Walter Burke
Walter Lawrence Burke was an American character actor of stage, film, and television whose career in entertainment spanned over a half century. Although he was a native of New York, Burke's Irish ancestry often led to his being cast in roles as an Irishman or Englishman. His small stature and distinctive voice and face also made him easily recognizable to audiences even when he was performing in minor supporting roles.
Walter Burke was born in the Brooklyn borough of New York City to Irish immigrant parents Bedelia and Thomas Burke. His father bred trotting horses, with one farm each in Ireland and Scotland.
Burke began acting on stage as a teenager, making his Broadway debut in Dearest Enemy at the Knickerbocker Theatre during the 1925–1926 season. The following year he performed in the musical revue Padlocks of 1927 at the Shubert Theatre. He then joined the American Opera Company's troupe in January 1928, performing a non-singing role in an English-language adaption of Faust. He continued with that company through January 1930, taking part in adaptions of Madame Butterfly and Yolanda of Cyprus at the Casino Theatre. His other Broadway credits included Help Yourself!, Red Harvest, A Hero Is Born, The Old Foolishness, Under This Roof, The Eve of St. Mark, The World's Full of Girls, Sadie Thompson, Up in Central Park, Billy Budd, Three Wishes for Jamie, and Major Barbara.
Film
Burke debuted in Hollywood films in 1948, with The Naked City, and the following year had a memorable role in the Oscar-winning film All the King's Men. Burke would appear in twenty-two more films, and three more Broadway productions, but both film and the stage would soon take a backseat to his television work.
Television
In 1951, Burke played a jockey in the early television series Martin Kane. From then until 1980, he would appear in episodes of 103 different television series, as well as three made-for-television movies. Though never a series regular, he often played different roles in multiple episodes of the same shows. In 1959–60, he appeared five times as Tim Potter in the ABC western series Black Saddle starring Peter Breck. That same season, he appeared on Andrew Duggan's Bourbon Street Beat and John Cassavetes's Johnny Staccato detective series. He portrayed defendant Freddie Green in CBS's Perry Mason in the 1959 episode, "The Case of the Jaded Joker," the first of five appearances in diverse roles. In 1959, he played the title character in the Tales of Wells Fargo episode "The Little Man." Between 1959 and 1969, Burke made guest appearances on five episodes of the western drama series Gunsmoke.
In 1960 he played prosecutor James Blackburn on Perry Mason in "The Case of the Ominous Outcast." Among his other roles he played a panhandler and a private detective. He guest-starred as Hatfield in the 1961 episode "The Drought" of the syndicated western series Two Faces West. In the 1962–1963 season, he appeared on the CBS anthology series The Lloyd Bridges Show. In the 1965–1966 season, Burke appeared on another ABC western, The Legend of Jesse James. Burke played a magician called "Zeno the Great" in a 1965 episode of Bewitched entitled "It's Magic". He portrayed Alfred Swanson in the 1965 episode "Movie Star Munster" of the television series, The Munsters.
Burke also appeared on an episode of Lost in Space, playing Mr. O.M. in "The Toymaker". He also appeared in an episode of "Wild Wild West" as the mayor of a town under siege, in Hogan's Heroes as the master safe cracker Alfie the Artiste, and in two episodes of "Bonanza", as Jesse in "Destiny's Child", and as an unsuspecting witness in a trial. Burke performed as well in the Western series The Virginian, portraying the character Billy Neal in the 1970 episode "The Gift".
Personal life
Burke married Kathryn Patricia Rooney in 1937 and they had four children, Catherine, Margaret, Deborah and Leslie. Kathryn Rooney died on May 21, 1956.
Burke split most of his later life between Hollywood, where he worked, and his farm in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. While back east, he would sometimes teach dramatics at a local college.
Death
On August 4, 1984, Burke died from emphysema while living at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California.
