Allan Nixon was a little-remembered actor on film and a tough-guy brute off camera during the 1940s and 1950s. Born on August 17, 1915, in Boston, Massachusetts, Nixon was a good-looking "C"-level player who initially pursued a career in sports.
He studied journalism at the University of Richmond on a football scholarship, but left before graduating to pursue a professional football career with the Washington Redskins. When that didn't work out, Nixon turned to professional wrestling as an alternative athletic outlet.
While in New York, Nixon found work with the John Robert Powers modeling agency, which led to him being signed by MGM. He relocated to Los Angeles and began his acting career, initially playing uncredited bit parts in films such as Rookies on Parade (1941),The Bugle Sounds (1942),Thunder Birds: Soldiers of the Air (1942),and Margin for Error (1943).
Nixon married actress Marie Wilson, known for her "dumb blonde" roles, in 1942. The couple had a tumultuous relationship, with Nixon's struggles with alcoholism and violent behavior causing tension and eventually leading to their divorce in 1952.
After his divorce, Nixon's career continued to falter, and he found himself struggling to secure roles. He appeared in a few low-budget films, including Dragnet (1947),Linda, Be Good (1947),and Prehistoric Women (1950),but his personal problems and rebellious nature often overshadowed his on-screen work.
Nixon's life was marked by a series of failed marriages, including a fourth marriage that ended in violence. He eventually turned to writing lurid novels, including "Blessed Are the Damned," "The Sex Symbol," and "The Bitch Goddess," which brought him some financial security.
Nixon died of emphysema on April 13, 1995, at the age of 79, leaving behind a legacy as a troubled and troubled actor who struggled to overcome his personal demons.
