Dixie Lee (born Wilma Winifred Wyatt; November 4, 1909 – November 1, 1952) was an American actress, dancer, and singer. She was the first wife of singer
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...
.
Biography
She was born Wilma Winifred Wyatt in
Harriman, Tennessee
Harriman is a city located primarily in Roane County, Tennessee, with a small extension into Morgan County. The population of Harriman was 6,350 at the time of the 2010 census.
Harriman is included in the Knoxville, Tennessee Metropolitan Statis ...
, on November 4, 1909, to Evan Wyatt and the former Nora Scarborough. (When she entered show business, she gave her birth date as November 4, 1911.) After moving to Chicago, she graduated from
Senn High School
Senn High School is a public four-year high school located in the Edgewater neighborhood on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Senn is operated by the Chicago Public Schools system and was opened on 3 February 1913. The school ...
. While in Chicago she adopted the professional name "Dixie Carroll" to enter an amateur singing contest in May 1928. She won the contest and the prize was a job as a singer at a
roadhouse called College Inn. While working there, she was spotted by a talent scout and given a part in the traveling company of ''
Good News''. A film contract was subsequently offered and
Winfield Sheehan
Winfield R. Sheehan (September 24, 1883 – July 25, 1945) was a film company executive. He was responsible for much of Fox Film Corporation's output during the 1920s and 1930s.
As studio head, he won an Academy Award for Best Picture for the film ...
of the Fox film studio changed her name to Dixie Lee, to avoid confusion with actresses
Nancy Carroll
Nancy Carroll (born Ann Veronica Lahiff; November 19, 1903 – August 6, 1965) was an American actress. She started her career in Broadway musicals and then became an actress in sound films and was in many films from 1927 to 1938. She was t ...
and
Sue Carol.
Marriage
![Dixie Lee with Bing Crosby and their first son Gary Crosby, 1933](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Dixie_Lee_with_Bing_Crosby_and_their_first_son_Gary_Crosby%2C_1933.jpg)
She met Bing Crosby at the age of 20 and they married on September 29, 1930, at the
Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Hollywood. Dixie Lee was better known than Crosby at that time, as illustrated by the incorrect news release issued by the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
, which reported she married "Murray Crosey".
![Crosby Brothers-older sons of Bing Crosby 1959](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Crosby_Brothers-older_sons_of_Bing_Crosby_1959.JPG)
There were early problems with the marriage, and on March 4, 1931, Dixie announced that they had separated and that she would soon be filing a divorce suit charging mental cruelty. She went on to say, "We have only been married about six months, but we have already found out that we are not suited for each other. Our separation is an amiable one, and the only reason for it is that we just cannot get along. 'Bing' is a fine boy as a friend, but married he and I just cannot be happy." Within a week, a reconciliation came about. Dixie had gone with a party of friends to
Agua Caliente for the weekend. To one of the girls in the crowd, she confided she was not half as angry with Crosby as she was at the parting a week ago. The girl got Crosby on the long-distance telephone and presently he and Dixie were talking to each other. An hour and a half later, Crosby appeared at Agua Caliente, having flown down in an airplane, and all was well again.
They had four sons:
Gary (1933); twins
Phillip
Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...
and
Dennis
Dennis or Denis is a first or last name from the Greco-Roman name Dionysius, via one of the Christian saints named Dionysius.
The name came from Dionysus, the Greek god of ecstatic states, particularly those produced by wine, which is someti ...
(1934); and
Lindsay (1938). Lindsay and Dennis died by
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
as adults, Lindsay in 1989 and Dennis in 1991.
After the birth of the twins, she made a brief return to show business. Dixie Lee made two appearances on the ''
Shell Chateau
''Shell Chateau'' was a musical variety radio series heard on NBC from April 6, 1935 to June 26, 1937. Sponsored by Shell Oil, the hour-long program, sometimes called ''The Shell Show'', was broadcast on Saturday evenings at 9:30pm.
Al Jolson
Al ...
