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. -
Acted in
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
1988
as Self (archive footage)
Stripes
1981
as Gen. Barnicke
The Sweet Creek County War
1979
Days of Heaven
1978
as The Farm Foreman
Dallas
1978
as Tom Owens
Wild and Wooly
1978
as Demas Scott
How the West Was Won
1977
as Appleton
Run, Joe, Run
1974
Santee
1973
as Deaks (as Robert Wilke
The Boy Who Cried Werewolf
1973
as The Sheriff
Kung Fu
1972
The Rookies
1972
as Officer Shaw
They Call It Murder
1971
as Sheriff Rex Brandon
The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler
1971
as Hugh Fielding
A Gunfight
1971
as Marshal Tom Cater
The Cheyenne Social Club
1970
as Corey Bannister
The Desperate Mission
1969
as Gant
Lancer
1968
The Outcasts
1968
Tony Rome
1967
as Ralph Turpin
The Guns of Will Sonnett
1967
Cimarron Strip
1967
Rango
1967
Tarzan
1966
as Spooner
The Monroes
1966
The Magnificent Stranger
1966
as Sheriff McVey
Smoky
1966
as Jeff Nicks
The Legend of Jesse James
1965
as Marshal Sam Corbett
The Hallelujah Trail
1965
as Chief Five Barrels
Fate Is the Hunter
1964
as Stillman
Daniel Boone
1964
as Toff
Daniel Boone
1964
as Jake Manning
Daniel Boone
1964
as Fryman
Shock Treatment
1964
as Technician Mike Newton (as Robert Wilke)
The Fugitive
1963
as Johnny
The Greatest Show on Earth
1963
The Gun Hawk
1963
as Johnny Flanders
The Dakotas
1963
The Lucy Show
1962
as Tom Carter
The Virginian
1962
as Conrad
The Virginian
1962
as Colton
Sam Benedict
1962
The Beachcomber
1962
as Bill Winters
The Beachcomber
1962
as Jason Despol
Target: The Corruptors!
1961
The Long Rope
1961
as Ben Matthews
Spartacus
1960
as Guard captain
The Magnificent Seven
1960
as Wallace
Stagecoach West
1960
as Taylor Norman
The Westerner
1960
as Murdo
Outlaws
1960
The Tall Man
1960
The Slowest Gun in the West
1960
as Billy the Kid Blake
The Untouchables
1959
as George 'Bugs' Moran
Bourbon Street Beat
1959
Adventures in Paradise
1959
as Riker
The Third Man
1959
Law of the Plainsman
1959
as Amos Cameron
Wichita Town
1959
Laramie
1959
Riverboat
1959
as Bolesy
Riverboat
1959
as Red Dog Hanlon
Bonanza
1959
as Sheriff Claude T. Booker
Bonanza
1959
as Charlie Sheppard
Bonanza
1959
as Al Simmons
The Deputy
1959
as Ace Gentry
Never Steal Anything Small
1959
as Lennie
Rawhide
1959
as Sheriff McVey
Rawhide
1959
as Tom Galt
Rawhide
1959
as Lafe Thomas
77 Sunset Strip
1958
as Vern Reece
Bat Masterson
1958
as Bull Kirby
Bat Masterson
1958
as Rod Clements
Lawman
1958
Lawman
1958
as Marshal Tom Haddon
The Rifleman
1958
The Texan
1958
The Texan
1958
as Marshal Bart Pennock
Bronco
1958
Peter Gunn
1958
Wanted: Dead or Alive
1958
as Virgil
Wanted: Dead or Alive
1958
as Jack Radovitch
Wanted: Dead or Alive
1958
as Ben Hooker
Man of the West
1958
as Ponch
Return to Warbow
1958
as Red
The Tarnished Angels
1957
as Hank
Tombstone Territory
1957
as Burt Foster
Tombstone Territory
1957
as Jess Caulfield
Zorro
1957
The Walter Winchell File
1957
Maverick
1957
as McCabe
Maverick
1957
as Diamond Dan Malone
Perry Mason
1957
as Deputy Sheriff Connors
The Thin Man
1957
Wagon Train
1957
as Sgt. Wick
Wagon Train
1957
as Wesley Thomas
Wagon Train
1957
as Col. Thomas Stone
Have Gun, Will Travel
1957
Have Gun, Will Travel
1957
as Will Tybee
Night Passage
1957
as Concho
Hot Summer Night
1957
as Tom Ellis (as Robert Wilke)
Gun the Man Down
1956
as Matt Rankin
Written on the Wind
1956
as Dan Willis
The Adventures of Jim Bowie
1956
Canyon River
1956
as Joe Graycoe
The Rawhide Years
1956
as Neal (as Robert Wilke)
Raw Edge
1956
as Sile Doty
Backlash
1956
as Jeff Welker
The Lone Ranger
1956
as Cassidy
Cheyenne
1955
as Bob Manson
Cheyenne
1955
as Jed Begert
Cheyenne
1955
as Kelso Prather
Cheyenne
1955
as Ben Creed
Cheyenne
1955
as Carl Banner
Gunsmoke
1955
as Hickock
Gunsmoke
1955
as Pegger
Gunsmoke
1955
as Tom
Gunsmoke
1955
as Pitt
Gunsmoke
1955
as Ab Rankin
Gunsmoke
1955
as Kelby
Gunsmoke
1955
as Luke Cumberledge
Wichita
1955
as Ben Thompson
Shotgun
1955
as Bentley (as Robert Wilke)
Strange Lady in Town
1955
as Karg
Smoke Signal
1955
as First Sergeant Daly (as Robert Wilke)
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
1954
as First Mate of the Nautilus
