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. -
Read bio at tmdb | Read bio at Wikipedia
- Born:
- May 18, 1914 In Cincinnati - Ohio - USA
- Movie/TV Credits:
- 174
- First Appeared:
- In the movie That Man's Here Again 1937-04-16
- Latest Project:
- Movie James Stewart: A Wonderful Life 1987-03-13
Known For
Filmography
| Movie | James Stewart: A Wonderful Life | Self (archive footage) | 1987-03-13 |
| Movie | Stripes | Gen. Barnicke | 1981-06-26 |
| Movie | Wild and Wooly | Demas Scott | 1978-02-20 |
| Movie | Days of Heaven | The Farm Foreman | 1978-09-13 |
| Series | How the West Was Won | Unknown | 1977-02-06 |
| Series | Run, Joe, Run | Unknown | 1974-09-07 |
| Movie | The Boy Who Cried Werewolf | The Sheriff | 1973-08-01 |
| Movie | Santee | Deaks (as Robert Wilke | 1973-09-01 |
| Movie | The Rookies | Officer Shaw | 1972-03-07 |
| Series | Kung Fu | Unknown | 1972-10-14 |
| Movie | A Gunfight | Marshal Tom Cater | 1971-08-25 |
| Movie | The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler | Hugh Fielding | 1971-11-30 |
| Movie | They Call It Murder | Sheriff Rex Brandon | 1971-12-17 |
| Movie | The Cheyenne Social Club | Corey Bannister | 1970-06-12 |
| Movie | The Desperate Mission | Gant | 1969-11-20 |
| Series | The Outcasts | Unknown | 1968-09-23 |
| Series | Lancer | Unknown | 1968-09-24 |
| Series | Cimarron Strip | Unknown | 1967-09-07 |
| Series | Rango | Unknown | 1967-01-13 |
| Series | The Guns of Will Sonnett | Unknown | 1967-09-08 |
| Movie | Tony Rome | Ralph Turpin | 1967-11-10 |
| Movie | Smoky | Jeff Nicks | 1966-08-03 |
| Movie | The Magnificent Stranger | Sheriff McVey | 1966-08-26 |
| Series | Tarzan | Unknown | 1966-09-08 |
| Series | The Monroes | Unknown | 1966-09-07 |
| Movie | The Hallelujah Trail | Chief Five Barrels | 1965-06-23 |
| Series | The Legend of Jesse James | Marshal Sam Corbett | 1965-09-13 |
| Series | Daniel Boone | Unknown | 1964-09-24 |
| Movie | Shock Treatment | Technician Mike Newton (as Robert Wilke) | 1964-07-22 |
| Movie | Fate Is the Hunter | Stillman | 1964-10-16 |
| Series | The Dakotas | Unknown | 1963-01-07 |
| Movie | The Gun Hawk | Johnny Flanders | 1963-08-28 |
| Series | The Greatest Show on Earth | Unknown | 1963-09-17 |
| Series | The Fugitive | Unknown | 1963-09-17 |
| Series | The Beachcomber | Unknown | 1962-02-20 |
| Series | The Virginian | Unknown | 1962-09-19 |
| Series | Sam Benedict | Unknown | 1962-09-15 |
| Movie | The Long Rope | Ben Matthews | 1961-03-26 |
| Series | Target: The Corruptors! | Unknown | 1961-09-29 |
| Series | The Tall Man | Unknown | 1960-09-10 |
| Series | Outlaws | Unknown | 1960-09-26 |
| Movie | The Slowest Gun in the West | Billy the Kid Blake | 1960-05-07 |
| Movie | Spartacus | Guard captain | 1960-10-13 |
| Movie | The Magnificent Seven | Wallace | 1960-10-12 |
| Series | Riverboat | Unknown | 1959-09-13 |
| Movie | Never Steal Anything Small | Lennie | 1959-02-11 |
| Series | Rawhide | Unknown | 1959-01-09 |
| Series | Wichita Town | Unknown | 1959-09-30 |
| Series | Laramie | Unknown | 1959-09-15 |
| Series | Bourbon Street Beat | Unknown | 1959-10-05 |
| Series | The Third Man | Unknown | 1959-10-02 |
| Series | Adventures in Paradise | Unknown | 1959-10-05 |
| Series | Law of the Plainsman | Unknown | 1959-10-01 |
| Series | Bronco | Unknown | 1958-09-23 |
| Series | Peter Gunn | Unknown | 1958-09-22 |
| Movie | Return to Warbow | Red | 1958-01-15 |
| Series | The Texan | Unknown | 1958-09-29 |
