Ralph Meeker
Known for Acting · 88 credits
- Born
- 1920-11-21
- Died
- 1988-08-05
- Place of birth
- Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Also known as
- Ralph Rathgeber
Biography
Ralph Meeker (born Ralph Rathgeber; November 21, 1920 – August 5, 1988) was an American actor. He first rose to prominence for his roles in the Broadway productions of Mister Roberts (1948–1951) and Picnic (1953), the former of which earned him a Theatre World Award for his performance. In film, Meeker is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Mike Hammer in Robert Aldrich's 1955 Kiss Me Deadly.
Meeker went on to play a series of roles that used his husky and macho screen presence, including a lead role in Stanley Kubrick's military courtroom drama Paths of Glory (1957), as a troubled mechanic opposite Carroll Baker in Something Wild (1961), as a World War II captain in The Dirty Dozen (1967), and in the gangster film The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967). Other credits include supporting roles in I Walk the Line (1970) and Sidney Lumet's The Anderson Tapes (1971).
He also had a prolific career in television, appearing as Sergeant Steve Dekker on the series Not for Hire (1959–1960), and in the television horror film The Night Stalker (1972). After suffering a stroke in 1980, Meeker was forced to retire from acting, and died eight years later of a heart attack in Los Angeles, California.
Known For
TV Shows (41)
Ironside
1967
Climax!
1954
as Alex Hill / 'Griff' Griffith
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956
as Steve Elkins
Studio One
1948
as Steve Windom / Larry Sheridan
Cannon
1971
The F.B.I.
1965
as King Hogan / Scott Martin / Graham Newcomb
Police Woman
1974
Route 66
1960
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948
as Self
The High Chaparral
1967
as Tracy Conlin
The Defenders
1961
as Floyd Cooper
Wanted: Dead or Alive
1958
as Martin Ash
The Name of the Game
1968
as Senator Goddard
The Rookies
1972
The Outer Limits
1963
as John Dexter
Room 222
1969
CHiPs
1977
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
as Carl Spann / Carl Borden / Mel Reeves / John Forbes
The 20th Century Fox Hour
1955
The Texan
1958
Kraft Suspense Theatre
1963
as Harly Clay
Harry O
1974
Tarzan
1966
Police Story
1973
Lux Video Theatre
1950
as Nicky Hanks / Mike
The Green Hornet
1966
as Earl Evans
Toma
1973
Letter to Loretta
1953
as Joe Martin / Ed James / Pilot Duke Cavanaugh / Willis Cooper
Going My Way
1962
Kaz
1978
Custer
1967
Run, Joe, Run
1974
Barbary Coast
1975
as Big Lou Hobart
The Evil Touch
1973
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951
as Wally Walters
The Eddie Capra Mysteries
1978
Tallahassee 7000
1961
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
as Rich Adams / Barry Brannon
Primus
1971
Not for Hire
1959
Faraday and Company
1973
as Ed Kelso
Movies (47)
Paths of Glory
1957
as Cpl. Philippe Paris
The Dirty Dozen
1967
as Captain Stuart Kinder
The Detective
1968
as Curran
The Night Stalker
1972
as Bernie Jenks
Brannigan
1975
as Capt. Moretti
Kiss Me Deadly
1955
as Mike Hammer
The St. Valentine's Day Massacre
1967
as George Clarence 'Bugs' Moran
The Naked Spur
1953
as Roy Anderson
Winter Kills
1979
as Gameboy Baker
Without Warning
1980
as Dave
Something Wild
1961
as Mike
Night Games
1974
as Dutch Armbreck
Jeopardy
1953
as Lawson the Fugitive
The Anderson Tapes
1971
as Police Captain 'Iron Balls' Delaney
The Food of the Gods
1976
as Bensington
Ada
1961
as Colonel Yancey
I Walk the Line
1970
as Carl McCain
Desert Sands
1955
as Capt. David Malcolm
Lost Flight
1970
as Glenn Walkup
Run of the Arrow
1957
as Lieutenant Driscoll
The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller
2002
as Lt. Driscoll (archive footage)
Big House, U.S.A
1955
as Geraldo 'Jerry' Barker aka Iceman
Cry Panic
1974
as Chuck Braswell
The Girl on the Late, Late Show
1974
as Inspector DeBiesse
The Dead Don't Die
1975
as Lieutenant Reardon
The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown
1957
as Mike Valla
Angela - Love Comes Quietly
1973
as Ben Hoeksema
Birds of Prey
1973
as Jim McAndrew
The Alpha Incident
1978
as Charlie
Shadow in the Sky
1952
as Burt
Teresa
1951
as Sgt. Dobbs
Gentle Giant
1967
as Fog Hanson
The Mind Snatchers
1972
as The Major
Code Two
1953
as Chuck O'Flair
The Devil's Eight
1969
as Burl
Glory Alley
1952
as Socks Barbarrosa
You'll Never See Me Again
1973
as Will Alden
Four in a Jeep
1951
as Sergeant William Long
Hi-Riders
1978
as Mike
My Boys Are Good Boys
1978
as Bert Morton
Johnny Firecloud
1975
as Colby
Somebody Loves Me
1952
as Benny Fields
The Reluctant Heroes
1971
as Capt. Luke Danvers
Wall of Noise
1963
as Matt Rubio
A Holster Full Of Law
1961
as Frank Clell
A Woman's Devotion
1956
as Trevor Stevenson
Four Women in Black
1957
as Carbine Webb
About Ralph Meeker
Ralph Meeker (born Ralph Rathgeber; November 21, 1920 – August 5, 1988) was an American actor. He first rose to prominence for his roles in the Broadway productions of Mister Roberts (1948–1951) and Picnic (1953), the former of which earned him a Theatre World Award for his performance. In film, Meeker is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Mike Hammer in Robert Aldrich's 1955 Kiss Me Deadly. Meeker went on to play a series of roles that used his husky and macho screen presence, including a lead role in Stanley Kubrick's military courtroom… With 88 credits spanning from 1948 to 2002, Ralph Meeker has appeared in 47 films and 41 TV shows.
Fans searching for Ralph Meeker movies, Ralph Meeker filmography, or the latest projects starring Ralph Meeker can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Ralph Meeker Movies
- Paths of Glory (1957) — as Cpl. Philippe Paris
- The Dirty Dozen (1967) — as Captain Stuart Kinder
- The Detective (1968) — as Curran
- The Night Stalker (1972) — as Bernie Jenks
- Brannigan (1975) — as Capt. Moretti
Where to Watch Ralph Meeker Films
Most Ralph Meeker 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 Ralph Meeker, check our movies catalogue and browse page.