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

• 1981Stripes — Gen. Barnicke
• 1979The Sweet Creek County War
• Dallas — Tom Owens
• 1978Days of Heaven — The Farm Foreman
• 1978Wild and Wooly — Demas Scott
• How the West Was Won — Appleton
• Starsky & Hutch — Mac Johnson
• Run, Joe, Run
• 1973Santee — Deaks (as Robert Wilke)
• 1973The Boy Who Cried Werewolf — The Sheriff
• Kung Fu — Sgt. Bridger
• 1972The Rookies — Officer Shaw
• 1971A Gunfight — Marshal Tom Cater
• 1971The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler — Hugh Fielding
• 1971They Call It Murder — Sheriff Rex Brandon
• 1970The Cheyenne Social Club — Corey Bannister
• 1969The Desperate Mission — Gant
• Lancer
• The Outcasts
• Cimarron Strip — Hardy Miller
• Rango
• The Guns of Will Sonnett — Sheriff Dan Butler, Tom Judd
• 1967Tony Rome — Ralph Turpin
• 1966Smoky — Jeff Nicks
• Tarzan — Spooner
• 1966The Magnificent Stranger — Sheriff McVey
• The Monroes
• 1965The Hallelujah Trail — Chief Five Barrels
• The Legend of Jesse James — Marshal Sam Corbett
• The Wild Wild West — Maj. Gen. Titus Ord Baldwin
• Daniel Boone — Toff, Jake Manning, Fryman
• 1964Fate Is the Hunter — Stillman
• 1964Shock Treatment — Technician Mike Newton (as Robert Wilke)
• The Dakotas
• The Fugitive — Johnny
• The Greatest Show on Earth — Lou Sirotta
• 1963The Gun Hawk — Johnny Flanders
• Sam Benedict — Lt. Mike Radich
• The Beachcomber — Bill Winters, Jason Despol
• The Lucy Show — Tom Carter
• The Virginian — Conrad, Colton
• Target: The Corruptors!
• 1961The Long Rope — Ben Matthews
• My Three Sons — Danny Donnigan
• Outlaws
• 1960Spartacus — Guard captain
• Stagecoach West — Taylor Norman
• 1960The Magnificent Seven — Wallace
• 1960The Slowest Gun in the West — Billy the Kid Blake
• The Tall Man — Marshal Ben Hartley
• The Westerner — Murdo
• Adventures in Paradise — Riker
• Bonanza — Charlie Sheppard, Al Simmons, Sheriff Claude T. Booker, Brazos, Marshal Hollister
• Bourbon Street Beat
• Laramie
• Law of the Plainsman — Amos Cameron
• 1959Never Steal Anything Small — Lennie
• Rawhide — Sheriff McVey, Tom Galt, Lafe Thomas
• Riverboat — Bolesy, Red Dog Hanlon
• The Deputy — Ace Gentry
• The Third Man — Vince Gabriel
• The Untouchables — George 'Bugs' Moran, Dutch Schultz
• Wichita Town
• 77 Sunset Strip — Vern Reece
• Bat Masterson — Bull Kirby, Rod Clements
• Bronco
• Lawman — Marshal Tom Haddon, Fallon - Bounty Hunter, Lal Hoard
• 1958Man of the West — Ponch
• Peter Gunn
• 1958Return to Warbow — Red
• The Rifleman — Flory Sheltin, Ward Haskins
• The Texan — Marshal Bart Pennock, Sheriff Tip Latta, Pete Torrey, Asa Kirby
• Wanted: Dead or Alive — Virgil, Ben Hooker, Jack Radovitch
• Have Gun, Will Travel — Will Tybee, Casey Bryan, Walt DeVries, Trail Boss Rook, Maj. Blake
• 1957Hot Summer Night — Tom Ellis (as Robert Wilke)
• Maverick — McCabe, Diamond Dan Malone
• 1957Night Passage — Concho
• Perry Mason — Deputy Sheriff Connors
• 1957The Tarnished Angels — Hank
• The Thin Man
• The Walter Winchell File — Fisher
• Tombstone Territory — Burt Foster, Jess Caulfield
• Wagon Train — Sgt. Wick, Wesley Thomas, Col. Thomas Stone, Jabez Moore
• Zorro — Capt. Salvador Mendoza
• 1956Backlash — Jeff Welker
• 1956Canyon River — Joe Graycoe
• 1956Gun the Man Down — Matt Rankin
• 1956Raw Edge — Sile Doty
• The Adventures of Jim Bowie
• 1956The Lone Ranger — Cassidy
• 1956The Rawhide Years — Neal (as Robert Wilke)
• 1956Written on the Wind — Dan Willis
• Cheyenne — Bob Manson, Jed Begert, Kelso Prather, Ben Creed, Carl Banner
• Gunsmoke — Hickock, Tom, Pegger, Pitt, Ab Rankin, Kelby, Luke Cumberledge
• Screen Director's Playhouse — Zecca
• 1955Shotgun — Bentley (as Robert Wilke)
• 1955Smoke Signal — Daly
• 1955Strange Lady in Town — Karg
• 1955Wichita — Ben Thompson
• 195420,000 Leagues Under the Sea — First Mate of the Nautilus
• Lassie — Mr. Corey
• 1954The Far Country — Madden
• 1954The Lone Gun — Hort Moran (as Robert Wilke)
• The Wonderful World of Disney — Jed - Outlaw, Ben Tilton
