Robert J. Wilke
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. -
Photos
Movies (124)
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
1987 · Self (archive footage)
Stripes
1981 · Gen. Barnicke
The Sweet Creek County War
1979
Days of Heaven
1978 · The Farm Foreman
Wild and Wooly
1978 · Demas Scott
Santee
1973 · Deaks (as Robert Wilke)
The Boy Who Cried Werewolf
1973 · The Sheriff
The Rookies
1972 · Officer Shaw
They Call It Murder
1971 · Sheriff Rex Brandon
The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler
1971 · Hugh Fielding
A Gunfight
1971 · Marshal Tom Cater
The Cheyenne Social Club
1970 · Corey Bannister
The Desperate Mission
1969 · Gant
Tony Rome
1967 · Ralph Turpin
The Magnificent Stranger
1966 · Sheriff McVey
Smoky
1966 · Jeff Nicks
The Hallelujah Trail
1965 · Chief Five Barrels
Fate Is the Hunter
1964 · Stillman
Shock Treatment
1964 · Technician Mike Newton (as Robert Wilke)
The Gun Hawk
1963 · Johnny Flanders
The Long Rope
1961 · Ben Matthews
Spartacus
1960 · Guard captain
The Magnificent Seven
1960 · Wallace
The Slowest Gun in the West
1960 · Billy the Kid Blake
Never Steal Anything Small
1959 · Lennie
Man of the West
1958 · Ponch
Return to Warbow
1958 · Red
The Tarnished Angels
1957 · Hank
Night Passage
1957 · Concho
Hot Summer Night
1957 · Tom Ellis (as Robert Wilke)
Gun the Man Down
1956 · Matt Rankin
Written on the Wind
1956 · Dan Willis
Canyon River
1956 · Joe Graycoe
The Rawhide Years
1956 · Neal (as Robert Wilke)
Raw Edge
1956 · Sile Doty
Backlash
1956 · Jeff Welker
The Lone Ranger
1956 · Cassidy
Wichita
1955 · Ben Thompson
Shotgun
1955 · Bentley (as Robert Wilke)
Strange Lady in Town
1955 · Karg
Smoke Signal
1955 · Daly
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
1954 · First Mate of the Nautilus
Two Guns and a Badge
1954 · Moore - Outlaw
The Lone Gun
1954 · Hort Moran (as Robert Wilke)
The Far Country
1954 · Madden
War Paint
1953 · Trooper Grady
From Here to Eternity
1953 · Sgt. Henderson (uncredited)
Arrowhead
1953 · Sgt. Stone
Cow Country
1953 · Sledge
The Maverick
1952 · Massey
Wyoming Roundup
1952 · Wyatt - Henchman
Fargo
1952 · Link - Henchman
Cattle Town
1952 · Keeno
Hellgate
1952 · Sgt. Maj. Kearn
High Noon
1952 · Jim Pierce
Road Agent
1952 · Slab Babcock
The Las Vegas Story
1952 · Clayton (as Robert Wilke)
Overland Telegraph
1951 · Bellew - Henchman (as Robert Wilke)
Hot Lead
1951 · Stoney Dawson
Pistol Harvest
1951 · Andy Baylor
Cyclone Fury
1951 · Henchman Bunco (as Bob Wilke)
Best of the Badmen
1951 · Jim Younger
Gunplay
1951 · Henchman Winslow
Saddle Legion
1951 · Henchman Hooker
Vengeance Valley
1951 · Cowhand (uncredited)
Frontier Outpost
1950 · Krag Benson
Across the Badlands
1950 · Duke Jackson / Keno Jackson (as Bob Wilke)
The Desert Hawk
1950 · Camel Driver
Outcast of Black Mesa
1950 · Curt - Henchman (as Bob Wilke)
Mule Train
1950 · Bradshaw - Henchman (uncredited)
The Blonde Bandit
1949 · Police Det. Walker
Coyote Canyon
1949 · Deputy Sheriff Ed (as Bob Wilkie)
Flaming Fury
1949
The Wyoming Bandit
1949 · Sam
Laramie
1949 · Cronin (uncredited)
Homicide for Three
1948 · Policeman
Daredevils of the Clouds
1948 · Joe
Carson City Raiders
1948 · Ed Noble
The Ghost Goes Wild
1947 · Burglar
Blackmail
1947 · Policeman
Web of Danger
1947 · Station Wagon Driver
Law of the Canyon
1947 · Knife-Throwing Henchman (uncredited)
Buck Privates Come Home
1947 · GI Buddy (uncredited)
Twilight on the Rio Grande
1947 · Henchman
White Tie and Tails
1946 · Starter (uncredited)
The Inner Circle
1946 · Police Officer Cummings (as Bob Wilke)
Rendezvous with Annie
1946 · MP (uncredited)
Traffic in Crime
1946 · Hogan's Driver
Passkey to Danger
1946 · Police Sergeant
Badman's Territory
1946 · Deputy Marshal (uncredited)
The Catman of Paris
1946 · The Catman (uncredited)
Rough Riders of Cheyenne
1945 · Smoke - Henchman (as Bob Wilke)
Sunset in El Dorado
1945 · Curley Roberts
Bandits of the Badlands
1945 · Keller
Hitchhike to Happiness
1945 · Stage Hand (uncredited)
Trail of Kit Carson
1945 · Dave MacRoy (as Bob Wilke)
Santa Fe Saddlemates
1945 · Rawhide
Lone Texas Ranger
1945 · Henchman (uncredited)
Corpus Christi Bandits
1945 · Henchman Steve
Earl Carroll Vanities
1945 · Cab Driver
Sheriff of Cimarron
1945 · Henchman Dobie
Faces in the Fog
1944 · Photographer
Vigilantes of Dodge City
1944 · Bill
Sheriff of Sundown
1944 · Bradley - Henchman (as Bob Wilke)
Code of the Prairie
1944
San Antonio Kid
1944 · Henchman
Bordertown Trail
1944 · Henchman
Call of the Rockies
1944 · Deputy Jim
Cowboy and the Senorita
1944 · Townsman (uncredited)
Hidden Valley Outlaws
1944 · Rancher (uncredited)
The Fighting Seabees
1944 · Arriving Construction Worker (uncredited)
Whispering Footsteps
1943 · Bank Customer
Dick Tracy vs. Crime Inc.