| Series | Wanted: Dead or Alive | Unknown | 1958-09-06 |
| Series | Bat Masterson | Unknown | 1958-10-08 |
| Series | 77 Sunset Strip | Unknown | 1958-10-10 |
| Series | The Rifleman | Unknown | 1958-09-30 |
| Series | Lawman | Unknown | 1958-10-05 |
| Movie | Man of the West | Ponch | 1958-10-01 |
| Series | Have Gun, Will Travel | Unknown | 1957-09-14 |
| Movie | Night Passage | Concho | 1957-07-24 |
| Series | The Thin Man | Unknown | 1957-09-20 |
| Movie | Hot Summer Night | Tom Ellis (as Robert Wilke) | 1957-02-15 |
| Series | Zorro | Unknown | 1957-10-10 |
| Series | Perry Mason | Unknown | 1957-09-21 |
| Series | The Walter Winchell File | Unknown | 1957-10-02 |
| Movie | The Tarnished Angels | Hank | 1957-11-21 |
| Series | Maverick | Unknown | 1957-09-22 |
| Movie | Backlash | Jeff Welker | 1956-03-14 |
| Movie | The Lone Ranger | Cassidy | 1956-02-25 |
| Movie | The Rawhide Years | Neal (as Robert Wilke) | 1956-07-01 |
| Movie | Raw Edge | Sile Doty | 1956-03-24 |
| Movie | Canyon River | Joe Graycoe | 1956-08-04 |
| Movie | Written on the Wind | Dan Willis | 1956-10-04 |
| Movie | Gun the Man Down | Matt Rankin | 1956-11-15 |
| Series | The Adventures of Jim Bowie | Unknown | 1956-09-07 |
| Movie | Strange Lady in Town | Karg | 1955-04-12 |
| Movie | Smoke Signal | Daly | 1955-03-01 |
| Movie | Shotgun | Bentley (as Robert Wilke) | 1955-04-23 |
| Series | Gunsmoke | Unknown | 1955-09-10 |
| Movie | Wichita | Ben Thompson | 1955-07-03 |
| Series | Cheyenne | Unknown | 1955-09-20 |
| Movie | The Far Country | Madden | 1954-02-12 |
| Movie | The Lone Gun | Hort Moran (as Robert Wilke) | 1954-04-25 |
| Movie | 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea | First Mate of the Nautilus | 1954-12-23 |
| Movie | Two Guns and a Badge | Moore - Outlaw | 1954-09-11 |
| Series | Lassie | Unknown | 1954-09-12 |
| Movie | Cow Country | Sledge | 1953-04-25 |
| Movie | Arrowhead | Sgt. Stone | 1953-08-03 |
| Movie | Powder River | Will Horn (as Bob Wilke) | 1953-06-17 |
| Movie | War Paint | Trooper Grady | 1953-08-28 |
| Movie | From Here to Eternity | Sgt. Henderson (uncredited) | 1953-08-28 |
| Movie | Hellgate | Sgt. Maj. Kearn | 1952-09-04 |
| Movie | High Noon | Jim Pierce | 1952-06-09 |
| Movie | The Las Vegas Story | Clayton (as Robert Wilke) | 1952-01-30 |
| Movie | Cattle Town | Keeno | 1952-09-06 |
| Movie | Road Agent | Slab Babcock | 1952-03-29 |
| Series | Adventures of Superman | Unknown | 1952-09-19 |
| Movie | The Maverick | Massey | 1952-12-14 |
| Movie | Fargo | Link - Henchman | 1952-09-07 |
| Movie | Wyoming Roundup | Wyatt - Henchman | 1952-11-09 |
| Series | Cavalcade of America | Unknown | 1952-10-01 |
| Movie | Best of the Badmen | Jim Younger | 1951-08-09 |
| Movie | Gunplay | Henchman Winslow | 1951-07-23 |
| Movie | Saddle Legion | Henchman Hooker | 1951-04-07 |
| Movie | Vengeance Valley | Cowhand (uncredited) | 1951-02-14 |
| Movie | Pistol Harvest | Andy Baylor | 1951-08-30 |
| Movie | Cyclone Fury | Henchman Bunco (as Bob Wilke) | 1951-08-14 |
| Movie | Overland Telegraph | Bellew - Henchman (as Robert Wilke) | 1951-12-15 |
| Series | Schlitz Playhouse of Stars | Unknown | 1951-10-05 |
| Movie | Hot Lead | Stoney Dawson | 1951-09-30 |
| Movie | Mule Train | Bradshaw - Henchman (uncredited) | 1950-02-22 |
| Movie | Outcasts of Black Mesa | Curt - Henchman (as Bob Wilke) | 1950-04-13 |
| Movie | Across the Badlands | Duke Jackson / Keno Jackson (as Bob Wilke) | 1950-09-14 |
| Movie | Frontier Outpost | Krag Benson | 1950-12-29 |