The Wonderful World of Disney
1954
as Jed - Outlaw
The Wonderful World of Disney
1954
as Ben Tilton
Lassie
1954
Two Guns and a Badge
1954
as Moore - Outlaw
The Lone Gun
1954
as Hort Moran (as Robert Wilke)
The Far Country
1954
as Madden
War Paint
1953
as Trooper Grady
From Here to Eternity
1953
as Sgt. Henderson (uncredited)
Arrowhead
1953
as Sgt. Stone
Cow Country
1953
as Sledge
The Maverick
1952
as Massey
The Abbott and Costello Show
1952
as Mike Brodie
Wyoming Roundup
1952
as Wyatt - Henchman
Cavalcade of America
1952
Four Star Playhouse
1952
as George
Four Star Playhouse
1952
as Ben Crane
Adventures of Superman
1952
Fargo
1952
as Link - Henchman
Cattle Town
1952
as Keeno
Hellgate
1952
as Sgt. Maj. Kearn
High Noon
1952
as Jim Pierce
Road Agent
1952
as Slab Babcock
The Las Vegas Story
1952
as Clayton (as Robert Wilke)
Overland Telegraph
1951
as Bellew - Henchman (as Robert Wilke)
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
as Red Fischer
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
Hot Lead
1951
as Stoney Dawson (as Robert Wilke)
Pistol Harvest
1951
as Andy Baylor
Cyclone Fury
1951
as Henchman Bunco (as Bob Wilke)
Best of the Badmen
1951
as Jim Younger
Gunplay
1951
as Henchman Winslow
Saddle Legion
1951
as Henchman Hooker
Frontier Outpost
1950
as Krag Benson
Across the Badlands
1950
as Duke Jackson / Keno Jackson (as Bob Wilke)
The Cisco Kid
1950
as Henchman Vic
The Cisco Kid
1950
as Barney
The Cisco Kid
1950
as Judd Storme
The Desert Hawk
1950
as Camel Driver
The Gene Autry Show
1950
as Henchman in Plaid Shirt
The Gene Autry Show
1950
as Charlie Bolton
The Gene Autry Show
1950
as Henchman Cody
The Gene Autry Show
1950
as Monte - Henchman
Outcasts of Black Mesa
1950
as Curt - Henchman (as Bob Wilke)
Coyote Canyon
1949
as Deputy Sheriff Ed (as Bob Wilkie)
The Lone Ranger
1949
as Henchman (uncredited)
Flaming Fury
1949
The Wyoming Bandit
1949
as Sam - Henchman (as Bob Wilke)
Laramie
1949
as Cronin (uncredited)
Homicide for Three
1948
as Policeman
Daredevils of the Clouds
1948
as Joe
Carson City Raiders
1948
as Ed Noble (as Bob Wilke)
The Ghost Goes Wild
1947
as Burglar
Blackmail
1947
as Policeman
Web of Danger
1947
as Station Wagon Driver
Law of the Canyon
1947
as Knife-Throwing Henchman (uncredited)
Buck Privates Come Home
1947
as GI Buddy (uncredited)
Twilight on the Rio Grande
1947
as Henchman
White Tie and Tails
1946
as Starter (uncredited)
The Inner Circle
1946
as Police Officer Cummings (as Bob Wilke)
Rendezvous with Annie
1946
as MP (uncredited)
Traffic in Crime
1946
as Hogan's Driver
Passkey to Danger
1946
as Police Sergeant
Badman's Territory
1946
as Deputy Marshal (uncredited)
The Catman of Paris
1946
as The Catman (uncredited)
Rough Riders of Cheyenne
1945
as Smoke - Henchman (as Bob Wilke)
Sunset in El Dorado
1945
as Curley Roberts
Bandits of the Badlands
1945
as Keller
Hitchhike to Happiness
1945
as Stage Hand (uncredited)
Trail of Kit Carson
1945
as Dave MacRoy (as Bob Wilke)
Santa Fe Saddlemates
1945
as Rawhide
Corpus Christi Bandits
1945
as Henchman Steve
Earl Carroll Vanities
1945
as Cab Driver
Sheriff of Cimarron
1945
as Henchman Dobie
Faces in the Fog
1944
as Photographer
Vigilantes of Dodge City
1944
as Bill
Sheriff of Sundown
1944
as Bradley - Henchman (as Bob Wilke)
Code of the Prairie
1944
San Antonio Kid
1944
as Henchman (as Bob Wilke)
Bordertown Trail
1944
as Henchman
Call of the Rockies
1944
as Deputy Jim
Cowboy and the Senorita
1944
as Townsman (uncredited)
Hidden Valley Outlaws
1944
as Rancher (uncredited)
The Fighting Seabees
1944
as Arriving Construction Worker (uncredited)
Whispering Footsteps
1943
as Bank Customer
Dick Tracy vs. Crime Inc.
1941
as Cutter Helmsman
Sierra Sue
1941
as Carnival Spectator (uncredited)
Adventures of Red Ryder
1940
as Henchman
Grand Ole Opry
1940
as Hillbilly (uncredited)
In Old Missouri
1940
as Hillbilly
In Old Monterey
1939
as Man on Wagon
Daredevils of the Red Circle
1939
as G-Man
S.O.S Tidal Wave
1939
as Man in TV Studio
Star Reporter
1939
as Reporter
The Fighting Devil Dogs
1938
as Marine in Shanghai (uncredited)
San Quentin
1937
as Young Convict in Yard (uncredited)
That Man's Here Again
1937
as (uncredited)