Portrait of Robert J. Wilke

Robert J. Wilke

Acting

Biography

Prolific American character actor of primarily villainous roles. The son of German parents, Cincinnati feed-store manager August Wilke and his wife Rose, Robert Joseph Wilke grew up in Cincinnati. He worked as a lifeguard at a Miami, Florida, hotel, where he made contacts in the film business. He was able to obtain work as a stuntman and continued as such until the mid-'40s, when he began getting actual roles in low-budget westerns and serials. A prominent appearance as one of the heavies in Le train sifflera trois fois (1952) led to work in higher-quality films. He worked extensively in television as well as movies, and became an enormously familiar face, though a fairly anonymous one to the general public. His weathered visage made him a perfect western bad guy, but he occasionally played sympathetic parts as well, as in Les moissons du ciel (1978). An expert golfer, he was said by his friend Claude Akins to have earned more money on the golf course than he ever did in movies. He died in 1989. -

Born: May 18, 1914

Place of Birth: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Filmography

1987
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life

as Self (archive footage)

1981
Stripes

as Gen. Barnicke

1978
Days of Heaven

as The Farm Foreman

1978
Dallas

as Tom Owens

1978
Wild and Wooly

as Demas Scott

1977
1975
Starsky & Hutch

as Mac Johnson

1973
Santee

as Deaks (as Robert Wilke

1973
1972
Kung Fu

as Sgt. Bridger

1972
The Rookies

as Officer Shaw

1971
They Call It Murder

as Sheriff Rex Brandon

1971
A Gunfight

as Marshal Tom Cater

1970
The Cheyenne Social Club

as Corey Bannister

1968
1967
Tony Rome

as Ralph Turpin

1967
The Guns of Will Sonnett

as Sheriff Dan Butler

1967
1966
Tarzan

as Spooner

1966
The Magnificent Stranger

as Sheriff McVey

1966
Smoky

as Jeff Nicks

1965
The Wild Wild West

as Maj. Gen. Titus Ord Baldwin

1965
The Legend of Jesse James

as Marshal Sam Corbett

1965
The Hallelujah Trail

as Chief Five Barrels

1964
1964
1964
Daniel Boone

as Jake Manning

1964
Daniel Boone

as Fryman

1964
Shock Treatment

as Technician Mike Newton (as Robert Wilke)

1963
The Fugitive

as Johnny

1963
The Gun Hawk

as Johnny Flanders

1962
The Lucy Show

as Tom Carter

1962
The Virginian

as Conrad

1962
The Virginian

as Colton

1962
Sam Benedict

as Lt. Mike Radich

1961
The Long Rope

as Ben Matthews

1960
Spartacus

as Guard captain

1960
1960
Stagecoach West

as Taylor Norman

1960
1960
My Three Sons

as Danny Donnigan

1960
The Tall Man

as Marshal Ben Hartley

1960
The Slowest Gun in the West

as Billy the Kid Blake

1959
The Untouchables

as George 'Bugs' Moran

1959
The Untouchables

as Dutch Schultz

1959
The Third Man

as Vince Gabriel

1959
Law of the Plainsman

as Amos Cameron

1959
Riverboat

as Bolesy

1959
Riverboat

as Red Dog Hanlon

1959
Bonanza

as Charlie Sheppard

1959
Bonanza

as Al Simmons

1959
Bonanza

as Sheriff Claude T. Booker

1959
Bonanza

as Brazos

1959
Bonanza

as Marshal Hollister

1959
The Deputy

as Ace Gentry

1959
Rawhide

as Sheriff McVey

1959
Rawhide

as Tom Galt

1959
Rawhide

as Lafe Thomas

1958
77 Sunset Strip

as Vern Reece

1958
Bat Masterson

as Bull Kirby

1958
Bat Masterson

as Rod Clements

1958
Lawman

as Marshal Tom Haddon

1958
Lawman

as Fallon - Bounty Hunter

1958
Lawman

as Lal Hoard

1958
The Rifleman

as Flory Sheltin

1958
The Rifleman

as Ward Haskins

1958
The Texan

as Marshal Bart Pennock

1958
The Texan

as Sheriff Tip Latta

1958
The Texan

as Pete Torrey

1958
The Texan

as Asa Kirby

1958
1958
1958
Wanted: Dead or Alive

as Jack Radovitch

1958
1957
Tombstone Territory

as Burt Foster

1957
Tombstone Territory

as Jess Caulfield

1957
Zorro

as Capt. Salvador Mendoza

1957
Maverick

as McCabe

1957
Maverick

as Diamond Dan Malone

1957
Perry Mason

as Deputy Sheriff Connors

1957
Wagon Train

as Sgt. Wick

1957
Wagon Train

as Wesley Thomas

1957
Wagon Train

as Col. Thomas Stone

1957
Wagon Train

as Jabez Moore

1957
1957
Have Gun, Will Travel

as Casey Bryan

1957
Have Gun, Will Travel

as Walt DeVries

1957
Have Gun, Will Travel

as Trail Boss Rook

1957
1957
Night Passage

as Concho

1957
Hot Summer Night

as Tom Ellis (as Robert Wilke)

1956
Gun the Man Down

as Matt Rankin

1956
Written on the Wind

as Dan Willis

1956
Canyon River

as Joe Graycoe

1956
The Rawhide Years

as Neal (as Robert Wilke)

