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 2025, he is the most recent to have died in office.
Early years Rex Bell was born George Francis Beldam in Chicago, Illinois on October 16, 1903.
Film career Bell made his film debut in Wild West Romance in 1928, 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. He left the movie industry in 1936, although he had generally small roles in a few later films.
In 1931, Bell and his wife, actress Clara Bow, founded the Walking Box Ranch, at Searchlight, Nevada.
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.
Political career
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". The election was held November 7, and Bell got 19,096 votes while Bunker received 36,648.
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.
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 Thunderbird in Las Vegas.
Other activities Television Bell was host of the program Cowboys and Injuns in 1950. It began on a station in Los Angeles 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.
Business Bell operated Rexco Incorporated, which manufactured and distributed novelty gift items. He and his brother also had two clothing stores in Nevada.
Personal life Bell married actress Clara Bow in 1931. They had two sons, Tony Beldam, who changed his name to Rex Anthony Bell Jr., and George Beldam Jr.B-Westerns 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.
Bell died of a heart attack on July 4, 1962, a few hours after attending a political rally and picnic in Las Vegas.
The Rex Bell Elementary School in Las Vegas was named in honor of Bell.
Filmography
Year Title Role Notes1928 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 Uncredited1929 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 Serial1931 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 Short1934 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 Uncredited1935 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 Uncredited1952 Sky Full of Moon Himself Uncredited1961 The Misfits Old Cowboy Uncredited, (final film role)
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