| Movie | The Desert Hawk | Camel Driver | 1950-08-05 |
| Movie | Laramie | Cronin (uncredited) | 1949-05-19 |
| Movie | The Wyoming Bandit | Sam | 1949-07-15 |
| Movie | The Blonde Bandit | Police Det. Walker | 1949-12-22 |
| Movie | Flaming Fury | 1949-07-28 | |
| Movie | Coyote Canyon | Deputy Sheriff Ed (as Bob Wilkie) | 1949-11-17 |
| Movie | Carson City Raiders | Ed Noble | 1948-05-13 |
| Movie | Daredevils of the Clouds | Joe | 1948-07-26 |
| Movie | Homicide for Three | Policeman | 1948-12-08 |
| Movie | Buck Privates Come Home | GI Buddy (uncredited) | 1947-04-04 |
| Movie | Twilight on the Rio Grande | Henchman | 1947-03-31 |
| Movie | Law of the Canyon | Knife-Throwing Henchman (uncredited) | 1947-04-23 |
| Movie | Web of Danger | Station Wagon Driver | 1947-06-10 |
| Movie | The Ghost Goes Wild | Burglar | 1947-08-08 |
| Movie | Blackmail | Policeman | 1947-07-24 |
| Movie | Badman's Territory | Deputy Marshal (uncredited) | 1946-05-04 |
| Movie | The Catman of Paris | The Catman (uncredited) | 1946-04-20 |
| Movie | Traffic in Crime | Hogan's Driver | 1946-06-28 |
| Movie | Passkey to Danger | Police Sergeant | 1946-05-11 |
| Movie | The Inner Circle | Police Officer Cummings (as Bob Wilke) | 1946-08-07 |
| Movie | White Tie and Tails | Starter (uncredited) | 1946-08-30 |
| Movie | Rendezvous with Annie | MP (uncredited) | 1946-07-22 |
| Movie | Lone Texas Ranger | Henchman (uncredited) | 1945-05-20 |
| Movie | Corpus Christi Bandits | Henchman Steve | 1945-04-20 |
| Movie | Sheriff of Cimarron | Henchman Dobie | 1945-02-28 |
| Movie | Santa Fe Saddlemates | Rawhide | 1945-06-01 |
| Movie | Earl Carroll Vanities | Cab Driver | 1945-04-05 |
| Movie | Bandits of the Badlands | Keller | 1945-09-14 |
| Movie | Sunset in El Dorado | Curley Roberts | 1945-09-29 |
| Movie | Rough Riders of Cheyenne | Smoke - Henchman (as Bob Wilke) | 1945-10-31 |
| Movie | Hitchhike to Happiness | Stage Hand (uncredited) | 1945-07-16 |
| Movie | Trail of Kit Carson | Dave MacRoy (as Bob Wilke) | 1945-07-11 |
| Movie | Call of the Rockies | Deputy Jim | 1944-07-14 |
| Movie | Cowboy and the Senorita | Townsman (uncredited) | 1944-05-13 |
| Movie | The Fighting Seabees | Arriving Construction Worker (uncredited) | 1944-01-27 |
| Movie | Bordertown Trail | Henchman | 1944-08-11 |
| Movie | Hidden Valley Outlaws | Rancher (uncredited) | 1944-04-01 |
| Movie | Vigilantes of Dodge City | Bill | 1944-11-15 |
| Movie | San Antonio Kid | Henchman | 1944-08-16 |
| Movie | Sheriff of Sundown | Bradley - Henchman (as Bob Wilke) | 1944-11-07 |
| Movie | Faces in the Fog | Photographer | 1944-11-30 |
| Movie | Code of the Prairie | 1944-10-06 | |
| Movie | Whispering Footsteps | Bank Customer | 1943-12-30 |
| Movie | Sierra Sue | Carnival Spectator (uncredited) | 1941-11-12 |
| Movie | Dick Tracy vs. Crime Inc. | Cutter Helmsman | 1941-12-27 |
| Movie | In Old Missouri | Hillbilly | 1940-04-17 |
| Movie | Grand Ole Opry | Hillbilly (uncredited) | 1940-06-25 |
| Movie | Adventures of Red Ryder | Henchman | 1940-06-28 |
| Movie | Star Reporter | Reporter | 1939-02-22 |
| Movie | S.O.S Tidal Wave | Man in TV Studio | 1939-06-02 |
| Movie | In Old Monterey | Man on Wagon | 1939-08-14 |
| Movie | Daredevils of the Red Circle | G-Man | 1939-06-10 |
| Movie | The Fighting Devil Dogs | Marine in Shanghai (uncredited) | 1938-05-27 |
| Movie | That Man's Here Again | (uncredited) | 1937-04-16 |
| Movie | San Quentin | Young Convict in Yard (uncredited) | 1937-05-24 |