Dixie Howell and "The Adventures of Frank Merriwell"

Dixie Howell and Jean Rogers in a publicity photo of the All-
American's screen test for "The Adventures of Frank Merriwell."

While Johnny Mack Brown famously used his performance in the 1925 Rose Bowl to launch a career as a movie star, several other Alabama players were wooed by Hollywood during their trips to Pasadena. When the Crimson Tide came west and defeated Stanford in the 1935 Rose Bowl it gave Alabama's All-American Dixie Howell an opportunity to seek his silver screen fortune.

Howell was invited by Universal Pictures president Carl Laemmle to take screen test which led to the Rose Bowl MVP's appearance in the serial "The Adventures of Frank Merriwell."  Howell appeared uncredited in the eleventh film of the 12-part series, "The Crash in the Chasm." It was his only film role.

(A teammate of Howell's, Paul W. Bryant, would take a screen test when he traveled to California as an assistant coach on the Tide's 1938 Rose Bowl team. He never appeared in a film. "They were trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear," he later commented.)

The Merriwell franchise originated in a popular series of books published from 1896 to 1912 that were penned by Gilbert Patten writing under the pseudonym, Burt L. Standish. While the plots centered around the lead character solving a mystery or some similar adventure, Merriwell was notable for excelling at sports as an athlete at Yale.

Football games and other athletic contests were often featured prominently in the stories. As a result, the franchise became the model for the wave of juvenile sports fiction that peaked in popularity in the 1940s.

The series was adapted into comic books, radio serials and, eventually, a series of films starring Donald Briggs as the title character. The romantic interest, Elsie Belwood, was played by a pre-"Flash Gordon" Jean Rogers (who may also have appeared in publicity photos for the Rose Bowl game as well).

While Howell's film career came to naught his trip to Hollywood in 1935 did have a major impact on his life. While in California he met aspiring actress Peggy Watters whom he married in Mexico City in November of that same year.

Dixie Howell and the University of Mexico Pumas

Dixie Howell, Los Angeles Mexican consul Ricardo Hill and Ernesto
Navas, the captain of the 1935 University of Mexico team.

After leading Alabama to a victory over Stanford in the 1935 Rose Bowl, halfback Dixie Howell took a job as the head coach of the football team of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in Mexico City. The former All-American brought his Crimson Tide teammate Charles Marr with him to Mexico as an assistant.

American oil magnate Harry Ford Sinclair sponsored the squad, footing Howell and Marr's salaries as well as purchasing the team's equipment.

The Pumas highlighted their 1935 season with a series of games against US squads. They traveled to Los Angeles on Sept. 21 for their first game but were trounced by Occidental College 26-7. The next contest against Lamar ended in a 32-0 blowout and then a 27-7 loss against Louisiana College. Howell and Marr eventually suited up and played for the Mexican team in a game against St. Mary's College of Texas.

Despite the losses north of the border, the Pumas would go on to a successful season in the Organización Nacional Estudiantil de Futbol Americano league, claiming the school's third national championship.

Howell did not return to Mexico City the next season but took a job as an assistant coach at Tulane. He would later go on to become head coach at Arizona State University and the University of Idaho. In 1946 he served as backs coach at Alabama.

Marr took over the head coaching duties at the University of Mexico for 1936 and 1937 claiming the Mexican championship in each season.

Frank Thomas Breaks Down the Alabama Crimson Tide

In 1935 Alabama beat Stanford in the Rose Bowl, the third victory for the Crimson Tide in Pasadena's New Year's Day classic. The popularity of the team and their head coach Frank Thomas brought unprecedented media attention including a lengthy feature in Sport Story Magazine.

Street & Smith was a New York City publishing house that pioneered pulp fiction and dime magazines. In 1923, they introduced the first sports pulp title, Sport Story Magazine. Twelve years later the bi-weekly magazine was the leading sports publication of its type in the country.

Thomas was featured in a cover article in the first October issue "The Air Route to Victory." Written in the first person, the story is credited "As told to Arthur Grahame." Grahame was a prolific writer for Street & Smith's various titles during the 1930s and had penned a fictional story about Alabama football for the magazine in 1927.

Although ghost written, the 10-page story provides a detailed look into Thomas' approach to coaching as well as his thoughts on Alabama's performance in the 1935 Rose Bowl game. He starts by explaining how he came to Tuscaloosa and his use of the Notre Dame's "simple and elastic" system which he had learned in South Bend under Knute Rockne.

"[The Notre Dame system] is a good system but it isn't the only system," he said. "Like every other successful football system, it is built on a foundation of skill in the game's fundamentals, blocking , tackling and ball handling."

Thomas then goes on to credit Alabama's win in Pasadena to the fact the Crimson Tide had a "triple threat" player in Dixie Howell -- one that could run, pass and kick extremely well -- and that Stanford didn't. Then Thomas explains how the Alabama pass attack worked, breaking down two plays in detail.

In the first (Diagram No. 1) he explained the offense was designed to use two of the backs to provide extra protection for Howell while the third bolted upfield with the two receivers.

