James Burke
Known for Acting · 170 credits
- Born
- 1886-09-23
- Died
- 1968-05-23
- Place of birth
- New York City, New York, USA
- Also known as
- Jim Burke · James Michael Burke
Biography
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.
Known For
TV Shows (12)
Lassie
1954
I Love Lucy
1951
as Mr. Watson
Cheyenne
1955
as Buckshot
Dinah!
1974
as Self
Wanted: Dead or Alive
1958
as Sheriff John Tatum / Sheriff M. Comstock / Sheriff Blore
The 20th Century Fox Hour
1955
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
1959
as Policeman
My Little Margie
1952
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958
Trackdown
1957
Stagecoach West
1960
as James Burke / Zeke Bonner
The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour
1957
as Horse Handler (uncredited)
Movies (158)
The Maltese Falcon
1941
as Luke
It Happened One Night
1934
as Detective (uncredited)
Nightmare Alley
1947
as Rural Marshal (uncredited)
Shady Lady
1945
as Crane
June Bride
1948
as Luke Potter
You Can't Take It with You
1938
as Chief Detective (uncredited)
Dodge City
1939
as Cattle Auctioneer (uncredited)
The Case of the Missing Man
1935
as Police Sergeant Rorty
Call of the Wild
1935
as Ole
Treasure Island
1934
as Pirate of the Spanish Main
Little Miss Marker
1934
as Detective Reardon (uncredited)
Queen Christina
1934
as Blacksmith - 4th Rabble Rouser (uncredited)
The Scarlet Empress
1934
Anchors Aweigh
1945
as Studio Cop
Dead End
1937
as Mulligan
Down to Earth
1947
as Detective Kelly
Let's Dance
1950
as George (uncredited)
Casanova Brown
1944
as O'Leary (uncredited)
Denver and Rio Grande
1952
as Sheriff Ed Johnson
Alias Jesse James
1959
as Charlie (uncredited)
The Big Clock
1948
as O'Brien
His Kind of Woman
1951
as Barkeeper in Nogales (uncredited)
Body and Soul
1947
as Arnold (uncredited)
The Virginian
1946
as Andy Jones (uncredited)
Six of a Kind
1934
as Detective (uncredited)
All Through the Night
1942
as Police Lt. Forbes
We're Not Married!
1952
as Willie's Sergeant (uncredited)
A Lady's Profession
1933
as Mulroy
Dixie
1943
as Riverboat Captain (uncredited)
The Unholy Wife
1957
as Sheriff Tom Watling
Twentieth Century
1934
as Sheriff (uncredited)
So Red the Rose
1935
as Major Rushton
Lone Star
1952
as Luther Kilgore
At the Circus
1939
as John Carter
The Kennel Murder Case
1933
as Policeman Who Lets Dog Out (uncredited)
Beau Geste
1939
as Lieutenant Dufour
The Last Outpost
1951
as Stagecoach driver (uncredited)
Sisters Under the Skin
1934
as Conroy
Within the Law
1939
as 'Red'
Red, Hot and Blue
1949
as Doorman (uncredited)
Copper Canyon
1950
as Jeb Bassett
Warpath
1951
as Oldtimer
On Borrowed Time
1939
as Sheriff Burlingame
Song and Dance Man
1936
as Lt. Mike Boyle
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975
as Self (archive footage)
The Mad Miss Manton
1938
as Sullivan
Beyond Glory
1948
as Jim, the Bartender (uncredited)
The Bowery
1933
as Recruiting Sergeant (uncredited)
Thank Your Lucky Stars
1943
as Bill, Intern Guard (uncredited)
Torch Singer
1933
as Taxi Driver
The Perfect Specimen
1937
as Constable Snodgrass
No Time for Comedy
1940
as Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Million Dollar Baby
1941
as Callahan
Alias Nick Beal
1949
as Bum
Buck Benny Rides Again
1940
as Taxi Driver
Mississippi
1935
as Skeptical Passenger in Pilot House (uncredited)
Man on the Flying Trapeze
1935
as Patrolman
The Horn Blows at Midnight
1945
as Policeman (uncredited)
California
1947
as Pokey
Ruggles of Red Gap
1935
as Jeff Tuttle
