Tommy Dix, best known for his role as a young military cadet alongside Lucille Ball in the 1943 MGM musical comedy Best Foot Forward, has passed away at the age of 101. His family confirmed his death on January 15, stating that he served as a living connection to some of the most notable American figures of the 20th century and expressed that he would be deeply missed.
Originally from Williamsburg, Virginia, Dix was a celebrated baritone on radio before making his Broadway debut in The Corn Is Green, featuring Ethel Barrymore. Shortly after, he portrayed cadet Chuck Green in Best Foot Forward, which was directed by George Abbott and featured choreography by Gene Kelly. The Broadway production premiered in October 1940 and enjoyed a run of 326 performances. The story centers on a Hollywood star, Gale Joy, who unexpectedly receives an invitation to the junior prom from Bud Hooper, a student at the Winsocki Military Academy.
In the musical, Dix’s character sings the exuberant fight song “Buckle Down, Winsocki,” during a pivotal dance scene where tensions flare between Bud and his girlfriend, Helen. When the show was adapted into a film, Dix took on a leading role as Hooper, sharing the screen with returning stars like June Allyson and Nancy Walker, while Lucille Ball played a version of herself.
Notably, Dix reprised the song “Buckle Down, Winsocki” for the film and also participated in “Three Men on a Date.” Reviewing the movie for The New York Times, critic Bosley Crowther remarked that Dix brought a charming, albeit somewhat melodramatic, presence to his role as the lovelorn protagonist.
Dix was born Thomas Paine Navard in New York City on December 6, 1923. Despite facing health challenges as a child raised by a single mother, he discovered his passion for singing after watching iconic performers Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy in the 1935 film Naughty Marietta. His talent quickly earned him the nickname "Boy Baritone of the Bowery."
During the late 1930s, he made appearances on major radio shows and was invited back multiple times to the Major Bowes Amateur Hour. His talent was evident at just 15 years old when he participated in the Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air. This talent earned him a scholarship at the Manhattan High School of Music and Art and a fellowship at the Juilliard School of Music.
In 1940, Dix performed the original song “The March of Dimes,” dedicated to the charitable organization, which garnered recognition from Sara Roosevelt, the mother of then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt. That same year, he made his Broadway debut in The Corn Is Green.
Dix joined the U.S. Army in 1943 but sustained an injury during training that prevented him from serving in combat. Nevertheless, he participated in efforts to sell war bonds while in uniform. After World War II, he worked in nightclubs and hotels across the nation, recording with Coronet Records until he opted to leave the entertainment industry.
Later, he worked in his father-in-law’s lumber business in Birmingham, Alabama, eventually becoming vice president while continuing his education in architectural engineering at the University of Alabama. Dix then ventured into real estate and construction projects in Maryland and Florida before retiring in 1986.
Throughout his life, he was married four times—twice to the same partner—and is survived by his beloved Catherine, a son named Grayson, a grandson, and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.