• 1954Two Guns and a Badge — Moore - Outlaw
• 1953Arrowhead — Sgt. Stone
• 1953Cow Country — Sledge
• 1953From Here to Eternity — Sgt. Henderson (uncredited)
• 1953War Paint — Trooper Grady
• Adventures of Superman — Bingham
• 1952Cattle Town — Keeno
• Cavalcade of America
• 1952Fargo — Link - Henchman
• Four Star Playhouse — George, Ben Crane
• 1952Hellgate — Sgt. Maj. Kearn
• 1952High Noon — Jim Pierce
• 1952Road Agent — Slab Babcock
• The Abbott and Costello Show — Mike Brodie
• 1952The Las Vegas Story — Clayton (as Robert Wilke)
• 1952The Maverick — Massey
• 1952Wyoming Roundup — Wyatt - Henchman
• 1951Best of the Badmen — Jim Younger
• Boston Blackie — Edgar
• 1951Cyclone Fury — Henchman Bunco (as Bob Wilke)
• 1951Gunplay — Henchman Winslow
• 1951Hot Lead — Stoney Dawson
• 1951Overland Telegraph — Bellew - Henchman (as Robert Wilke)
• 1951Pistol Harvest — Andy Baylor
• 1951Saddle Legion — Henchman Hooker
• Schlitz Playhouse of Stars — Red Fischer, Whitey
• 1951Vengeance Valley — Cowhand (uncredited)
• 1950Across the Badlands — Duke Jackson / Keno Jackson (as Bob Wilke)
• 1950Frontier Outpost — Krag Benson
• 1950Mule Train — Bradshaw - Henchman (uncredited)
• 1950Outcasts of Black Mesa — Curt - Henchman (as Bob Wilke)
• The Cisco Kid — Henchman Vic, Judd Storme, Barney
• 1950The Desert Hawk — Camel Driver
• The Gene Autry Show — Henchman Cody, Charlie Bolton, Monte - Henchman, Henchman in Plaid Shirt
• 1949Coyote Canyon — Deputy Sheriff Ed (as Bob Wilkie)
• 1949Flaming Fury
• 1949Laramie — Cronin (uncredited)
• 1949The Blonde Bandit — Police Det. Walker
• The Lone Ranger — Henchman (uncredited)
• 1949The Wyoming Bandit — Sam
• 1948Carson City Raiders — Ed Noble
• 1948Daredevils of the Clouds — Joe
• 1948Homicide for Three — Policeman
• 1947Blackmail — Policeman
• 1947Buck Privates Come Home — GI Buddy (uncredited)
• 1947Law of the Canyon — Knife-Throwing Henchman (uncredited)
• 1947The Ghost Goes Wild — Burglar
• 1947Twilight on the Rio Grande — Henchman
• 1947Web of Danger — Station Wagon Driver
• 1946Badman's Territory — Deputy Marshal (uncredited)
• 1946Passkey to Danger — Police Sergeant
• 1946Rendezvous with Annie — MP (uncredited)
• 1946The Catman of Paris — The Catman (uncredited)
• 1946The Inner Circle — Police Officer Cummings (as Bob Wilke)
• 1946Traffic in Crime — Hogan's Driver
• 1946White Tie and Tails — Starter (uncredited)
• 1945Bandits of the Badlands — Keller
• 1945Corpus Christi Bandits — Henchman Steve
• 1945Earl Carroll Vanities — Cab Driver
• 1945Hitchhike to Happiness — Stage Hand (uncredited)
• 1945Lone Texas Ranger — Henchman (uncredited)
• 1945Rough Riders of Cheyenne — Smoke - Henchman (as Bob Wilke)
• 1945Santa Fe Saddlemates — Rawhide
• 1945Sheriff of Cimarron — Henchman Dobie
• 1945Sunset in El Dorado — Curley Roberts
• 1945Trail of Kit Carson — Dave MacRoy (as Bob Wilke)
• 1944Bordertown Trail — Henchman
• 1944Call of the Rockies — Deputy Jim
• 1944Code of the Prairie
• 1944Cowboy and the Senorita — Townsman (uncredited)
• 1944Faces in the Fog — Photographer
• 1944Hidden Valley Outlaws — Rancher (uncredited)
• 1944San Antonio Kid — Henchman
• 1944Sheriff of Sundown — Bradley - Henchman (as Bob Wilke)
• 1944The Fighting Seabees — Arriving Construction Worker (uncredited)
• 1944Vigilantes of Dodge City — Bill
• 1943Whispering Footsteps — Bank Customer
• 1941Dick Tracy vs. Crime Inc. — Cutter Helmsman
• 1941Sierra Sue — Carnival Spectator (uncredited)
• 1940Adventures of Red Ryder — Henchman
• 1940Grand Ole Opry — Hillbilly (uncredited)
• 1940In Old Missouri — Hillbilly
• 1939Daredevils of the Red Circle — G-Man
• 1939In Old Monterey — Man on Wagon
• 1939S.O.S Tidal Wave — Man in TV Studio
• 1939Star Reporter — Reporter
• 1938The Fighting Devil Dogs — Marine in Shanghai (uncredited)
• 1937San Quentin — Young Convict in Yard (uncredited)
• 1937That Man's Here Again — (uncredited)

Appearances as themselves (1)

• 1987James Stewart: A Wonderful Life — Self (archive footage)