Here Comes the Groom
1951
as O'Neill, Policeman
High, Wide and Handsome
1937
as Stackpole
The Dawn Patrol
1938
as Flaherty - Motorcycle Driver
The Affairs of Annabel
1938
as Muldoon
Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise
1940
as Wilkie, house detective
Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery
1941
as Sgt. Velie
Lady Killer
1933
as Panhandler (uncredited)
Men with Wings
1938
as J.A. Nolan
Song of the Thin Man
1947
as Policeman Callahan (uncredited)
The Saint Takes Over
1940
as Patrolman Mike
Joy of Living
1938
as Mac
The Farmer Takes a Wife
1935
as Man Hauling Rifles and Bullets
My Favorite Blonde
1942
as Union Secretary
Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone
1950
as The Train Conductor
Klondike Annie
1936
Lucky Me
1954
as Mahoney
Opened by Mistake
1940
as Police Sergeant Wilkins
Friends of Mr. Sweeney
1934
as Policeman Arresting Wynn
The Mystery Man
1935
as Managing Editor Marvin
The Merry Frinks
1934
as 3rd Expressman (uncredited)
It Happened in Flatbush
1942
as Umpire Shaunnessy
The Girl in 419
1933
as Detective Jackson
Two Years Before the Mast
1946
as Carrick
Rhythm on the Range
1936
as Wabash
The Golden Fleecing
1940
as Sibley
Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime
1941
as Sgt. Velie
Gambling Lady
1934
as Detective Making Raid (uncredited)
The Hollywood Handicap
1932
Lady by Choice
1934
as Brannigan
Philo Vance's Gamble
1947
as Lt. Burke
Reaching for the Sun
1941
as Norm
I'm from Missouri
1939
as Walt Bliss
The Way of All Flesh
1940
as Frisco
College Humor
1933
as Cromwell Dexter
Flight Into Nowhere
1938
as Ike Matthews
Pot o' Gold
1941
as Lt. Grady
Music Is Magic
1935
as Mickey (uncredited)
The Cisco Kid and the Lady
1939
as Pop Saunders
The Saint Strikes Back
1939
as Headquarters Police Officer
Champagne Waltz
1937
as Mr. Scribner
Sadie McKee
1934
as Motorcycle Cop (uncredited)
Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring
1941
as Sgt. Velie
Raton Pass
1951
as Hank
Coronado
1935
as Slug Moran
Double Alibi
1940
as Police Captain Orr
Here Comes Cookie
1935
as Broken-Nose Reilly
Ellery Queen, Master Detective
1940
as Sgt. Velle
Bombshell
1933
as First Immigration Officer (uncredited)
A Close Call for Ellery Queen
1942
as Sgt. Velie
Great Guy
1936
as Patrick James Aloysius 'Pat' Haley
3 Men in White
1944
as First Policeman (uncredited)
Fast and Furious
1939
as Clancy
No Place for a Lady
1943
as Police Substation Chief Moriarty
Face in the Sky
1933
as Cop (uncredited)
Bowery Bombshell
1946
as Detective O'Malley
I Love a Bandleader
1945
as Charles Gibley
Riding High
1943
as Pete
Laughing at Trouble
1936
as Bill Norton
A Night to Remember
1942
as Pat Murphy (uncredited)
Toughest Man in Arizona
1952
About James Burke
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.… With 170 credits spanning from 1932 to 1975, James Burke has appeared in 158 films and 12 TV shows.
Fans searching for James Burke movies, James Burke filmography, or the latest projects starring James Burke can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular James Burke Movies
- The Maltese Falcon (1941) — as Luke
- It Happened One Night (1934) — as Detective (uncredited)
- Nightmare Alley (1947) — as Rural Marshal (uncredited)
- Shady Lady (1945) — as Crane
- June Bride (1948) — as Luke Potter
Where to Watch James Burke Films
Most James Burke movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring James Burke, check our movies catalogue and browse page.