Russell Hicks

Edward Russell Hicks was born on June 4, 1895, in Baltimore, Maryland. During World War I, he served with the U.S. Army in France, and he later attained the rank of lieutenant colonel in the California State Guard. He died on June 1, 1957, at the age of 61, following an automobile accident that precipitated a heart attack; he passed away en route to Santa Monica Receiving Hospital.

Hicks built a substantial career as a character actor across stage, film, and television. On Broadway, his work spanned three decades, from 1925 to 1954. His earliest stage credits included The Wisecrackers in 1925 and No Trespassing in 1926, followed by Goin' Home in 1928 and Torch Song in 1930. He appeared in both Nona and The Little Black Book in 1932, then took on the musical All the King's Horses in 1934. His later Broadway work included Time for Elizabeth in 1948, On Borrowed Time in 1953, and The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial in 1954.

In film, Hicks accumulated credits in nearly 300 productions between 1933 and 1956, with 1937 alone accounting for 25 appearances. He was frequently cast as judges, attorneys, corrupt officials, and crooked businessmen, and was particularly associated with roles as smooth-talking confidence men and swindlers. Among his film appearances was the W.C. Fields comedy The Bank Dick in 1940. He also appeared in the syndicated western television series The Cisco Kid.