Robert J. Wilke

Personal Info

Birthday

May 18, 1914

Day of Death

1989-03-28

(74 years old)

Place of Birth

Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Also Known As

Bob Wilke

Robert Wilke

Robert Joseph Wilke

Robert J. Wilke

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.

Known For

Perry Mason

Bonanza

Dallas

Maverick

Have Gun, Will Travel

The Rifleman

Zorro

Lassie

Filmography

1987
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
as Self (archive footage)
1981
Stripes
as Gen. Barnicke
1978
Days of Heaven
as The Farm Foreman
Wild and Wooly
as Demas Scott
1973
Santee
as Deaks (as Robert Wilke
The Boy Who Cried Werewolf
as The Sheriff
1972
The Rookies
as Officer Shaw
1971
They Call It Murder
as Sheriff Rex Brandon
The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler
as Hugh Fielding
A Gunfight
as Marshal Tom Cater
1970
The Cheyenne Social Club
as Corey Bannister
1969
The Desperate Mission
as Gant
1967
Tony Rome
as Ralph Turpin
1966
The Magnificent Stranger
as Sheriff McVey
Smoky
as Jeff Nicks
1965
The Hallelujah Trail
as Chief Five Barrels
1964
Fate Is the Hunter
as Stillman
Shock Treatment
as Technician Mike Newton (as Robert Wilke)
1963
The Gun Hawk
as Johnny Flanders
1961
The Long Rope
as Ben Matthews
1960
Spartacus
as Guard captain
The Magnificent Seven
as Wallace
The Slowest Gun in the West
as Billy the Kid Blake
1959
Never Steal Anything Small
as Lennie
1958
Man of the West
as Ponch
Return to Warbow
as Red
1957
The Tarnished Angels
as Hank
Night Passage
as Concho
Hot Summer Night
as Tom Ellis (as Robert Wilke)
1956
Gun the Man Down
as Matt Rankin
Written on the Wind
as Dan Willis
Canyon River
as Joe Graycoe
The Rawhide Years
as Neal (as Robert Wilke)
Raw Edge
as Sile Doty
Backlash
as Jeff Welker
1955
Wichita
as Ben Thompson
Shotgun
as Bentley (as Robert Wilke)
Strange Lady in Town
as Karg
Smoke Signal
as First Sergeant Daly (as Robert Wilke)
1954
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
as First Mate of the Nautilus
Two Guns and a Badge
as Moore - Outlaw
The Lone Gun
as Hort Moran (as Robert Wilke)
The Far Country
as Madden
1953
From Here to Eternity
as Sgt. Henderson (uncredited)
War Paint
as Trooper Grady
Arrowhead
as Sgt. Stone
Cow Country
as Sledge
1952
The Maverick
as Massey
Wyoming Roundup
as Wyatt - Henchman
Fargo
as Link - Henchman
Cattle Town
as Keeno
Hellgate
as Sgt. Maj. Kearn
High Noon
as Jim Pierce
Road Agent
as Slab Babcock
The Las Vegas Story
as Clayton (as Robert Wilke)
1951
Overland Telegraph
as Bellew - Henchman (as Robert Wilke)
Hot Lead
as Stoney Dawson (as Robert Wilke)
Pistol Harvest
as Andy Baylor
Cyclone Fury
as Henchman Bunco (as Bob Wilke)
Best of the Badmen
as Jim Younger
Gunplay
as Henchman Winslow
Saddle Legion
as Henchman Hooker
Vengeance Valley
as Cowhand (uncredited)
1950
Frontier Outpost
as Krag Benson
Across the Badlands
as Duke Jackson / Keno Jackson (as Bob Wilke)
The Desert Hawk
as Camel Driver
Outcasts of Black Mesa
as Curt - Henchman (as Bob Wilke)
Mule Train
as Bradshaw - Henchman (uncredited)
1949
The Blonde Bandit
as Police Det. Walker
Coyote Canyon
as Deputy Sheriff Ed (as Bob Wilkie)
The Wyoming Bandit
as Sam - Henchman (as Bob Wilke)
Laramie
as Cronin (uncredited)
1948
Homicide for Three
as Policeman
Daredevils of the Clouds
as Joe
Carson City Raiders
as Ed Noble (as Bob Wilke)
1947
The Ghost Goes Wild
as Burglar
Blackmail
as Policeman
Web of Danger
as Station Wagon Driver
Law of the Canyon
as Knife-Throwing Henchman (uncredited)
Buck Privates Come Home
as GI Buddy (uncredited)
Twilight on the Rio Grande
as Henchman
1946
White Tie and Tails
as Starter (uncredited)
The Inner Circle
as Police Officer Cummings (as Bob Wilke)
Rendezvous with Annie
as MP (uncredited)
Traffic in Crime
as Hogan's Driver
Passkey to Danger
as Police Sergeant
Badman's Territory
as Deputy Marshal (uncredited)
The Catman of Paris
as The Catman (uncredited)
1945
Rough Riders of Cheyenne
as Smoke - Henchman (as Bob Wilke)
Sunset in El Dorado
as Curley Roberts
Bandits of the Badlands
as Keller
Hitchhike to Happiness
as Stage Hand (uncredited)
Trail of Kit Carson
as Dave MacRoy (as Bob Wilke)
Santa Fe Saddlemates
as Rawhide
Corpus Christi Bandits
as Henchman Steve
Earl Carroll Vanities
as Cab Driver
Sheriff of Cimarron
as Henchman Dobie
1944
Faces in the Fog
as Photographer
Vigilantes of Dodge City
as Bill
Sheriff of Sundown
as Bradley - Henchman (as Bob Wilke)
San Antonio Kid
as Henchman (as Bob Wilke)
Bordertown Trail
as Henchman
Call of the Rockies
as Deputy Jim
Cowboy and the Senorita
as Townsman (uncredited)
Hidden Valley Outlaws
as Rancher (uncredited)
The Fighting Seabees
as Arriving Construction Worker (uncredited)
1943
Whispering Footsteps
as Bank Customer
1941
Dick Tracy vs. Crime Inc.
as Cutter Helmsman
Sierra Sue
as Carnival Spectator (uncredited)
1940
Adventures of Red Ryder
as Henchman
Grand Ole Opry
as Hillbilly (uncredited)
In Old Missouri
as Hillbilly
1939
In Old Monterey
as Man on Wagon
Daredevils of the Red Circle
as G-Man
S.O.S Tidal Wave
as Man in TV Studio
Star Reporter
as Reporter
1938
The Fighting Devil Dogs
as Marine in Shanghai (uncredited)
1937
San Quentin
as Young Convict in Yard (uncredited)
That Man's Here Again
as (uncredited)