1956
Raw Edge

as Sile Doty

1956
Backlash

as Jeff Welker

1956
The Lone Ranger

as Cassidy

1955
Cheyenne

as Bob Manson

1955
Cheyenne

as Jed Begert

1955
Cheyenne

as Kelso Prather

1955
Cheyenne

as Ben Creed

1955
Cheyenne

as Carl Banner

1955
Gunsmoke

as Hickock

1955
Gunsmoke

as Tom

1955
Gunsmoke

as Pegger

1955
Gunsmoke

as Pitt

1955
Gunsmoke

as Ab Rankin

1955
Gunsmoke

as Kelby

1955
Gunsmoke

as Luke Cumberledge

1955
Wichita

as Ben Thompson

1955
Shotgun

as Bentley (as Robert Wilke)

1955
1954
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

as First Mate of the Nautilus

1954
Lassie

as Mr. Corey

1954
Two Guns and a Badge

as Moore - Outlaw

1954
The Lone Gun

as Hort Moran (as Robert Wilke)

1954
1953
From Here to Eternity

as Sgt. Henderson (uncredited)

1953
War Paint

as Trooper Grady

1953
Arrowhead

as Sgt. Stone

1953
Cow Country

as Sledge

1952
The Maverick

as Massey

1952
Wyoming Roundup

as Wyatt - Henchman

1952
Fargo

as Link - Henchman

1952
Cattle Town

as Keeno

1952
Hellgate

as Sgt. Maj. Kearn

1952
High Noon

as Jim Pierce

1952
Road Agent

as Slab Babcock

1952
The Las Vegas Story

as Clayton (as Robert Wilke)

1951
Overland Telegraph

as Bellew - Henchman (as Robert Wilke)

1951
1951
Hot Lead

as Stoney Dawson

1951
1951
Pistol Harvest

as Andy Baylor

1951
Cyclone Fury

as Henchman Bunco (as Bob Wilke)

1951
Best of the Badmen

as Jim Younger

1951
Gunplay

as Henchman Winslow

1951
Saddle Legion

as Henchman Hooker

1951
Vengeance Valley

as Cowhand (uncredited)

1950
Frontier Outpost

as Krag Benson

1950
Across the Badlands

as Duke Jackson / Keno Jackson (as Bob Wilke)

1950
The Desert Hawk

as Camel Driver

1950
The Gene Autry Show

as Henchman Cody

1950
The Gene Autry Show

as Charlie Bolton

1950
The Gene Autry Show

as Monte - Henchman

1950
The Gene Autry Show

as Henchman in Plaid Shirt

1950
Outcasts of Black Mesa

as Curt - Henchman (as Bob Wilke)

1950
Mule Train

as Bradshaw - Henchman (uncredited)

1949
The Blonde Bandit

as Police Det. Walker

1949
Coyote Canyon

as Deputy Sheriff Ed (as Bob Wilkie)

1949
The Lone Ranger

as Henchman (uncredited)

1949
Laramie

as Cronin (uncredited)

1948
Homicide for Three

as Policeman

1948
1947
1947
Blackmail

as Policeman

1947
Web of Danger

as Station Wagon Driver

1947
Law of the Canyon

as Knife-Throwing Henchman (uncredited)

1947
Buck Privates Come Home

as GI Buddy (uncredited)

1946
White Tie and Tails

as Starter (uncredited)

1946
The Inner Circle

as Police Officer Cummings (as Bob Wilke)

1946
Rendezvous with Annie

as MP (uncredited)

1946
Traffic in Crime

as Hogan's Driver

1946
Passkey to Danger

as Police Sergeant

1946
Badman's Territory

as Deputy Marshal (uncredited)

1946
The Catman of Paris

as The Catman (uncredited)

1945
Rough Riders of Cheyenne

as Smoke - Henchman (as Bob Wilke)

1945
Sunset in El Dorado

as Curley Roberts

1945
Hitchhike to Happiness

as Stage Hand (uncredited)

1945
Trail of Kit Carson

as Dave MacRoy (as Bob Wilke)

1945
1945
Lone Texas Ranger

as Henchman (uncredited)

1945
Corpus Christi Bandits

as Henchman Steve

1945
1945
Sheriff of Cimarron

as Henchman Dobie

1944
Faces in the Fog

as Photographer

1944
Sheriff of Sundown

as Bradley - Henchman (as Bob Wilke)

1944
San Antonio Kid

as Henchman

1944
Bordertown Trail

as Henchman

1944
Call of the Rockies

as Deputy Jim

1944
Cowboy and the Senorita

as Townsman (uncredited)

1944
Hidden Valley Outlaws

as Rancher (uncredited)

1944
The Fighting Seabees

as Arriving Construction Worker (uncredited)

1943
Whispering Footsteps

as Bank Customer

1941
Dick Tracy vs. Crime Inc.

as Cutter Helmsman

1941
Sierra Sue

as Carnival Spectator (uncredited)

1940
Grand Ole Opry

as Hillbilly (uncredited)

1940
In Old Missouri

as Hillbilly

1939
In Old Monterey

as Man on Wagon

1939
S.O.S Tidal Wave

as Man in TV Studio

1939
Star Reporter

as Reporter

1938
The Fighting Devil Dogs

as Marine in Shanghai (uncredited)

1937
San Quentin

as Young Convict in Yard (uncredited)

1937
That Man's Here Again

as (uncredited)