Rex Bell
20th Lieutenant Governor of Nevada
In office 1955 – 1962
Governor	Charles H. Russell Grant Sawyer
Preceded by	Clifford A. Jones
Succeeded by	Maude Frazier
Born	October 16, 1903(1903-10-16) Chicago, Illinois
Died	July 4, 1962 (aged 58) Las Vegas, Nevada
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Clara Bow
Profession	Film actor, politician

Rex Bell (October 16, 1903 – July 4, 1962), born George Francis Beldam,^[1][2] was Lieutenant Governor of Nevada and a western movie star. Rex was born in Chicago and married actress Clara Bow in 1931.^[3] They had two sons, Tony Beldon (born 1934, changed name to Rex Anthony Bell, Jr.) and George Beldon, Jr. (born 1938).

In 1931,^[4] Rex and Clara founded the Walking Box Ranch.^[3]

In 1944 Bell ran for the United States House of Representatives on the Republican ticket against Democrat Berkeley Bunker. His wife, Clara Bow, attempted suicide to avoid the public spotlight, thus dampening the zeal for Bell's campaign and contributing to the lieutenant governor's loss to Bunker.^[5] Bell was the leader of the Nevada state GOP and in 1948 was an alternate to the Republican National Convention. He was also active in the Nevada Chamber of Commerce and Boy Scouts.^[6]

The ties Bell forged during those years helped him win the lieutenant governor's office in 1954. That year Charles H. Russell, the incumbent GOP governor, also won. In 1958 Democrat Grant Sawyer unseated Russell, but Bell won re-election as lieutenant governor.

His final film appearance was a brief cameo as a cowboy in John Huston's film The Misfits (1961), which was shot on location in Nevada.

The Rex Bell Elementary School in Las Vegas was named in honor of Bell.^[7]

His grave is located in Glendale, California's Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery.

[edit] Filmography

• Salute
• They Had to See Paris
• Happy Days
• True to the Navy
• Lone Star
• Dawn on the Great Divide
• Law of the Sea
• The Idaho Kid
• Law and Lead
• Cowboys and Injuns
• Tombstone, the Town Too Tough to Die
• The Misfits

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Rex Bell at the Internet Movie Database
• Rex Bell at Allmovie

Political offices
Preceded by Clifford A. Jones	Lieutenant Governor of Nevada 1955-1962	Succeeded by Maude Frazier