Actor · Acting

James Burke

Born 1886-09-23

Died 1968-05-23

📍 New York City, New York, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

James Burke (September 24, 1886 – May 23, 1968) was an American film and television actor born in New York City. He made his stage debut in New York around 1912 and went to Hollywood in 1933. He made over 200 film appearances during his career, which ranged from 1932 to 1964; he was more often than not cast as a cop, usually a none-too-bright one, most notably as Sgt. Velie in Columbia's Ellery Queen mysteries in the early 1940s. He appeared in The Maltese Falcon, At the Circus, Lone Star, and many others. One of his best roles was as Charles Ruggles' rowdy rancher pal in Ruggles of Red Gap.

In the early 1950s, Burke appeared with Tom Conway in the ABC detective drama series then called Inspector Mark Saber -- Homicide Detective, later renamed, reformatted, and switched to NBC under the title Saber of London. From 1960-1961, Burke appeared in the role of Zeke Bonner in seven episodes of the ABC western television series Stagecoach West, starring Wayne Rogers, Robert Bray, and Richard Eyer.

Burke suffered from a heart condition, which took his life at the age of eighty-one.

Filmography 171

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

as Self (archive footage)

Stagecoach West

Stagecoach West

The DuPont Show with June Allyson

Alias Jesse James

as Charlie (uncredited)

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

Wanted: Dead or Alive

as Sheriff John Tatum

Wanted: Dead or Alive

as Sheriff M. Comstock

Wanted: Dead or Alive

as Sheriff Blore

The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour

as Horse Handler (uncredited)

The Unholy Wife

as Sheriff Tom Watling

Public Pigeon No. 1

The 20th Century Fox Hour

as Luther Kilgore

Toughest Man in Arizona

We're Not Married!

as Willie's Sergeant (uncredited)

My Little Margie

Denver and Rio Grande

as Sheriff Ed Johnson

Here Comes the Groom

as O'Neill, Policeman

His Kind of Woman

as Barkeeper in Nogales (uncredited)

The Last Outpost

as Stagecoach driver (uncredited)

Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone

as The Train Conductor

as George (uncredited)

Red, Hot and Blue

as Doorman (uncredited)

Alias Nick Beal

as Michael Rogan

as Sheriff Hamilton

as Jim, the Bartender (uncredited)

Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven

as Cop (uncredited)

The Timber Trail

as Arnold (uncredited)

Nightmare Alley

as Rural Marshal (uncredited)

Song of the Thin Man

as Policeman Callahan (uncredited)

The Gas House Kids in Hollywood

as Police Lt. Burke

as Detective Kelly

Philo Vance's Gamble

Easy Come, Easy Go

as Harry Weston

Two Years Before the Mast

Bowery Bombshell

as Detective O'Malley

as Andy Jones (uncredited)

as Motorcycle Cop (Uncredited)

How DOooo You Do

I Love a Bandleader

as Charles Gibley

The Horn Blows at Midnight

as Policeman (uncredited)

as O'Leary (uncredited)

as First Policeman (uncredited)

Thank Your Lucky Stars

as Bill, Intern Guard (uncredited)

as Riverboat Captain (uncredited)

No Place for a Lady

as Police Substation Chief Moriarty

A Night to Remember

as Pat Murphy (uncredited)

Enemy Agents Meet Ellery Queen

as Police Sergeant Velie

It Happened in Flatbush

as Umpire Shaunnessy

A Desperate Chance for Ellery Queen

My Favorite Blonde

as Union Secretary

A Close Call for Ellery Queen

All Through the Night

as Police Lt. Forbes

Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring

The Maltese Falcon

Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime

Million Dollar Baby

Reaching for the Sun

Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery

Ellery Queen, Master Detective

Little Nellie Kelly

as Sergeant McGowan

No Time for Comedy

as Police Sergeant (uncredited)

The Golden Fleecing

The Way of All Flesh

The Saint Takes Over

as Patrolman Mike

Buck Benny Rides Again

Opened by Mistake

as Police Sergeant Wilkins

Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise

as Wilkie, house detective

as Police Captain Orr

The Cisco Kid and the Lady

as Pop Saunders

Fast and Furious

as Lieutenant Dufour

On Borrowed Time

as Sheriff Burlingame

as Cattle Auctioneer (uncredited)

I'm from Missouri

The Family Next Door

The Saint Strikes Back

as Headquarters Police Officer

The Dawn Patrol

as Flaherty - Motorcycle Driver

The Mad Miss Manton

The Affairs of Annabel

You Can't Take It with You

as Chief Detective (uncredited)

Flight Into Nowhere

as Ike Matthews

The Perfect Specimen

as Constable Snodgrass

Life Begins with Love

as Darby McGraw

High, Wide and Handsome

Champagne Waltz

as Mr. Scribner

Laughing at Trouble

as Patrick James Aloysius 'Pat' Haley

Can This Be Dixie?

as Sheriff N.B.F. Rider

36 Hours to Kill

as Doyle - Process Server

Rhythm on the Range

Forgotten Faces

as Sgt. Johnny Donovan / Harry's friend

Song and Dance Man

as Lt. Mike Boyle

The Leathernecks Have Landed

So Red the Rose

as Major Rushton

Frisco Waterfront

as Police Sgt. Burke

as Mickey (uncredited)

Case of the Missing Man

as Police Sergeant Rorty

The Affair of Susan

Here Comes Cookie

as Broken-Nose Reilly

as Michael Shaughnessy

Call of the Wild

Man on the Flying Trapeze

Broadway Gondolier

The Farmer Takes a Wife

as Man Hauling Rifles and Bullets

After the Dance

as Police Lieutenant

as Truck Driver

as Skeptical Passenger in Pilot House (uncredited)

Ruggles of Red Gap

The Mystery Man

as Managing Editor Marvin

Ticket to a Crime

as Detective Lt. John Aloysius McGinnis

as Emperor Francis I

Treasure Island

as Pirate of the Spanish Main

Friends of Mr. Sweeney

as Policeman Arresting Wynn

Such Women Are Dangerous

Little Miss Marker

as Detective Reardon (uncredited)

The Merry Frinks

as 3rd Expressman (uncredited)

Twentieth Century

as Sheriff (uncredited)

The Scarlet Empress

as Motorcycle Cop (uncredited)

A Very Honorable Guy

Sisters Under the Skin

as King, a Hobo

as Brooklyn Jack

as Detective Making Raid (uncredited)

It Happened One Night

as Detective (uncredited)

as Detective (uncredited)

Queen Christina

as Blacksmith - 4th Rabble Rouser (uncredited)

as Welfare Island Guard (uncredited)

as Panhandler (uncredited)

The Kennel Murder Case

as Policeman Who Lets Dog Out (uncredited)

as First Immigration Officer (uncredited)

as Recruiting Sergeant (uncredited)

To the Last Man

as Kentucky Sheriff (uncredited)

as Cromwell Dexter

The Girl in 419

as Detective Jackson

A Lady's Profession

Face in the Sky

as Cop (uncredited)