Robert J. Wilke

Robert J. Wilke

1914-05-18

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. -

Also appears in

Spartacus

Spartacus

7.5

The Magnificent Seven

The Magnificent Seven

7.5

Stripes

Stripes

6.5

High Noon

High Noon

7.7

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

7.0

Fate Is the Hunter

Fate Is the Hunter

6.4

Days of Heaven

Days of Heaven

7.5

From Here to Eternity

From Here to Eternity

7.3

The Tarnished Angels

The Tarnished Angels

6.6

Wichita

Wichita

6.2

Man of the West

Man of the West

6.6

The Hallelujah Trail

The Hallelujah Trail

6.0

The Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger

6.1

Written on the Wind

Written on the Wind

6.9

The Far Country

The Far Country

6.9

The Cheyenne Social Club

The Cheyenne Social Club

6.4

Vengeance Valley

Vengeance Valley

5.3

Tony Rome

Tony Rome

6.3

The Desert Hawk

The Desert Hawk

5.1

Night Passage

Night Passage

6.3