1941 · Cutter Helmsman
Sierra Sue
1941 · Carnival Spectator (uncredited)
Adventures of Red Ryder
1940 · Henchman
Grand Ole Opry
1940 · Hillbilly (uncredited)
In Old Missouri
1940 · Hillbilly
In Old Monterey
1939 · Man on Wagon
Daredevils of the Red Circle
1939 · G-Man
S.O.S Tidal Wave
1939 · Man in TV Studio
Star Reporter
1939 · Reporter
The Fighting Devil Dogs
1938 · Marine in Shanghai (uncredited)
San Quentin
1937 · Young Convict in Yard (uncredited)
That Man's Here Again
1937 · (uncredited)
TV shows (70)
Dallas
1978 · Tom Owens
How the West Was Won
1977 · Appleton
Starsky & Hutch
1975 · Mac Johnson
Run, Joe, Run
1974
Kung Fu
1972 · Sgt. Bridger
Lancer
1968
The Outcasts
1968
The Guns of Will Sonnett
1967 · Sheriff Dan Butler, Tom Judd
Cimarron Strip
1967 · Hardy Miller
Rango
1967
Tarzan
1966 · Spooner
The Monroes
1966
The Wild Wild West
1965 · Maj. Gen. Titus Ord Baldwin
The Legend of Jesse James
1965 · Marshal Sam Corbett
Daniel Boone
1964 · Toff, Fryman, Jake Manning
The Greatest Show on Earth
1963 · Lou Sirotta
The Fugitive
1963 · Johnny
The Dakotas
1963
The Lucy Show
1962 · Tom Carter
The Virginian
1962 · Conrad, Colton
Sam Benedict
1962 · Lt. Mike Radich
The Beachcomber
1962 · Bill Winters, Jason Despol
Target: The Corruptors!
1961
Stagecoach West
1960 · Taylor Norman
The Westerner
1960 · Murdo
My Three Sons
1960 · Danny Donnigan
Outlaws
1960
The Tall Man
1960 · Marshal Ben Hartley
The Untouchables
1959 · George 'Bugs' Moran, Dutch Schultz
Bourbon Street Beat
1959
Adventures in Paradise
1959 · Riker
The Third Man
1959 · Vince Gabriel
Law of the Plainsman
1959 · Amos Cameron
Wichita Town
1959
Laramie
1959
Riverboat
1959 · Bolesy, Red Dog Hanlon
Bonanza
1959 · Charlie Sheppard, Al Simmons, Sheriff Claude T. Booker, Brazos, Marshal Hollister
The Deputy
1959 · Ace Gentry
Rawhide
1959 · Sheriff McVey, Tom Galt, Lafe Thomas
77 Sunset Strip
1958 · Vern Reece
Bat Masterson
1958 · Bull Kirby, Rod Clements
Lawman
1958 · Marshal Tom Haddon, Fallon - Bounty Hunter, Lal Hoard
The Rifleman
1958 · Flory Sheltin, Ward Haskins
The Texan
1958 · Marshal Bart Pennock, Sheriff Tip Latta, Pete Torrey, Asa Kirby
Bronco
1958
Peter Gunn
1958
Wanted: Dead or Alive
1958 · Virgil, Ben Hooker, Jack Radovitch
Tombstone Territory
1957 · Burt Foster, Jess Caulfield
Zorro
1957 · Capt. Salvador Mendoza
The Walter Winchell File
1957 · Fisher
Maverick
1957 · McCabe, Diamond Dan Malone
Perry Mason
1957 · Deputy Sheriff Connors
The Thin Man
1957
Wagon Train
1957 · Sgt. Wick, Wesley Thomas, Col. Thomas Stone, Jabez Moore
Have Gun, Will Travel
1957 · Will Tybee, Casey Bryan, Walt DeVries, Trail Boss Rook, Maj. Blake
The Adventures of Jim Bowie
1956
Screen Director's Playhouse
1955 · Zecca
Cheyenne
1955 · Bob Manson, Carl Banner, Kelso Prather, Jed Begert, Ben Creed
Gunsmoke
1955 · Hickock, Pitt, Pegger, Tom, Ab Rankin, Kelby, Luke Cumberledge
The Wonderful World of Disney
1954 · Jed - Outlaw, Ben Tilton
Lassie
1954 · Mr. Corey
The Abbott and Costello Show
1952 · Mike Brodie
Cavalcade of America
1952
Four Star Playhouse
1952 · George, Ben Crane
Adventures of Superman
1952 · Bingham
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951 · Red Fischer, Whitey
Boston Blackie
1951 · Edgar
The Cisco Kid
1950 · Judd Storme, Henchman Vic, Barney
The Gene Autry Show
1950 · Henchman Cody, Charlie Bolton, Monte - Henchman, Henchman in Plaid Shirt
The Lone Ranger
1949 · Henchman (uncredited)