Robert J. Wilke
AKA: Bob Wilke
Birthday: 1914-05-18
Died: 1989-03-28
Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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. -
Filmography
Character: First Mate of the Nautilus
Character: Clayton (as Robert Wilke)
Character: Townsman (uncredited)
Character: Police Officer Cummings (as Bob Wilke)
Character: Marshal Tom Cater
Character: Deaks (as Robert Wilke
Character: Tom Ellis (as Robert Wilke)
Character: Henchman (as Bob Wilke)
Character: Sgt. Maj. Kearn
Character: Billy the Kid Blake
Character: Henchman Dobie
Character: Henchman Steve
Character: Sheriff Rex Brandon
Character: Carnival Spectator (uncredited)
Character: The Farm Foreman
Character: Henchman Hooker
Character: Henchman Winslow
Character: Stoney Dawson (as Robert Wilke)
Character: Henchman Bunco (as Bob Wilke)
Character: Corey Bannister
Character: Cutter Helmsman
Character: Wyatt - Henchman
Character: Station Wagon Driver
Character: Police Sergeant
Character: Hogan's Driver
Character: Arriving Construction Worker (uncredited)
Character: Duke Jackson / Keno Jackson (as Bob Wilke)
Character: Curt - Henchman (as Bob Wilke)
Character: Deputy Sheriff Ed (as Bob Wilkie)
Character: Sam - Henchman (as Bob Wilke)
Character: Bellew - Henchman (as Robert Wilke)
Character: Hillbilly (uncredited)
Character: Link - Henchman
Character: Chief Five Barrels
Character: Knife-Throwing Henchman (uncredited)
Character: Bradley - Henchman (as Bob Wilke)
Character: Smoke - Henchman (as Bob Wilke)
Character: Dave MacRoy (as Bob Wilke)
Character: Curley Roberts
Character: Ed Noble (as Bob Wilke)
Character: Neal (as Robert Wilke)
Character: Moore - Outlaw
Character: Hort Moran (as Robert Wilke)
Character: Bentley (as Robert Wilke)
Character: Johnny Flanders
Character: Man in TV Studio
Character: MP (uncredited)
Character: Self (archive footage)
Character: Deputy Marshal (uncredited)
Character: GI Buddy (uncredited)
Character: Starter (uncredited)
Character: Technician Mike Newton (as Robert Wilke)
Character: Cronin (uncredited)
Character: Stage Hand (uncredited)
Character: Rancher (uncredited)
Character: First Sergeant Daly (as Robert Wilke)
Character: Marine in Shanghai (uncredited)
Character: Young Convict in Yard (uncredited)
Character: Sgt. Henderson (uncredited)