John Dierkes
Dierkes was born on February 10, 1905 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He attended Brown University and subsequently went to work as an economist for the United States Department of State. In 1941 he joined the Red Cross and served in the Britain duringWorld War II. There he met director John Huston who recommended that he try Hollywood after the war. Instead, Dierkes went to work for the U.S. Treasury Department which coincidentally sent him to Hollywood to function as technical advisor for the film To the Ends of the Earth (1948). Because of his appearance and very tall frame (6 feet, 6 inches), Dierkes enjoyed a long career as a character actor, often portraying villains or soldiers. In the 1953 film Shane, Dierkes portrays villain Morgan Ryker, who is the last man shot by the title character, Shane, in the final bar room shootout. One of his more memorable scenes is in the 1960 film, The Alamo. Dierkes portrays a Tennessean named Jocko, who is torn between leaving before the attack to care for his blind wife, or staying to support the Texans' cause. Understanding that if Jocko stays to fight she will likely be widowed, Jocko's wife coaxes him to stay and defend the fort, despite her disability. Dierkes died in 1975 of emphesyma and was survived by his wife Cynthia, two sons, and two daughters.
Acted in
John Wayne's 'The Alamo'
1992
as Jocko Robertson
Creepy Classics
1987
as Roderick Craven - (archive footage)
Rage
1972
as Bill Parker
The Omega Man
1971
as Family Member
Johnny Cool
1963
as Cripple
The Haunted Palace
1963
as Benjamin West / Jacob West
X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
1963
as Preacher (uncredited)
The Raven
1963
as Roderick Craven
Convicts 4
1962
as Cell Block Guard (uncredited)
The Premature Burial
1962
as Sweeny
The Comancheros
1961
as Ranger Bill Larsen (uncredited)
One-Eyed Jacks
1961
as Chet
The Alamo
1960
as Jocko Robertson
The Aquanauts
1960
as Inspector Crail
The Slowest Gun in the West
1960
as 'Wild Bill' Monks
The Oregon Trail
1959
as Gabe Hastings
The Hanging Tree
1959
as Society Red
Rawhide
1959
as Private
Rawhide
1959
as Martinson
The Buccaneer
1958
as Deacon
The Rifleman
1958
Peter Gunn
1958
Wanted: Dead or Alive
1958
as Charlie
The Left Handed Gun
1958
as McSween
Blood Arrow
1958
as Ez
Touch of Evil
1958
as Policeman (uncredited)
Death in Small Doses
1957
Valerie
1957
as Bartender
The Buckskin Lady
1957
as Swanson
Daughter of Dr. Jekyll
1957
as Jacob
The Guns of Fort Petticoat
1957
as Texas Storekeeper (uncredited)
Tales of Wells Fargo
1957
as Scanlon
Duel at Apache Wells
1957
as Bill Sowers
Friendly Persuasion
1956
as Farmer (uncredited)
State Trooper
1956
The Fastest Gun Alive
1956
as Cross Creek Townsman (uncredited)
Telephone Time
1956
Jubal
1956
as Carson - Horgan Rider
The Vanishing American
1955
as Freil
Gunsmoke
1955
as Rydell
Gunsmoke
1955
as Ace
Gunsmoke
1955
as Indian
Gunsmoke
1955
as Dahoma
Betrayed Women
1955
as Cletus Ballard
Not as a Stranger
1955
as Bursar
Hell's Outpost
1954
as Swede - the Cook (uncredited)
The Raid
1954
as Cpl. Fred Deane
Adventures Of The Falcon
1954
The Desperado
1954
as Police Sergeant
The Naked Jungle
1954
as Gruber
The Moonlighter
1953
as Sheriff Daws
Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
1953
as Batley
The Vanquished
1953
as General Morris
Shane
1953
as Morgan Ryker
Les Miserables
1952
as Bosun (uncredited)
Silver City
1951
as Arnie
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
as Joe Bronson
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
as Dr. Belvedere
The Red Badge of Courage
1951
as Jim Conklin - the Tall Soldier
The Thing from Another World
1951
as Dr. Chapman
Three Husbands
1950
as Night Court Judge (uncredited)
Lux Video Theatre
1950
as Jeb Bricker
Macbeth
1948
as Ross