'' radio program in 1935, and she made three more films. Her most notable film is probably ''
Love in Bloom'' (1935). Her last film was ''
Redheads on Parade
''Redheads on Parade'' is a 1935 American musical film directed by Norman Z. McLeod and written by Don Hartman and Rian James. The film stars John Boles, Dixie Lee, Jack Haley, Raymond Walburn, Alan Dinehart and Patsy O'Connor. The film was ...
'', but the reviews were mediocre. She made a couple of records on March 11, 1935, "You've Got Me Doing Things," a song she introduced in the film ''Love in Bloom''. This was her first record, and she backed it with "My Heart Is an Open Book." She was encouraged back in to the recording studio again on July 27, 1936, and she recorded "
Until the Real Thing Comes Along
"(It Will Have to Do) Until the Real Thing Comes Along" is a popular song first published in 1936.
Background
In 1931, Alberta Nichols wrote the music and Mann Holiner wrote the words for a song titled "Till the Real Thing Comes Along" which was ...
" and "When a Lady Meets a Gentleman Down South" for Decca Records. Her final recordings were two duets with her husband recorded on August 19, 1936 - ''
A Fine Romance'' and ''
The Way You Look Tonight
"The Way You Look To-night" is a song from the film ''Swing Time'' that was performed by Fred Astaire and composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics written by Dorothy Fields. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1936. Fields remarked, " ...
''. She then retired from show business.
Personal life
![Dixie Lee 1935 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Dixie_Lee_1935_2.jpg)
Crosby's biographer,
Gary Giddins
Gary Giddins is an American jazz critic and author. He wrote for ''The Village Voice'' from 1973; his "Weather Bird" column ended in 2003. In 1986 Gary Giddins and John Lewis created the American Jazz Orchestra which presented concerts using a j ...
, describes Dixie Lee as a shy, private person with a sensible approach to life. Giddins recounts that Dixie and Bing, as young marrieds, were often invited to parties where liquor was plentiful, and Dixie drank socially to keep up with Bing. She succeeded in curbing Bing's alcohol consumption, but her own alcoholism worsened. This led to problems with the marriage and divorce was briefly contemplated by Crosby in January 1941. In January 1945, Dixie Lee was rushed to St. Vincent's Hospital after collapsing with a "respiratory infection." Crosby accompanied his wife to the hospital in an ambulance and remained at her bedside during the night. A later article in ''
Picturegoer
''Picturegoer'' was a fan magazine published in the United Kingdom between 1911 and 23 April 1960.
Background
The magazine was started in 1911 under the name ''The Pictures'' and in 1914 it merged with ''Picturegoer''. Following the merge it was ...
'' magazine suggested that she had taken an accidental overdose of sleeping tablets and that her life was in the balance for over a week.
Bing Crosby went to Europe in 1950 for an extended visit and there were headlines stating that the Crosby marriage was strained, but this was subsequently denied.
Crosby persuaded her to take part in his
radio show
A radio program, radio programme, or radio show is a segment of content intended for broadcast on radio. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series. A single program in a series is called an episode.
Radio networ ...
broadcast on December 20, 1950, her first appearance with him on radio. It was her first professional appearance since 1936. In January 1951, Press reports indicated that Crosby had recently moved back into his Holmby Hills home with Dixie Lee. He had been spending much of his time at his home at Pebble Beach.
Dixie Lee died from
ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is a cancerous tumor of an ovary. It may originate from the ovary itself or more commonly from communicating nearby structures such as fallopian tubes or the inner lining of the abdomen. The ovary is made up of three different c ...
on November 1, 1952, three days before her 43rd birthday.
She was interred in the Crosby plot at
Holy Cross Cemetery in
Culver City
Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most ...
, California, after a Requiem High Mass at the
Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills on November 3.
Filmography
*1929: ''Knights Out'' (Short)
*1929: ''
Fox Movietone Follies of 1929
''Fox Movietone Follies of 1929'', also known as ''Movietone Follies of 1929'' and ''The William Fox Movietone Follies of 1929'', is an American black-and-white and color pre-Code musical film released by Fox Film Corporation.
Plot
George Shel ...
