^ a b Clothier, Gary (February 11, 2007). "Vernor's got start after war". The Herald-Palladium. Saint Joseph, Michigan. United Feature Syndicate. p. 6 B. Retrieved June 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b c "Rex Bell: Nevada's Goodwill Ambassador". Films of the Golden Age (91): 58–59. Winter 2017–2018.
  3. ^ "Being groomed to follow Mix". The Star Press. Muncie, Indiana. November 4, 1928. p. 26. Retrieved June 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Kalil, J.M. (December 20, 2000). "WALKING BOX RANCH: Sale brings less than third of asking price". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved March 19, 2009.
  5. ^ a b Kalil, J.M. (2000-11-19). "Ranch sells for $650,000". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 2009-03-19.
  6. ^ Reid, Harry (2007-11-05). Searchlight: The Camp That Didn't Fail. University of Nevada Press. p. 103. ISBN 978-0-8741-7753-4.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ Suverkrup, Arthur N. (November 1, 1944). "Politicians Open Drive As Record Balloting Predicted". Nevada State Journal. United Press. p. 2. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  8. ^ "FDR Majority Is Announced". Nevada State Journal. November 18, 1944.
  9. ^ "Nevada Day Grand Marshals". Archived from the original on 2008-05-17. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
  10. ^ Terrace, Vincent (January 10, 2014). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland. p. 216. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  11. ^ B-Westerns
  12. ^ Hall, Mordaunt (May 19, 2011). "Movies". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2011-05-20. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
  13. ^ McMurdo, Doug; SMITH, John L. (July 9, 2011). "Rex Bell Jr., former Clark County district attorney, dies at 76". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  14. ^ "Funeral Held for Rex Bell; Widow, Clara Bow, Attends". The New York Times. July 10, 1962.
  15. ^ "About Us: Namesake". Rex Bell Elementary School. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rex Bell.
Political offices
Preceded by Lieutenant Governor of Nevada
1955 – 1962 		Succeeded by
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