Anthony Dexter, the handsome actor best remembered for his portrayal of Rudolph Valentino in the film Valentino (1951), was born Walter Reinhold Alfred Fleischmann in Talmadge, Nebraska. After college, he became a stage actor, then served in U.S. Army in World War II and then returned to acting. He moved to Hollywood in the late 1940’s, changing his name to Anthony Dexter. Among his first gigs was a nationwide stage tour with actress Mae West.

His casting in the title role of the 1951 film Valentino, which was greeted with a fanfare of publicity, was the culmination of one of the greatest talent hunts in the history of motion pictures. Producer Edward Small's search covered 11 years of effort and brought forth 75,000 applicants for the job of playing the legendary silent film star, Rudolph Valentino. Following his success in that film, however, Dexter appeared mostly in lesser films. His other films include The Brigand (1952),Captain John Smith And Pocahontas (1953); Captain Kidd and the Slave Girl (1954); The Black Pirates (1954); He Laughed Last (1956); The Story of Mankind (1957); The Parson and the Outlaw (1957), and Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967). After retiring from the screen, he took the name Walter Craig and became a teacher of English and Drama in Los Angeles. When he retired from teaching, he moved to Greeley, Colorado.