'' as Lead Dancer In Fashion Number
*1929: ''
Why Leave Home?'' as Billie
*1929: ''Happy Days'' as Lead Dancer in 'Crazy Feet' number
*1930: ''
Harmony at Home
''Harmony at Home'' ( ''She Steps Out'') is a 1930 pre-Code domestic-comedy film directed by Hamilton MacFadden. It was produced and distributed by Fox Film Corporation. It was based on a 1925 Broadway play, ''The Family Upstairs'' by actor, writ ...
'' as Rita Joyce
*1930: ''
Let's Go Places
''Let's Go Places'' is a 1930 American Pre-Code musical film made by the Fox Film Corporation.
Directed by Frank R. Strayer, the film uses a screenplay by William K. Wells which is based on a story by Andrew Bennison. It was choreographed by Dan ...
'' as Dixie
*1930: ''
The Big Party
''The Big Party'' is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy film directed by John G. Blystone and written by Harlan Thompson. The film stars Sue Carol, Dixie Lee, Walter Catlett, Frank Albertson, Richard Keene, and Douglas Gilmore. The film was relea ...
'' as Kitty Collins
*1930: ''
Cheer Up and Smile
''Cheer Up and Smile'' is a 1930 American pre-Code musical film directed by Sidney Lanfield. The film starred Arthur Lake, Dixie Lee and Olga Baclanova and a 23-year-old John Wayne had a minor uncredited role.
Plot
Cast
* Arthur Lake as Edd ...
'' as Margie
*1931: ''
No Limit
No Limit may refer to:
Music Record labels
*No Limit Records, a record label founded by Master P
* No Limit Forever Records, a record label founded by Romeo Miller, son of Master P
Albums
* ''No Limit'' (Art Pepper album), 1977
* ''No Limit'' ...
'' as Dotty 'Dodo' Potter
*1931: ''
Mr. Lemon of Orange'' as Hat Check Girl (uncredited)
*1931: ''
Quick Millions'' as Stone's Secretary (uncredited)
*1931: ''
Young Sinners'' as Girl (uncredited)
*1931: ''
Night Life in Reno
''Night Life in Reno'' is a 1931 American pre-Code film directed by actor/screenwriter Raymond Cannon.
Cast
* Virginia Valli as June Wyatt
*Jameson Thomas as John Wyatt
*Dorothy Christy as Gwen Maynard
*Arthur Housman as Roy Carlton
*Dixie ...
'' as Dorothy Pierce
*1931: ''Darn Tootin'' (Short) as Singer
*1934: ''
Manhattan Love Song
''Manhattan Love Song'' is a 1934 American pre-Code film directed by Leonard Fields.
Plot summary
Although sisters Geraldine and Carol Stewart live luxuriously in a Park Avenue apartment in New York City, their money has run out due to some ...
'' as Geraldine Stewart
*1935: ''
Love in Bloom'' as Violet Downey
*1935: ''
Redheads on Parade
''Redheads on Parade'' is a 1935 American musical film directed by Norman Z. McLeod and written by Don Hartman and Rian James. The film stars John Boles, Dixie Lee, Jack Haley, Raymond Walburn, Alan Dinehart and Patsy O'Connor. The film was ...
'' as Ginger Blair (final film role)
In popular culture
*The 1947 film ''
Smash-Up, the Story of a Woman
''Smash-Up, the Story of a Woman'', also called ''A Woman Destroyed'', is a 1947 American drama film with elements of film noir that tells the story of a rising nightclub singer who marries another singer and becomes an alcoholic after sacrifici ...
'' is loosely based on Dixie Lee's life.
Legacy
![Dixie Lee Tennessee State Historical Marker](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Dixie_Lee_Tennessee_State_Historical_Marker.jpg)
On November 8, 2019, the Tennessee Historical Commission and the City of Harriman, Tennessee, unveiled a Tennessee State Historical Marker (1F 46) near Dixie's birthplace in the Walnut Hill section of downtown Harriman.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Dixie
20th-century American actresses
Actresses from Tennessee
American female dancers
Dancers from Tennessee
Deaths from cancer in California
Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City
Deaths from ovarian cancer
People from Harriman, Tennessee
1909 births
1952 deaths
20th-century American singers
Bing Crosby
20th-century American women singers