Paul Dickey

Paul Dickey (May 12, 1883 – January 8, 1933) was an American actor, director, playwright, screenwriter, and an early aviator. A star athlete in high school, he ran track and played football for the University of Michigan. A serious bout of typhoid fever ended his athletic career, after which he focused on dramatics, leaving college to enter vaudeville in 1906. Teaming up with journalist Charles W. Goddard, he had a successful playwriting career on Broadway, with The Ghost Breaker, an early comedy horror work, and The Misleading Lady which popularized the Napoleon imposter trope. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps (USMC) during World War I, and served in France as an officer for a bomber squadron. After the war, he became involved with writing and directing silent films, had another Broadway hit with The Broken Wing, played the villain to Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood, and directed the long-running musical Rose-Marie. Dickey also gave George Abbott his first Broadway role, keeping him in theater when he was ready to quit. Dickey's later career concentrated on directing and writing, as recurring heart trouble limited his performances. He died of a heart attack at age 49.