"The defense had no way of knowing to which of the three eligible receivers the pass would go," Thomas wrote. It went to Don Hutson -- Alabama's so-called "pass catching, speed merchant end" -- who subsequently scored. (It may be this play.)

The second play (Diagram No. 2) used a similar deception. As Howell dropped back Alabama's "other end" Paul Bryant dashed six yards and then immediately cut across the field.

"The defense figured that the pass would go to Bryant," Thomas explained. "It didn't."

Again Alabama used an array of backs to block for Howell buying time for the play to develop. Hutson ran six yards out and stopped then, instead of blocking the defensive back for Bryant, he turned completely around and waited for the ball. Howell then threw it to him for a long gain.

Don Hutson & Dixie Howell

Alabama's 1934 All-Americans Don Hutson and Dixie Howell pose with a Hollywood actress (possibly Jean Rogers) with a Los Angeles newspaper proclaiming the Crimson Tide victory in the 1935 Rose Bowl. No less than famed sportswriter Grantland Rice declared their performance in the game "one of the greatest all-around exhibitions that football has ever known."

The 1935 Rose Bowl

The 1935 Rose Bowl that pitted Alabama against Stanford was expected to be a close game. And it was... for most of the first quarter. A pair of fumbles by the Crimson Tide stymied Alabama's offense and provided Stanford a 7-0 lead.

Then, in the second quarter, Alabama unloaded on the Indians, scoring 22 points in less than 13 minutes. This film shows two of those scoring plays; a 59-yard touchdown pass from Dixie Howell (54) to Don Hutson (14) as well as Howell's 67-yard touchdown run that broke the game open for the Crimson Tide.

Alabama won the game 29-13 and claimed the national championship.

The 1935 Rose Bowl: Alabama vs Stanford

The 1934 Alabama line in a publicity shot prior to the 1934 Rose Bowl.

The 1935 Rose Bowl marked the start of a new chapter in the history of Alabama football. Under head coach Wallace Wade, New Year’s Day games in Pasadena and subsequent National Championships had become the norm. His departure to Duke University in 1931 left his hand-picked successor, Frank Thomas, loaded with high expectations.

Thomas had been a player at Notre Dame under Knute Rockne and had entered the coaching ranks as an assistant at the University of Georgia. While well recognized for his understanding of the game, Thomas’ only head coaching experience before taking the Alabama job was a five-year stint at the University of Chattanooga.

Yet, University of Alabama president George Hutchenson Denny made his choice and Thomas proved to be the man for the task. In his first three seasons at the Capstone, Thomas amassed a respectable 24-4-1 record. In 1933 his team was able to capture the Southeastern Conference Championship but a 2-0 loss to Fordham dropped their overall record to 7-1-1 and kept them out of the National Championship picture. Thomas was chomping at the bit all off-season knowing his squad was only going to be stronger the next year.

Part of his confidence stemmed from possessing one of the most talented passer-receiver combos the game had ever seen. Quarterback Millard "Dixie" Howell and end Don Hutson were selected as consensus All-Americans in 1934 for the aerial attack they developed under Thomas’ tutelage. It would become the precedent for the modern passing game. The other end on the squad was a lanky young man from rural Arkansas everyone knew by the nickname "Bear" – Paul W. Bryant. His faith in his coach was unwavering.

"The thing about Coach Thomas, like every fine coach, was that he was sound," Bryant recalled years later. "He beat you with the things he did best. Occasionally he would have one little new play for the opponent, but basically he preached blocking and tackling and executing."

It proved to be an unbeatable formula in 1934. Alabama rolled to an undefeated regular season that was highlighted by dramatic wins over Tennessee and Georgia Tech. A Southeastern Conference title followed and no less than four different polling systems chose the Crimson Tide as the national champions.

Alabama's 1934 team

Meanwhile, out on the West Coast, Stanford University was putting the finishing touches on head coach Claude Earl Thornhill’s second season. An assistant under Glenn "Pop" Warner during the legendary coach’s seven-year tenure in Palo Alto, Thornhill took over the head coach slot in 1933 after Warner left for Temple University.

Although Stanford had adopted the Indian mascot in 1930, Thornhill's squad came to be known as the "Vow Boys" for making a pact to never lose to conference rival USC.

They kept the promise in 1933 handing the Trojans their first defeat in 27 games, a 13-7 loss at home. The victory gave Stanford the Pacific Coast Conference championship and a matchup with Colombia University in the Rose Bowl. The Indians subsequently lost 7-0 to the Lions and Thornhill finished his inaugural season with an 8-2-1 record. Stanford's 1934 team was even stronger than the previous year, boasting three consensus All-Americans; quarterback Bobby Grayson, end Jim "Monk" Moscript and tackle Bob Reynolds.

The Vow Boys kept were good to their word the second year running, besting USC in Los Angeles on Nov. 3 that year. The Indians rolled up a 7-0-1 record and coasted to another Pacific Coast Conference title. As the regular season wrapped up, Stanford was ranked the No. 2 team in the nation and earned the inevitable Rose Bowl invitation.

