Person Details

Birthday: 1914-05-18 13:26:16

Death: 1989-03-28 13:26:16

Aliases: Bob Wilke , Robert Wilke

Gender: Male

Place of birth: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Homepage:

Movie Involvements: 103

TV Involvements: 44


Most Famous Work

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. -

Most Famous Work

Bonanza
Average
8

Bonanza

(1959) Sheriff Claude T. Booker
Perry Mason
Average
8

Perry Mason

(1957) Deputy Sheriff Connors
Wanted: Dead or Alive
Average
7

Wanted: Dead or Alive

(1958) Ben Hooker
The Virginian
Average
6

The Virginian

(1962) Colton
Dallas
Average
7

Dallas

(1978) Tom Owens
Rawhide
Average
7

Rawhide

(1959) Lafe Thomas
The Magnificent Seven
Average
8

The Magnificent Seven

(1960) Wallace
The Fugitive
Average
7

The Fugitive

(1963) Johnny

Acting

Year Character Movie/Tv
1988 Self (archive footage)
1981 Gen. Barnicke
1979 N/A
1978 The Farm Foreman
Tom Owens
Demas Scott
1974 N/A
1973 Deaks (as Robert Wilke
The Sheriff
1972 N/A
Officer Shaw
1971 Sheriff Rex Brandon
Hugh Fielding
Marshal Tom Cater
1970 Corey Bannister
1969 Gant
1968 N/A
N/A
1967 Ralph Turpin
N/A
N/A
N/A
1966 Spooner
N/A
Sheriff McVey
Jeff Nicks
1965 Marshal Sam Corbett
Chief Five Barrels
1964 Stillman
Fryman
Toff
Jake Manning
Technician Mike Newton (as Robert Wilke)
1963 N/A
Johnny
Johnny Flanders
N/A
1962 Colton
Conrad
N/A
Jason Despol
Bill Winters
1961 N/A
Ben Matthews
1960 Guard captain
Wallace
Taylor Norman
Murdo
N/A
N/A
Billy the Kid Blake
1959 N/A
Riker
N/A
Amos Cameron
N/A
N/A
Bolesy
Red Dog Hanlon
Sheriff Claude T. Booker
Lennie
Sheriff McVey
Tom Galt
Lafe Thomas
1958 N/A
Bull Kirby
Rod Clements
Marshal Tom Haddon
N/A
N/A
N/A
Marshal Bart Pennock
N/A
N/A
Virgil
Ben Hooker
Jack Radovitch
Ponch
Red
1957 Hank
Burt Foster
N/A
N/A
McCabe
Deputy Sheriff Connors
N/A
N/A
Concho
Tom Ellis (as Robert Wilke)
1956 Matt Rankin
Dan Willis
N/A
Joe Graycoe
Neal (as Robert Wilke)
Sile Doty
Jeff Welker
Cassidy
1955 Bob Manson
Jed Begert
Kelso Prather
Ben Creed
Carl Banner
Tom
Ab Rankin
Pegger
Hickock
Luke Cumberledge
Kelby
Pitt
Ben Thompson
Bentley (as Robert Wilke)
Karg
First Sergeant Daly (as Robert Wilke)
1954 First Mate of the Nautilus
Jed - Outlaw
N/A
Moore - Outlaw
Hort Moran (as Robert Wilke)
Madden
1953 Trooper Grady
Sgt. Stone
Sledge
1952 Massey
Wyatt - Henchman
N/A
Ben Crane
George
N/A
Link - Henchman
Keeno
Sgt. Maj. Kearn
Jim Pierce
Slab Babcock
Clayton (as Robert Wilke)
1951 Bellew - Henchman (as Robert Wilke)
Red Fischer
N/A
Stoney Dawson (as Robert Wilke)
Andy Baylor
Henchman Bunco (as Bob Wilke)
Jim Younger
Henchman Winslow
Henchman Hooker
1950 Krag Benson
Duke Jackson / Keno Jackson (as Bob Wilke)
Camel Driver
Henchman Cody
Henchman in Plaid Shirt
Charlie Bolton
Curt - Henchman (as Bob Wilke)
1949 Deputy Sheriff Ed (as Bob Wilkie)
Henchman (uncredited)
N/A
Sam - Henchman (as Bob Wilke)
Cronin (uncredited)
1948 Policeman
Joe
Ed Noble (as Bob Wilke)
1947 Burglar
Policeman
Station Wagon Driver
Knife-Throwing Henchman (uncredited)
GI Buddy (uncredited)
Henchman
1946 Starter (uncredited)
Police Officer Cummings (as Bob Wilke)
MP (uncredited)
Hogan's Driver
Police Sergeant
Deputy Marshal (uncredited)
The Catman
1945 Smoke - Henchman (as Bob Wilke)
Curley Roberts
Keller
Stage Hand (uncredited)
Dave MacRoy (as Bob Wilke)
Rawhide
Henchman Steve
Cab Driver
Henchman Dobie
1944 Photographer
Bill
Bradley - Henchman (as Bob Wilke)
N/A
Henchman (as Bob Wilke)
Henchman
Deputy Jim
Townsman (uncredited)
Rancher (uncredited)
Arriving Construction Worker (uncredited)
1943 Bank Customer
1941 Cutter Helmsman
Carnival Spectator (uncredited)
1940 Henchman
Hillbilly (uncredited)
Hillbilly
1939 Man on Wagon
G-Man
Man in TV Studio
Reporter
1938 Marine in Shanghai (uncredited)
1937 Young Convict in Yard (uncredited)
(uncredited)
Year Character Movie/Tv

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