Dearest Enemy, Knickerbocker Theatre, ... as ensemblePadlocks of 1927, Shubert Theatre, ... as performerFaust, Gallo Theatre, ... as A SoldierMadame Butterfly, Casino Theatre, ... as RegistrarYolanda of Cyprus, Casino Theatre, ... as TremitusHelp Yourself, Manhattan Theatre, ... as Frederick BittlesbyRed Harvest, National Theatre, ... as Courier RockmanA Hero Is Born, Adelphi Theater, ... as William / A Gentleman of Uncertain AgeThe Old Foolishness, Windsor Theatre, ... as Dan DorianNot in Our Stars, Biltmore Theatre, ... as Kevlin HoolihanUnder This Roof, Windsor Theatre, ... as Shawn O'ShaughnessyThe Eve of St. Mark, Cort Theatre, ... as Private Thomas MulveroyThe World's Full of Girls, Royale Theatre, ... as NickSadie Thompson, Alvin Theater, ... as Quartermaster BatesUp in Central Park, New Century Theatre ... as Danny O'CahaneBilly Budd, Biltmore Theatre, ... as O'DanielThree Wishes for Jamie, Mark Hellinger Theatre, ... as Power O'MalleyMajor Barbara, Martin Beck Theatre, ... as Snobby Price
Filmography
The Naked City as Pete Backalis All the King's Men as Sugar BoyMystery Street as OrnithologistThe Killer That Stalked New York as Danny the Bellhop Dark City as George the Bartender Double Deal as Wally, Karne's Thug M as MacMahanThe Guy Who Came Back as O'MaraNever Love a Stranger as Jimmy Keough The Crimson Kimono as Ziggy Let No Man Write My Epitaph as WartJack the Giant Killer as GarnaBeauty and the Beast as GrimaldiHow the West Was Won as Poker Player in wagon The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze as Lory FilchThe Wheeler Dealers as Billy Joe My Fair Lady as Bystander The Plainsman as Abe IrelandDouble Trouble as MateStranger on the Run as Abraham BerkThe President's Analyst as Henry Lux, FBR ChiefSupport Your Local Sheriff! as Fred JohnsonSupport Your Local Gunfighter as MorrisChandler as ZenoThe Stone Killer as JD, marijuana dealer
Television credits (partial)
Martin Kane: "A Jockey Is Murdered" ... as Eddie StevensJohnny Midnight as McVey in untitled episodePeter Gunn: "The Torch" ... as DittoTales of Wells Fargo "The Little Man" ... as Marty SaundersGunsmoke: "Wind" ... as a Bystander Alfred Hitchcock Presents ... as BennyYancy Derringer: "Panic in Town" ... as Sneaky JoeAlcoa Presents: One Step Beyond: "Front Runner" ... as jockey Sam BarryLawman: "Red Ransom" ... as Whiskey JimmieLawman S4 E15 "By The Book"...as ErnieRescue 8: "Left Hook to Hades" ... as Mike ThompsonPerry Mason: "The Case of the Jaded Joker" ... as Freddie GreenPerry Mason: "The Case of the Ominous Outcast" ... as James BlackburnSugarfoot: "The Mysterious Stranger" ... as BartenderThe Man from Blackhawk: 2 episodes, "Death Is the Best Policy" as Tyce; "The Harpoon Story" ... as Tom AbbottGunsmoke: 2 episodes: "Hinka Do" ... as Herman & "Circus Trick" ... as "Mr. Elko"The Alaskans: 3 episodes, "The Blizzard" and "The Devil Made Fire" ... as Jenks in both segments; "Kangaroo Court" ... as Sid Queed The Islanders: 2 episodes, "Operation Dollar Sign" and "The Phanton Captain" ... as Mesrob in both segments 77 Sunset Strip: 3 episodes, "The Double Death of Benny Markham ....as Benny Markham, "The Baker Street Caper" ... as Riordan, and "Terror in Silence .... as Joe DolanRawhide: "The Incident of the Deserter" ... as Mr. DimityBat Masterson: "Bat Trap" ... uncreditedTombstone Territory: "Memory" ... as Harry AmesPerry Mason: "The Case of the Missing Melody" ... as Jack GrabbaThe Lawless Years: "The Miles Miller Story" ... as Miles MillerG.E. True: "A Friendly Tribe" ... as L.B. PrentissBonanza: 3 episodes, "Bank Run" .... as Tim O'Brien, "Destiny's Child" .... as Jesse Pierson, "The Twenty-Sixth Grave" .... as CampbellThe Wide Country: "Good Old Uncle Walt" ... as Tim MayhewFollow the Sun: "Annie Beeler's Place" ... as GympyEmpire: "Where the Hawk Is Wheeling" ... as Micah The Lloyd Bridges Show: "The Rising Moon" ... as O'FarrellThe Outer Limits: "The Mutant" The Outer Limits: "The Invisibles" Perry Mason: "The Case of the Wooden Nickels" ... as Jerry Kelso, Panhandler Perry Mason: "The Case of the Crafty Kidnapper" ... as Private Investigator AdamsThis Man Dawson: "Plague" ... as "Jumpy" HigginsThe Twilight Zone: "The Big Tall Wish" ... as Joe MizellHawaiian Eye: "Talk and You're Dead" ... as KilgoreHave Gun–Will Travel: Season 2 Episode 36 ... Mr. Abbott: A school teacher who disclosed information to Paladin about the murder of a man by the ex-sheriff.Arrest & Trial: "The Black Flower" ... as Hoby OsborneMickey with Mickey Rooney: "For the Love of Grandpa Toddie" .... as Grandfather ToddieBewitched: "It's Magic" ... Zeno the Great, a hapless magician The Munsters: "Movie Star Munster" ... as Alfred SwansonHogan's Heroes: "The Safecracker Suite" ... Alfred Burke a.k.a. Alfie the Artiste, an English safecracking master The Fugitive: "Joshua's Kingdom" ... as DocBatman: "Fine Feathered Finks" and "The Penguin's a Jinx", Episodes 3 and 4 as SparrowRango: "The Rustlers" as BrooksLost in Space: "The Toymaker" .... as the Toymaker, Mr. O.M. The F.B.I.: "The Two Million Dollar Hit" .... as Arnie HellingsI Dream of Jeannie: "One Jeannie Beats Four of a Kind" ... as The BossThe Big Valley (TV series) 4 episodes, "The Iron Box" ... as Young Billy, "The Disappearance" ... as George Gates, "Fall of a Hero" ... as T.J. Dyce, "Point and Counterpoint" ...as Ned Stokely Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea: "Terrible Leprechaun" ... as Leprechaun Mickey and PatrikIronside: "All in a Day's Work" ... as the InformerMission: Impossible: "Image" ... as Nate UllsteadGhost Story "The Concrete Captain" ... as DanielAdam-12: "Backup 1-L20" ... as Billy Fuller