When Alabama was chosen as their opponent there was a feeling that the Tournament of Roses had made a grave error by selecting the Crimson Tide over undefeated Minnesota. The Golden Gophers were widely viewed as the best team in the country after racking up an 8-0 record and outscoring opponents 270-38 in the process. Even though numerous polling services tapped Minnesota as the national champion following the close of the college football regular season, the Big Ten Conference prohibited its teams from participating in bowl games. Thus, Alabama got the nod from the Tournament of Roses Committee.

Many Stanford supporters felt the Gophers were a more deserving opponent and used the issue to taunt the Crimson Tide players when they arrived in Los Angeles. Hundreds of Indians fans flocked to the Alabama practices to loudly insist their team was going to whip the squad from the south decisively. Stanford’s coach was having none of it. "The boys know they've got a fight on their hands," Thornhill said of his players the day before the game.

A record total of 84,474 spectators were on hand in Rose Bowl stadium on New Year's Day 1935 to see the two lauded teams face off at last. The Crimson Tide's luck started early with tackle Bill Lee calling the coin toss.  Alabama chose to kick off and Stanford chose to defend the south goal, favored by the light breeze.

Alabama was slow to get started in the game, amassing just four yards in four plays during the first period. Stanford got a break when Alabama’s Joe Demyanovich fumbled the ball on the 29-yard-line and the Indian’s Keith Topping recovered. A few plays later Stanford’s Bobby Grayson plowed in for the score and Stanford had the lead 7-0. That situation held until the second quarter when Thomas unleashed the Crimson Tide’s passing attack and Alabama’s offensive exploded for a flurry of scores that Stanford was all but helpless to stop.

Alabama’s second possession in the second quarter began with a bang as Howell returned the kick 25-yards to the Indian’s 45-yard line. Howell then completed passes to Hutson, James Angelich and then Bryant to reach the 5-yard line. On the next play Howell kept the ball and blasted through the line where he was hit and did a complete somersault in the air. Amazingly, he landed on his feet at the two-yard-line and bounced into the end zone for the score. Riley Smith missed the point after and Alabama cut Stanford’s lead to 7-6.

Stanford then chose to kick the ball. Alabama drove back down the field on their next possession but the Indian’s defense held this time. Thomas called a timeout before Smith was set to attempt the 27-yard field goal. During the wait the kicker overhead Bryant and another player arguing if he could make it after the missed point after a few minutes prior.

"You sonsabitches should have better confidence in me than that," Smith told them then went out and booted it through the uprights. Alabama took the lead, 9-7.

Once again, Stanford chose to kick off to the Crimson Tide. Two plays later Howell made them pay for the decision, carrying the ball around the right side of the line and down the sideline for a 67-yard touchdown run to lengthen the Crimson Tide lead to 16-7.

Any hopes Stanford had for recapturing the momentum before halftime was ended with an interception by Alabama’s Smith giving the Crimson Tide the ball on the Indian’s 46 yard line. With just eight second left in the half Alabama’s Joe Riley completed a 24-yard pass to Hutson who galloped the rest of the way into the end zone. Another missed extra point and the score 22-7 in favor of Alabama. After halftime Stanford tried to regain the momentum and launched a frantic drive to catch up. A 74-yard Indian drive was topped with a 12-yard touchdown run by halfback Elzo L. Van Dellen Jr. The Alabama lead narrowed to 22-13. 

In the fourth quarter, Stanford fans, upset at the beatdown their team was receiving, began throwing money onto the field during a timeout in hopes  of distracting  the Alabama players. Bryant recalled scooping up some of the change in his hands but then having to drop it when he had to tackle a Stanford runner heading downfield on a sweep.

"It was the only decent tackle I made all day," he later said.

The gambit didn't stop the dynamic combo of Howell and Hutson from striking one more time. On third and 23 from the Alabama 41-yard-line, Howell completed a 59-yard touchdown pass to Hutson to seal the game. The kick by Smith was the final point of the game, 29-13. Howell finished the game with 111 yards rushing, 164 yards passing and punted six times for an average of almost 44 yards. No less than legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice described his performance as "the greatest all-around exhibitions that football has ever known"

Once again, Alabama’s victory in Pasadena had brought a fourth national championship to Tuscaloosa and the fans in Alabama showed up to show their appreciation. On Jan. 5, thousands of fans mobbed the Tuscaloosa train station to welcome the team back home.

Hutson went on to play for the Green Bay Packers, eventually being enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame. Howell played for the Washington Redskins for several years and was a head coach at Arizona State University as well as Idaho. Both are now in the College Football Hall of Fame.

The next year, Riley Smith became the first Alabama player selected in the inaugural NFL draft when he was chosen second overall by the Boston Redskins. Bryant, of course, went onto one of the most celebrated coaching careers in college football history.

A version of this article first appeared on Roll Bama Roll.